Anyone know about diamonds? Cuts? Colour?

[MozzchopsThirty]

There was another thread a few weeks ago but I can't find it

DP is buying me a commitment ring, no engagement as neither of us want to get married again

I like pear shaped and emerald cuts

But what's to best shape to go for that won't date?
Do I need a whole carat?
I just want a diamond, no colour
Definitely platinum though

Just wondering if anyone is a jeweller or knows more than me who can advise please

That's worn with my wedding ring btw, not some weird loop fitting!

My engagement ring has a GIA certificate, colour D, VS1. brilliant cut, princess. It’s clean, clear and bright. Looks a bit fake though (I know it’s not as I chose it 🤣). I love it and I’m really pleased with it.

I got my engagement ring from Quality Diamonds. I can highly recommend Ray or Paul to give proper advice, with no pressure.

Don't buy from the high street stores like Beaverbrooks, @MozzchopsThirty - they have huge mark-ups. Go to a jewellery quarter and get lots of different quotes (you'll need to know what you want before you go, though) or have a look at bluenile.com/uk where you can "build a ring" and get an idea of options, costs etc.

@ShutUpAlex that ring is beautiful

@Liverbird77, I got mine fit Quality Diamonds too! They're fab.

Don't buy from a high street jeweller!

There's a fab bloke on Instagram called london diamonds official who does some fab prices too.

I am a jeweller, sourcing and making diamond jewellery.
We usually try work to a customers budget and ideal design. We would normally get a selection of 3 diamonds for a customer to view, getting a smaller high colour one, and then a bigger but slightly lower clarity one for comparison, and one somewhere in between. While D colour is the obviously the highest colour, generally E or F colours are classed as white stones and you would not be able to tell the difference by eye.

It's often difficult to find stones "just under a carat" because as previously mentioned the price jumps up at 0.50ct, 0.75ct and 1ct so they are cut to get the optimal weight and therefore price.
Be aware when looking at cluster type rings the carat weight will be given as a total of all the diamonds added up.
Lab grown diamonds are growing in popularity and are a lot cheaper than natural, but you may not get as much choice.

I have a mahoosive 2+ carat solitaire (looks even bigger because teeny fingers) with GIA certificate et al. I can’t tell anyone in real life the insurance valuation - we tried to argue them down . . . I do love it and wear it everyday; plus part of insurance requirement- have to wear or lock up in approved Safe.

Another vote for moissanite.
Mine is 1 carat. Everyone pressumes it is a diamond.
It is set in platinum and cost £1000. The diamond equivalent was £5000.
It's sparkly and beautiful and ethically man made, not mined.
Seems nuts to pay more when a moissanite is indistinguishable from diamond.

100% emerald cut and yes go for at least a ct preferably more. Don’t buy in a jewellers though. Go to a dealer or pick a stone from a reliable source and have it set. This is much cheaper. This other good option is to but secondhand and also have it reset how you want it.

I would suggest going shopping and trying everything on. If you go to the Jewellery Quarter and gel with a sales person listen to their advice.

I have worked in the salesrooms there, very few people who came in with a preconceived idea of what they wanted actually bought that.

Most fell in love with something totally unexpected in style or metal or often stones.

Do you need a carat? Nope, you need to look at it and love it. Diamonds do jump in price at every carat mark.

I am always slightly bemused by people talking about the four 'Cs'. Yes, it's good to be informed and anything too far down the list of clarity or cut/ colour will spoil your enjoyment. However, most people really don't know the difference.

Really, just go shopping and try everything. I used to spend alot time talking to customers and letting them try everything. I absolutely always knew when they had found their ring, they would sort of light up

So choose somewhere like the jewellery quarter or quality diamonds for best savings?

@Anonmousse so would I be looking at an E for colour??

What are all the VS1 anc VS2 all about?

They are clarity grades-

VS1- Very slightly included

It's how we grade diamonds so dependant on where the inclusion is on the stone, how dark it is, how numerous would lead to it being placed in a category of Very Slightly Included/Slightly Included and so on.

I'm a jeweller. My best advice would be never buy a diamond on line. Go and see them. A diamond that looks great on paper can be flat and lifeless in the flesh. The cut (polish and symmetry) is so important.

With a stepped cut like an emerald you need to go high in clarity as they show everything when you look In them, I would want a VS as a minimum.

Ultimately you need a good independent jeweller who can get you loose stones to view and take you through the process.

I would say D, E and F are all good colours.
VS is the clarity, meaning how many natural flaws there are in a diamond.
Flawless = what it says
Internally flawless = virtually the same
VVS- very very small inclusions
VS - very small inclusions
SI - small inclusions
In reality any of the above will rarely be visible by eye. You pay a premium for flawless but they are quite rare, a VS stone is still a "clean" stone.

GIA is the most well regarded certificate, the diamonds have been tested, and are often laser engraved with a certificate number. A shops own certificate is not the same.

Also the carat is a weight, so you absolutely do not need a 1ct. You can get a 0.90ct which will cost much less and have all the life, sparkle and size of a 1ct. See a range and see what catches your eye, the most important thing is whether you like the stone.

Be wary of the hidden costs of going vintage. The settings will be worn and it could end up being very costly later one.

If I wanted a solitaire, I'd love an asscher cut diamond. Imagine £££ though!

I don't think there's much to see between d and f, but the inclusions will bother you if you can see them with a naked eye.

@nowlook not necessarily huge money, as with all diamonds depends on the 4 c's as to how much it'll set you back.

@ginsparkles is it better to find an independent jeweller locally rather than a chain like goldsmiths or Ernest jones?
We live in a big city so should be easy to find yes?
Thank you @Anonmousse that's great info

So I guess if I see a ring, I like it, it's big & sparkly then that's all that counts rather than worrying about carat

Oh, don't say that @ginsparkles! I've fancied one for years

I only know what I like- certainly no expert. My taste veers strongly towards art deco/nouveau. I had a beautiful pair of earrings from Hawk Antiques (in Italy, strangely) from DH for my 40th. Often have a mooch around their website when I'm feeling a bit low.

I'd love to be in the jewellery industry, but would never ever be able to turn a profit

@MozzchopsThirty ... absolutely 100% it's better to find a good local independent, look at their reviews, word of mouth is one of the best ways to find a good jeweller.

They will help you try on all sorts of styles and sizes to find what suits you and help you find the best ring for your style and budget. This is what I do most days. (It's not a bad job!!)

@nowlook .... also look at radiant cuts... they are spectacular.

@MozzchopsThirty ... absolutely 100% it's better to find a good local independent, look at their reviews, word of mouth is one of the best ways to find a good jeweller.

definitely

Oh I really like this

@MozzchopsThirty

Oh I really like this

That is beautiful