HOW TO CHOOSE A DIAMOND?

 The diamond is the most exceptional of the precious stones.

Resulting from the crystallization of carbon, it is characterized by its hardness (hardest stone: 10 Mohs / 10), it is also renowned for its resistance to corrosion, its transparency and its exceptional power of light reflection, which makes it the most brilliant stone of all for the greatest pleasure of the eyes.

If its white color is the most widespread in jewelry, a diamond is available in almost all colors

The quality of the diamond is evaluated according to 4 key criteria, the 4C (translated from English by size, weight, clarity, color ) which determine the price.

Then you have to take into account the “personality” of the diamond which will give it its unique character, its fascinating magic. The personality comes from the quality of the proportions, the polish and the symmetry of the stone.

Ideally, the diamond is sold with a certificate of authenticity issued by renowned gemology laboratories such as the GIA, HRD, IGI, etc. which constitutes its identity card, notably including its key characteristics. we advised always go for gia certified black diamonds.

The diamond is the symbol of the 10 th and 60 th years of marriage.

Summary :

  • carat: the weight of the diamond
  • color: the color of the diamond
  • clarity: the purity of diamonds
  • cut: the size of the diamond
  • diamond shapes
  • precision: what are the fire, the luster, and the shine of a diamond?
  • diamond fluorescence
  • diamond certificates
  • the choice of a masterpiece
  • checklist "how to choose a diamond?"
  • the 4cs:
  • CARAT : DIAMOND WEIGHT
  • It defines the mass of the stone in carat (ct). One carat equals 0.2 grams, not to be confused with the carat of metals (K) which defines their degree of purity.

The price of the diamond in relation to its weight increases exponentially. Beyond 1 carat, quality diamonds are proportionally rarer and therefore their price soars.

Carat weight/diameter ratio of a brilliant-cut (round) diamond (CARAT)

COLOR : DIAMOND COLOR

Diamonds are divided into 2 categories: white diamonds (colorless) and colored or fancy colors diamonds (pink, red, blue, green, yellow, black…).

For white diamonds, there is a color scale which makes it possible to classify them going from D (completely colorless) to Z (slightly yellowish tint). From and below I (I to Z), the diamond takes on an increasingly pronounced yellowish hue.

From D (exceptional white) to H (white), the color remains almost identical to the naked eye. Only instruments will make it possible to distinguish the highest colors of the scale. However, if with the naked eye there is little difference, the cost on the other hand strongly increases from H to D.

We advise you to choose at least one H diamond color.

  •  E color scale for white diamonds:
  •  D: exceptional white + A diamond D is perfectly colorless and therefore the rarest.
  •  E: exceptional white. Colorless
  •  F: rare white +. Colorless
  •  G: rare white. Almost colorless
  •  H: white. Almost colorless
  •  I & J: lightly tinted white
  •  K & L: Pale yellow
  •  M to R: Very light yellow
  •  S to Z: Light yellow

Color of white diamonds (COLOR)

CLARITY: PURITY
This criterion defines the presence or absence of inclusions (external imperfections, impurities, defects or cracks on the surface) inside a diamond. There is a scale that defines this level of purity . The perfect level of purity is IF ( internally flawless ), which corresponds to no inclusion visible with a magnifying glass, magnification x10. I3 ( imperfect 3) indicates the highest level of inclusions. Little included gems are extremely rare and expensive. However, the naked eye only perceives the inclusions corresponding to the SI level and lower of the purity scale, i.e. Small Inclusion .

We advise you to choose at least a diamond purity of SI2.

Diamond purity scale:

- F - IF: No inclusions - No visible inclusion under a magnifying glass x10
- VVS1 - VVS2: Very small inclusions very difficult to see with a magnifying glass x10
- VS1 - VS2: Small inclusions hardly visible with a magnifying glass x10, invisible to the naked eye
- SI1 - SI2: Small inclusions easily visible with a magnifying glass x10, invisible to the naked eye
- I1 - I2 - I3: Inclusions visible to the naked eye

Diamond clarity (CLARITY)

CUT : DIAMOND CUT
SHAPE OF THE CUT STONE
The size of the diamond refers to the shape given to the cut stone - but also - to the quality of this cut.

The diamond can be cut in many different shapes: brilliant (round), oval, heart, cushion, emerald, pear, marquise…

We recommend the brilliant size but the other shapes have advantages to take into account.

The brilliant-cut (round with facets) is the most frequently used. It maximizes the fire, the shine and the shine of the diamond.

Certain forms enhance the hand better according to its morphology. For example, the elongated shapes, the pear, the marquise, refine the finger.

Part of a diamond

Diamond shapes (CUT)

CUT: QUALITY OF STONE CUT
Diamonds have exceptional light reflection properties, but to give them maximum shine, fire and luster, their size must comply with rules of proportion and symmetry allowing the light rays entering the stone. be returned to the eye and give that unparalleled shine.

If it is badly cut , there will be a loss of its light rays, the diamond will then be of a lesser gloss or even dull brilliance regardless of its whiteness and purity .

When the diamond is too flat or too wide, the light will escape from the bottom of the diamond's cylinder head making it dull in the worst case.

When the diamond is too deep in size, light will escape from the sides of the diamond, the center of the diamond will appear black.

So the quality of the cut is a determining factor of the shine, the fire and the shine of the stone. A scale has been defined making it possible to classify the different levels of quality of the size of diamonds.

We advise you to choose at least a "good" quality see "very good".

Quality scale for diamond cutting:

- IDEAL CUT - cut quality: ideal - Maximum shine.
- PREMIUM - size quality: premium - Shine and sparkling fire. The costs of premium sizes are generally lower than those of ideal cut .

- V ERY GOOD - size quality: very good - Remarkable shine. These diamonds reflect most of the incoming light.

- GOOD - size quality: good - Good reflection of the incoming light. Good diamonds offer excellent value for money without sacrificing quality or beauty.

- FAIR - quality of the size: acceptable - The majority of the light which penetrates into the stone escapes by the sides affecting the overall luminous rendering of the stone. This category does not offer a satisfactory level of size quality.

- POOR - quality of the size: insufficient - The majority of the light which penetrates into the stone escapes by the sides making the stone dull. This category does not offer a satisfactory level of size quality.

Diamond cut quality (CUT)

PRECISION: WHAT ARE THE FIRE, THE SHINE AND THE SHINE OF THE DIAMOND?
- Fire: rainbow of colors that can be observed on a diamond, resulting from the decomposition of light

- The shine: sparkles produced by a diamond when it moves

- Brilliance: the intensity of the light reflected by a diamond.

FLUORESCENCE
Fluorescence describes the light reaction of certain diamonds to their exposure to ultraviolet light. This reaction s e generally results in the emission of a more or less intense blue light that deteriorates the luster of the stone.

We advise you to select a stone without fluorescence.

Diamond fluorescence classification scale:

- NONE : no fluorescence
- SLIGHT or FAINT : low fluorescence
- MEDIUM : mean fluorescence
- STRONG : strong fluorescence.
- VERY STRONG : very strong fluorescence

Diamond fluorescence

DIAMOND CERTIFICATES
A diamond certificate is a document established by expert diamond cutters who will decide on the quality of the stone by means of the various key criteria ( including the 4C ) that characterize the diamond and which will then be detailed in the certificate. A certificate is the diamond's identity card. Certificates are issued by independent gemology laboratories .

The organizations of reference at the international level, known for their seriousness and their integrity are:

GIA (Gemological Institute of America).
HRD (Belgian national laboratory based in Antwerp)
IGI ( International Gemological Institute based in Antwerp)

What is a certificate for?

The price of a diamond is evaluated according to the quality of its main characteristics, the 4C. The level of quality has a very significant impact on its value. However, only experts equipped with specific instruments are capable of precisely determining the quality level of a diamond on all of its characteristics. In the absence of a certificate, you have no certainty on the real quality of the stone you buy and therefore on its value.

A certificate has a cost . That of the realization of expertise. This cost is very significant for stones weighing 0.3 carat or less . Ask your jeweler for advice.

We recommend requiring a certificate from a renowned laboratory for all diamonds from 0.5 carats.

Certificate of an HRD diamond Contents of a diamond certificate
THE CHOICE OF CENTERPIECE FOR DIAMONDS
Choosing a diamond is important and difficult.

It is mainly based on the 4 Cs, 4 criteria that define the quality of the diamond. To make your choice easier, Pièces Maîtresse advises you and offers diamonds as standard:

The size ( cut criterion of 4C) is at least "good" to guarantee the shine, the shine and the fire of the stone
The color ( color criterion of 4C) is at least at level H of the color scale which has a slight tint but not visible to the naked eye except by an experienced gemologist.

Purity ( clarity criterion of 4C) is at least at level SI1 of the purity scale which includes minor inclusions, hardly visible to the naked eye. Little to see the absence of fluorescence of the stone

The weight ( carat criterion of 4C) is chosen from the values ​​offered. If other weights interest you, you can contact customer service. NB: Not all weights are compatible with all models.

For all Masterpiece jewelry, you can choose the characteristics of your diamond if the ones offered do not satisfy you.

For all models paved with diamond, the quality used is G (rare white) VS (very small inclusions difficult to detect with a 10x magnifying glass) to better highlight the center diamond of the solitaire Declaration.

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