CHOOSING DIAMONDS

Why are diamonds important?

How are diamonds priced?

4Cs

1) Color – The most popular diamonds are colourless and appear white; these come with a higher grade and price, because the less body color a diamond has, the more true color is reflected.

At Beauty Diamond, we offer diamonds mainly in the color range D to I. The following are the official GIA diamond color examples and chart:

Examples of Diamond with Colors D, H, N, and Z

Photo Courtesy of Gemological Institute of America

The Diamond Color Scale

Photo Courtesy of Gemological Institute of America

While a yellow tint is perceived as making a diamond less valuable, price actually rises dramatically when the presence of color in the diamond begins to get very vivid, such as in pink, blue, and yellow. These are called “fancy diamonds.”

2) Clarity – Because they are formed deep within the earth under extreme heat and pressure, virtually all diamonds contain “birthmarks.” These small imperfections are called “inclusions” when found inside the diamond, or “blemishes” when found on the diamond surface.

Clarity refers to the degree to which imperfections are present. Diamonds which contain numerous or significant inclusions or blemishes have less brilliance as the flaws interfere with the path of light that goes through the diamond, affecting its beauty and structural integrity.

Diamond clarity ranges from FL (the highest clarity grade) to I3 (the lowest clarity grade). Most diamonds at Beauty Diamond have a clarity grade ranging between VVS2 to SI2.

  • FL (Flawless): No inclusions and no blemishes visible (under 10x magnification)
  • IF (Internally Flawless): No inclusions visible (10x magnification)
  • VVS1 and VVS2 (Very, Very Slightly Included): Inclusions so slight they are difficult for a skilled grader to see (10x magnification)
  • VS1 and VS2 (Very Slightly Included): Minor inclusions are observed with effort (10x magnification)
  • SI1 and SI2 (Slightly Included): Noticeable inclusions (10x magnification)
  • I1, I2, and I3 (Included): Obvious inclusions, potentially affecting diamond transparency and brilliance (10x magnification)

Examples of Diamond with Clarities VVS2, VS2, SI2, and I2

Photo Courtesy of Gemological Institute of America

When looked at with a naked eye, especially by an untrained person, a VS1 diamond and an SI2 diamond can look exactly the same.

3) Cut – Not the same as a diamond shape, a diamond cut is much more difficult to analyze. A cut refers to how well a diamond’s facets interact with light; this is influenced by the craftsmanship that dictates a cut’s proportions, symmetry, and polish, and as a consequence, the magnificent return of light only found in diamonds. When people view a diamond, they are usually impressed by its carat size but do not realize the hard fact – how large a diamond appears is partially affected by its cut. So, a larger diamond with a poor cut can appear to be smaller than a smaller diamond with an excellent cut.

Executing the best cut takes an understanding of light and angles. When deciding on the most suitable cut for a diamond, several factors come into play, many of which are:

  • Brilliance: How much internal and external white light a diamond reflects
  • Dispersion (or Fire): How white light is dispersed into all colors of the rainbow
  • Scintillation (or Sparkle): How much sparkle a diamond produces, and the pattern of light and dark areas caused by reflections within the diamond

Diamond cutting is a compromise between saving weight and achieving a high cut grade. For standard round brilliant diamonds in the color range D-Z, the diamond cut scale comprises 5 grades: Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair, and Poor. This scale is defined by a diamond’s design and craftsmanship, including weight-diameter proportion, girdle thickness (affects durability), face arrangement symmetry, and the quality of polish on facets.

The Diamond Cut

Photo Courtesy of Gemological Institute of America

The holy grail of diamond is a Triple Excellent (3 EX) Cut diamond – certified as “Excellent” for 1) Cut Grade, 2) Polish, and 3) Symmetry, by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA)

4) Carat – A diamond carat weight measures a diamond’s evident size and how much it weighs; this is not to be confused with “karat” which measures gold purity. One carat, abbreviated as “ct” is equal to 200 milligrams and is subdivided into 100 points. Although the carat weight is not the only factor determining a diamond’s value, the bigger a diamond’s carat weight is, the higher price it holds, when all else is equal.

Beauty Diamond jewelry products are affordable luxury items; the carat weight of the center stone usually ranges from 0.1 to 0.9 carat.

Some Examples for Diamond Size

Photo Courtesy of Gemological Institute of America

 Diamond Shape

Not to be confused with its cut, diamond shapes are simply the silhouette of the stone, and as depicted below, come in a variety of forms. At Beauty Diamond, most of them are round cuts. These are the cuts that require giving up a large portion of the original diamond rough.

Size Guide

Beauty Diamond aims to ensure that finding your jewelry size is as simple as possible. If you already own a Beauty Diamond item, your size should be consistent across all designs.

However, it is possible for your finger size to change over time or for a ring/bracelet/bangle that you are interested in to not come in your size, for which we offer a complimentary size adjustment service at the time of purchase. Please specify at XX. Kindly note that some designs do not allow for adjustments, and in the ones that do, we are able to adjust within 3 sizes.

Please allow 7 business days in Thailand for adjustment and delivery, and 14 days for destinations outside Thailand.

Kindly refer to the following size guides for Beauty Diamond rings, bracelets, and bangles. If your measurement appears to be between two sizes, we recommend choosing the larger size.

Rings

We strongly advise that you measure the size of your finger, rather than the size of an existing ring, unless you are making a purchase for someone else.

Measure Your Finger

  1. Wrap a piece of string around the base of your finger. To ensure the ring fits comfortably, we suggest measuring your knuckle as well, so that the ring will slide on and off your finger.
  2. With a pen, mark the point on the string where the ends meet.
  3. Lay the string on a flat surface and measure it in millimeters with a ruler. This is your finger circumference.
  4. Choose the closest measurement to the chart to identify your recommended size.