Which color to choose?

• The difference in appearance between colorless diamonds and near colorless diamonds may not be detectable, but the price difference from one color grade to another can be significant.
• The purists at heart will always want diamonds in the D-F range. By selecting diamonds in the G-I range, however, you can find a tremendous value while still achieving a "colorless" look.
• J-K-L color diamonds can be chosen if you want to buy a larger-sized diamond or a higher clarity diamond within your budget.
• Diamonds with pointed ends, specifically marquise, radiants, pear and sometimes even princess shaped diamonds tend to focus the color on these points. So, you should select diamonds with better colors for these shapes.

Fluorescence

Fluorescence is an important factor influencing the color of a diamond. Fluorescence can be observed in a diamond when it is exposed to ultraviolet light (such as lighting in nightclubs). Under normal lighting conditions, this fluorescence effect is generally not detectable to the naked eye. Generally, diamonds with a high degree of fluorescence are considered undesirable and are cheaper than diamonds with no fluorescence. However, some people prefer diamonds with fluorescence; it’s a matter of aesthetics really. If the fluorescence intensity is ‘Strong’ or ‘Very Strong’, then the diamond tends to have a milky or oily look and is much cheaper than a diamond with None fluorescence.

For yellow-tinted diamonds, especially in the color ranges J-K-L-M, diamonds with fluorescence seem to have a better color i.e. they appear to be whiter than a similar color diamond with no fluorescence. So, if you are looking to buy a diamond in these color ranges, it might be a good idea to get a diamond with fluorescence intensity of Faint Slight even Medium

Tips by Sarvada Jewels Experts:

• It is important to keep in mind the metal color of the jewelry for which the diamond is to be purchased. If it is yellow gold, then it might be prudent to buy I color or lower since a higher color will also appear yellowish because of the yellow gold reflections. Similarly, for white gold or platinum jewelry, you can consider buying F-G-H color.
• The visible difference between diamonds of one color grade, for example G to H or I to J, is so minor it is difficult to detect with the unaided eye. The cost savings, however, can be significant. The more visible color differences are between D color and G color and G color and J color.
• As diamond size increases, color becomes more noticeable. This is especially important to keep in mind if purchasing a diamond of 1.50 cts or greater.
• If selecting a diamond within the color range J-K-L-M, consider buying a diamond with fluorescence as the diamond will appear to be whiter or colorless than it actually is.

Diamond Clarity

Clarity reflects the purity of a diamond or the inclusions and blemishes in a diamond. The inclusions and blemishes impact a diamond’s ability to let in light and reflect its brilliance. Inclusions are interior irregularities and blemishes are exterior irregularities. These imperfections are not flaws, but rather the natural fingerprint of every diamond. Often, we can see these only under a powerful microscope or jeweler’s loupe, and they do not visibly affect the appearance or beauty of a diamond. Large inclusions can affect the appearance of a diamond considerably. Some inclusions are colored too, the most common being “Natts”- a black inclusion, which if considerably big, can be easily spotted by the naked eye. The larger or more numerous the inclusions the less valuable the diamond.

Diamonds with the least and smallest imperfections receive the highest clarity grades. Imperfections located on or beneath the table or centre of the diamond are easier to detect and affect clarity grade more than those located around the sides of the diamond. Internationally, diamonds are graded by labs according to the following grades:

• FL Flawless: These diamonds are completely clean and have no inclusions or blemishes detectable under 10x magnification. They are extremely rare and expensive.
• IF Internally Flawless: These diamonds have no detectable inclusions but may have some surface blemishes under 10x magnification. They are very rare and very valuable.
• VVS1/VVS2 Very Very Slightly Included: Inclusions and blemishes are extremely difficult for a even a skilled gemologist to detect under 10x magnification, usually visible only under a powerful microscope.
• VS1/VS2 Very Slightly Included: Inclusions and blemishes are detectable under 10x magnification, but are minor flaws that do not impact the diamond's beauty and are totally invisible to the naked eye.
• SI1/SI2 Slightly Included: Inclusions and blemishes are easily noticeable under 10x magnification and may also be visible to the naked eye.
• I1, I2, I3 Included: Inclusions and blemishes are obvious under 10x magnification and typically visible to the naked eye. These flaws may negatively impact the transparency and or brilliance of the diamond.

What Clarity Grade to choose?

Diamonds with the least amount of flaws hold the highest clarity grading. Depending upon one’s budget and preferences, the clarity grade should be chosen. If you want completely clean diamonds, then you can go for VVS1/VVS2. If you want a diamond which is visibly clean to the unaided eye, you can consider VS1 or VS2. If you want a larger-sized diamonds or a better color within your budget, you may select SI1 or SI2. An "eye-clean" diamond - one that has no imperfections visible to the unaided eye – is an excellent value. SI1 and VS2 diamonds are typically considered clarity grades of great value since their inclusions are minor and invisible to the unaided eye. As diamond size increases, it becomes easier to see the inclusions even with the unaided eye. So consider this while making your choice. It will be much easier to spot the inclusions in a 2.00Ct SI2 as compared to a 0.30Ct SI2.

Tips by Sarvada Jewels Experts:

• Most imperfections are so small they cannot be seen by the unaided eye. For diamonds under 1Ct, clarity should be considered the least important of the 4Cs. The price differences between two clarity grades will also be considerably lower in absolute terms, in this size.
• As diamond size increases, the size of the facets also increases. Because facets are essentially windows into a diamond, the importance of purchasing a diamond with a higher clarity grade increases. For diamonds over 2 carats, a clarity grade of VS2 or higher is the safest bet for avoiding any signs of visible inclusions. In diamonds between 1 and 2 carats, clarity grades of SI1 or better will not have inclusions easily visible to the naked eye.
• For shapes like Asscher and Emerald, our experts recommend buying SI1 or higher because it’s much easier to see inclusions with the unaided eye in these shapes.

Diamond Cut

Cut is an important factor determining the beauty of a diamond. It is the only ‘C’ that is influenced by man. Cut includes the proportions, polish and symmetry and these influence the brilliance, fire and scintillation of a diamond. It is important for a diamond to have well-cut angles and finish for it to shine and sparkle. A poorly cut diamond can appear to be dark, dull and lifeless. It has the greatest overall influence on a diamond's beauty.

According to GIA standards, a round diamond is graded on it’s Cut, Polish and Symmetry features separately. For fancy shapes, the Symmetry and Polish Features are graded, Cut is not graded.

Cut Grades:

Ideal/ Excellent – Excellent light performance. Reflects almost all of the light that enters. The best and the most beautiful cut.

Very Good – Very good light performance. Reflects majority of the light that enters. Very Good cut diamonds are considered to be a good value as they are cheaper than Excellent cut.

Good – Good light performance. Reflects most of the light that enters. Good diamond cuts are much cheaper than Good cuts.

Fair – Still a quality diamond, but a fair cut will not be as brilliant as a good cut or above.

Poor – Poor cut diamonds are typically cut too shallow or too deep causing much of the light to leak out of the diamond's sides and base. Sarvada Jewels does not carry diamonds having Poor cut.

Which Grade of Cut Should I Buy?

Cut grade is the most important factor in determining the overall appearance of a diamond, because a poorly cut diamond will seem dull even with excellent clarity and color. Conversely, a well cut diamond can have a slightly lower color (G-H) or clarity (SI1-SI2) and still look quite beautiful, due to its superior ability to create sparkle and brilliance.

For superior brilliance, choose a diamond with a Cut grade of Very Good or Excellent for round diamonds, with Polish and Symmetry grades of at least Good, preferable Very Good. For Fancy shapes, our experts recommend not selecting diamonds with Polish and Symmetry grades of lower than Good. For the best cut, buy a Triple Excellent diamond, Cut-Excellent, Polish-Excellent and Symmetry-Excellent. For those on a budget, primarily concerned with size, a diamond of Good or Fair cut may be an acceptable choice. While the diamond will lack the scintillation and brilliance of a well-cut diamond, it will allow a significant increase in size for the same price.

It is easy to be misled on cut quality, especially for diamonds that are not certified. Sometimes, customers are shown two-three qualities of diamonds but even the best quality might not represent the best cut available. Also, another major mistake is buying deeply-cut diamonds. A deeply cut diamond carries more of its carat weight "hidden" in the depth of the diamond as opposed to the width. These poorly cut diamonds are less expensive per carat, and are common in most jewelry stores. A customer might purchase a 1.00 carat diamond that actually looks like a .90 carat diamond because it is too deeply cut. Our experts recommend buying diamonds certified by reputed labs like GIA, IGI, HRD and AGS.

Tips by Sarvada Jewels Experts:

• Since Cut is the most important factor determining a diamond’s beauty and appearance, we recommend balancing Carat, Color and Clarity so that you are able to choose an Excellent or Very Good cut diamond, within your budget.
• A Poor cut diamond is considered highly undesirable, even if it is much cheaper and as such we do not recommend buying one. A fair cut diamond may be chosen if you are looking for a bigger size or a better quality diamond within your budget, although we recommend going for a slightly lower color or clarity but a diamond with a cut grade of Good or above.

Additional reading:

Brilliance refers to the brightness of a diamond, created by the combination of all the white light reflections from the surface and the inside of a polished diamond. When light hits a diamond's surface, some light enters and some is reflected back.

The cut of a diamond also creates “contrast”, the light and dark areas seen in a diamond. These dark areas are not inclusions, but shadows created by the cut or by objects between the light source and the diamond (such as the observer's head).

The greater the amount of reflected light and the stronger the contrasts, the more brilliant the stone. A round diamond will typically exhibit more brilliance than a fancy shape due to the superior mechanics of the round cut for reflecting light.

Scintillation refers to the flashes of light, or sparkles, which are produced when a diamond is tilted from side to side. These flashes are caused when light that isn't immediately reflected back enters the diamond and bounces off the internal walls. They are most pronounced in flood lit areas where strong light enters the diamond from multiple angles.

The light that reflects out of a diamond can appear in brilliant white flashes, or in a rainbow of color, referred to as Fire. The fire effect is caused by the proper bending and dispersion of light as it travels through the diamond. The more colorless the diamond, the truer the dispersed colours will appear.  This effect is greater in darker areas where there are fewer light sources.

Terminology:

Diameter: The diameter is the width of a polished diamond from one side of the girdle to another.

Table: The table is the largest polished facet of the diamond , face-up in the centre of the diamond.

Crown: The crown is the top part of the diamond that is measured from the surface of the table to the girdle

Girdle: The girdle is the widest edge of the diamond where the crown ends and meets the pavilion

Pavilion: The pavilion is the bottom part of the diamond that begins at the girdle and extends downward to the point of the culet

Culet: The culet is the tiny flat facet at the bottom tip of the diamond

Depth: The depth of a diamond refers to the total length of a diamond, measured from the culet to the table

• Proportions:

Diamond proportion refers to the relationship between the size, shape, and angle of each facet of a diamond. A wide range of combinations are possible, ultimately determining the diamond's interaction with light.To optimally capture light and reflect it back, a diamond's pavilion must have accurate angles and depth. If the angle of the pavilion is too shallow or too deep, light will escape or leak out, creating dark and dull "stains". The crown angle is also extremely important since this affects the way that light enters and exits the diamond. Not only are the angles important, but depth percentage and table percentage are also key factors that contribute to the quality of a diamond's cut. Depth percentage refers to the depth of the diamond divided by its diameter. Shallower diamonds have low depth percentages whereas deeper diamonds have higher depth percentages.

• Symmetry:

A diamond's facets must be symmetrical in order to maximize the amount of light that enters and exits the stone. Diamonds with poor symmetry look slightly distorted, unbalanced and improperly shaped. Moreover, they will affect brilliance, scintillation and fire. Many asymmetrical round stones are not completely round, or have misshapen facets or off-centre culets.

• Polish:

Once a diamond is cut, each facet of the diamond is polished. If the polishing is done improperly, it can leave scratches and streaks that are similar to the marks left behind after a car waxing. An Excellent diamond polish is a diamond which has very few or no scratches.

Grading and Certification:

A diamond is evaluated and graded on the 4Cs- Color, Clarity, Cut and Carat. Independent labs such as GIA, IGI, HRD, GSI and AGS undertake diamond grading. Sarvada Jewels sells only certified solitaires by GIA, IGI, HRD and diamond jewellery graded by IGI. While plenty of other independent labs exist, some are a bit lax in their assessments of diamond quality and do not command the same respect for consistency and quality of grading.

It is important to note that each diamond is unique and as such it is difficult to classify a diamond into set categories. So, even though ‘SI1’ clarity seems to be quite specific, in reality it is a range from the best SI1 to the worst SI1. The same holds true for ‘Color’ too. Also, the grading is done by humans, albeit according to set categories and guidelines, but there might be slight differences in the opinions of two gemologists. As a result, we find that the grading standards of different gem labs differ slightly, which causes a difference in prices of solitaires with the same grading results but from two different labs. Experts at Sarvada Jewels are certified gemologists and have years of experience in the diamond industry. We ensure that each solitaire is graded by our experts and the results verified with the lab grading report.

A certified diamond comes with a diamond grading report guaranteed by an accredited gem lab. This report assures the customer that the diamond is independently recognized as possessing all the qualities specified by that report. When you buy a certified diamond, you are getting a diamond with beauty and pedigree. You have tangible, legal assurances as to the particular nature and quality of the diamond you are purchasing.

An uncertified diamond is not accompanied by a diamond grading report, and therefore its stated quality is based only on the word of the seller. It is not necessarily a bad diamond; certainly, it can be as beautiful as its certified counterpart. However, if you cannot judge it’s quality yourself, you have to rely on someone else to assure you of its quality