HOW TO CHOOSE A DIAMOND

Stunning, valuable and rare, diamonds are the epitome of luxury.

Follow this guide to understand the key factors you need to consider when choosing the right diamond for your engagement or wedding ring. Knowing how diamonds are valued and what to look for will give you the confidence to select the perfect stone that suits your needs. 

Choose the shape

Choose the cut

Choose the colour

Choose the clarity

Choose the carat

Consider Certification

Your diamond is a valuable investment, therefore it's important that your diamond includes a certificate from a reputable gemological lab. A diamond certification is an assurance of quality and summarises the specification and value of your diamond such as the carat, cut, clarity and colour.

Keep your diamond certificate in a safe place, in case you need it for insurance purposes if your diamond is lost or stolen, or to confirm its value for re-sale.
Not all labs are created equal, and many labs have relaxed their gradings, allowing lower quality diamonds to be represented at a higher value in the marketplace.

All Alan Weiss diamonds are certified by the Gemological Institute of America or the International Gemological Institute.

Refine Your Preferences

When choosing the perfect diamond, consider the shape, the 4C's (cut, colour, clarity and carat) as well as the certification your diamond comes with.
Each diamond is unique, as is the recipient, so it's best to strike a balance between size and quality and work out which is most important to you. Follow these tips to refine your preferences until you arrive at a diamond that fits your budget:

If you don't know what diamond shape your recipient wants, choose a classical round or princess cut - they're always in style, fit in most settings -and have more brilliance than other shapes. 

• Select a carat weight minimum based on the recipient's preferences. If you're on a budget, choose a slightly smaller carat than popular weights.
• Start with the highest quality diamond of the shape and cut you have selected.

• Consider lowering the Clarity of your diamond first. Most inclusions are invisible to the naked eye, so you have more room to make concessions here. You can go as low as.\152:. S!1
• Next consider going down a Colour grade, as low as H which are great value near colourless.
• Finally, if you must, lower the Cut of the diamond. Since this is the most important characteristic of a diamond's brilliance, try not to go lower than Very Good.
• If you're still outside of your budget, repeat the above steps, tweaking the grade of the Clarity, Colour and Cut as necessary and consider increasing your budget or reducing carat weight.

Need further advice?

If you have a question regarding your chosen diamond or need further assistance, please reach out to us.
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