diamond buying guidelines

Here are some diamond buying guidelines to keep in mind when designing a wedding or engagement ring.

  • Make sure that you are buying from a jeweller that is a member of the Jewellers Association of Australia. This is a regulating body that binds all its members to moral selling regulations.
  • Ask as many questions — a reputable jeweller will actually spend time answering all your queries and help you find the diamond that is a perfect fit to both your standards and price range.
  • Explicitly ask if the diamond has been treated. If it has, what are the effects of the treatment on the diamond?
  • Examine the diamond under good lighting conditions.
  • Ask for a grading certificate from an independent laboratory GIA (Gemological Institute of America). If you’re looking to purchase a 0.5 carat diamond or more.
  • Upon paying a deposit, request a detailed receipt enumerating the characteristics of the diamond and any linked piece of jewellery.

Are you buying a genuine diamond?

Take heed of these obvious signs and take your business elsewhere if:

  • the salesperson offers you a huge discount on the stated value of the stone.
  • their diamonds are being offered at prices that are just too cheap to be true.
  • they can’t produce reliable certification when asked.
  • they could not produce what’s promised in their advertising material in the shop.

Are they conflict diamonds?

The 2006 Leonardo di Caprio movie Blood Diamond brought to light the role that the diamonds have played in human rights exploitations and wars. Wars in Angola, Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of Congo were funded using ‘conflict diamonds’. An estimated 3.7 million people died in these wars. At present, conflict diamonds from Liberia and Cote d’Ivoire are still being distributed to the international diamond market.

An action was taken in 2003 when an international certification scheme called the Kimberly Process was launched. It is established to prevent conflict diamonds from entering the mainstream and international diamond market. Fortunately for the Aussie diamond consumers, Australia proudly participates in the scheme.

What are the four Cs in buying a diamond?

The four Cs is a terminology that you may have seen thrown in in articles about diamond buying tips. It has a certain ring to it and adds to a really good recall but what it really means is that it is a set of standards that can help you determine if you are buying a diamond that is worth the buck that you are paying for it.

Carat

Carat is a unit of weight for precious stones and pearls. One carat is equivalent to 200mg and is split into 100 points. However, small weight differences that are virtually invisible to the naked eye – say a 0.99 carat compared to a 1 carat diamond – can actually make a huge difference to the stone’s value.

All things considered, weight isn’t the only factor that determines the value of the diamond. A smaller high-quality diamond may be worth more than a larger one of lesser quality.

Cut

Cuts in a diamond refer to the shape that the raw diamond has been cut into. The three common possibilities are brilliant (round), marquise (pointed oval) and princess (square). Request to see different samples of diamonds with different cuts and go with the one you prefer or with the one you think will look best on the intended wearer of the sparkle. The higher the standard of the cut and the quality of the finish, the more brilliant is the diamond.

Clarity

Because diamonds are formed deep within the earth and went through extreme pressure and heat for millions of years, virtually all diamonds contain “birthmarks” – imperfections or foreign materials (like other stones or minerals) called “inclusions”. Diamond clarity may be the least important of the 4Cs because more often than not, most of the inclusions are microscopic.

A diamond’s clarity grading is what’s used to tell you if inclusions are present. There are different grading systems – ranging from flawless (loupe-clear) to a small inclusion that can only be seen through a 10x loupe (VS1), and finally, to those visible to the naked eye (I3 or P3).Needless to say, the fewer the inclusions, the higher the grading and the more expensive the stone.

Colour

Diamonds come in a wide range of colors but a perfect diamond is colourless. The presence of a yellow tint will lower the price of the diamond. The clearer body color of the diamond, the more colors it will reflect; therefore, the greater the value.

The diamond industry follows the GIA diamond color scale. The GIA grades diamonds on a scale of D (exceptional white) up to Z (tinted, usually yellow and sometimes brown). All D-Z scale diamonds are considered white.

Is man-made as good as natural?

Due to the increasing demand amidst the depleting sources, synthetic and even imitation diamonds are made available. Although some man- made diamonds are arguably just as beautiful as natural diamonds they are considered far less value than the real thing.
To ensure that you’re getting what you paid for, ask for a certification, which is sometimes called the fifth C. This is a grading certificate from an independent laboratory that exactly describes the characteristics of the stone.

Locally, there are independent Australian laboratories that can issue these certifications – some of which are even recognised by the World Jewellery Confederation (CIBJO). However, the best-known labs are GIA in the US and HRD in Europe. Certification is usually done before setting the diamond, so it’ll have to be taken out if it is already mounted.

what our customers say

Mark was very helpful throughout the entire process especially when we needed to resize our ring! His explanations about diamonds were informative and his craftsmanship was amazing for a very affordable price.
100% would recommend. My fiance is in love with her ring.

George Mikhail

I recently bought an engagement ring from Waldemar jewellers and had a great experience and would highly recommend them.
I went to what felt like half the jewellers in Sydney and they offered me the best experience. Mark and Callum explained everything that I needed to know to feel as though I was making an informed decision (from the 4 C’s of a diamond, the differences in metals and ring styles) and weren’t solely focused on my budget or looking to take advantage of a guy who clearly didn’t know much about rings. The end result was absolutely stunning. I was blown away with how the ring turned out and my fiancée loves it. The design and quality is amazing and we’ll be going back there to get the wedding ring made.

Clayton Black

We’re so happy with the diamond ring my wife designed along with Mark’s help. She gets so many compliments on how gorgeous it is! If anyone needs a place to customise their rings for any special occasion, you should look no further than Waldemar Jewellers.

Ben Gadia
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Why Use Waldemar Jewellers?

– We only use the best master jewellers and finest local craftsmen in Sydney to help create our stunning jewellery.

– At Waldemar Jewellers, we believe that honest advice backed with over 20 years of experience, is why our clients regard us as Sydney’s No.1 bespoke jeweller.

– We hunt the local and international markets for the perfect diamonds and gemstones so we can offer our clients second to none value for money.

– We are so confident with the quality of our work that we provide a lifetime guarantee on all craftsmanship.

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