Knowledge Sharing
Loose Diamonds
In addition to jewellery, we also offer an extensive selection of loose diamonds, through our parent company, Diastar, a diamond dealership that has been in business since 1982. We have access to diamonds of any size and colour, and thanks to our long-established relationships with top mines and cutters, are able to obtain and offer the best stones at unbeatable prices.
How To Choose A Diamond
Buying a diamond is a very personal experience and everyone has a different reason for purchasing one, along with different needs and considerations. What you want from a diamond can vary greatly from what others are looking for, so it’s important that you have the information that is right for you before you select your gem. The more you know about diamonds, the more confident you will be about making the right choices. Our guide below will help you learn more about the most important facts you need to know before you choose your diamond.
We hear a lot about the importance of the 4Cs—the cut, colour, clarity and carat weight of diamonds. Here’s our insider guide to understanding what the gradings mean and why you need to look beyond them.
Cut
The cut of a diamond plays a large role in affecting its brilliance or sparkle (also known as scintillation). A diamond that is perfectly cut will have the best proportions and reflect the maximum amount of light that enters it, making it look brighter and sparkle more. If the stone is not properly cut, the proportions will be off and this will result either in too much light scattering out its base or being trapped within the stone. Either way, the scintillation will be lessened, and the diamond will be less desirable and therefore have a lower value. A diamond’s cut will also determine its fire, which is how the white light is dispersed into rainbow colours within the gem. Without the right cut, the fire will be minimised, and the diamond will show grey and white, with little colour. Two diamonds can have the same cut, size and colour grade but differ greatly on the sparkle, because of the cut and proportions. The Gemmological Institute of America has a precise grading system for a diamond’s cut: Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair and Poor. Their cut grading is based on seven factors: Brightness, Fire, Scintillation, Weight Ratio, Durability, Polish and Symmetry.
CUT IS THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT VARIABLE OF A DIAMOND.
Colour
White diamonds are graded based on how colourless they are. The scale starts at D (colourless) and goes down to Z (pale yellow or brown). The yellow tint in white diamonds is not to be confused with yellow diamonds, which are considered fancy coloured gems and are not measured by this D to Z scale. D-coloured diamonds are rare and command the highest prices but in reality, you will have a hard time seeing the difference between a D and an E or F diamond. Even diamonds in the G-J range appear colourless to the naked eye and even more so when they are set into jewellery. You will be able to get stones of this colour range for much lower prices than those of the D-F group. The K and below diamonds have a stronger yellow tint even to the naked eye and some may be used to mimic yellow diamonds. They are sometimes used as a lower cost alternative to real yellow diamonds. Tips: The right way to examine a diamond’s colour is when it’s placed face down, with the pointed tip upwards, on a white background. Choose the colour that you find most pleasing instead of the whitest stone. If you and most other people cannot see the difference in colour, paying so much more for a higher colour grade may be unnecessary.
Clarity
Being as transparent as they are, a diamond’s clarity becomes an important factor in determining their beauty and value. Although a diamond may appear perfectly clear to the naked eye, the GIA experts look deep into the stones for any flaws and grades them on an 11-point scale. These are:
What does this scale mean in practical terms?
Again, the decision on clarity is a personal choice based on what you want from a diamond. If you are a purist and want a flawless stone and are willing to pay more for it, then look for an F or IF clarity. The larger the stone, the more important its clarity will be, but it’s important to note that unless the clarity is in the I range, most of the occlusions even in SI stones are not visible to the naked eye, and even less so if they have been set into a piece of jewellery.
Carat Weight
This of course, refers to the weight of a stone and hence, its size. Diamonds are not weighed in grams or ounces but carats, and a carat is equivalent to 0.2 grams or 0.007 oz. Carat weight can also be divided further by using points, with 100 points in one carat. A 1/4 (0.25) carat stone can also be expressed as 25 points. Keep in mind that as carats refer to weight and not size, two stones can be of the same carats but look different in size. This is because some stones will have a larger table or face and can appear bigger. Others may be deeper and look smaller while having the same carat weight. Also, a stone with twice the carat weight of another will not always look twice as large.
How To Choose A Diamond
Buying a diamond is a very personal experience and everyone has a different reason for purchasing one, along with different needs and considerations. What you want from a diamond can vary greatly from what others are looking for, so it’s important that you have the information that is right for you before you select your gem. The more you know about diamonds, the more confident you will be about making the right choices. Our guide below will help you learn more about the most important facts you need to know before you choose your diamond.
We hear a lot about the importance of the 4Cs—the cut, colour, clarity and carat weight of diamonds. Here’s our insider guide to understanding what the gradings mean and why you need to look beyond them.
Shape
Carat Size and Weight
Diamonds with round number carat weights will cost more: For example, a 1 carat, diamond will cost significantly more than stones that are 0.98, and a 1.98 carat stone will cost less than a 2.0 cut. This is not just because of the weight and size but because diamond cutters aim for these round numbers or cutoff weights and these will cost more than a stone that doesn’t meet these numbers. These “magic numbers” preferred by cutters are 0.5 carats, 0.75 carats, 0.9 carats, 1 carat, 1.50 carats, 2 carats, etc. If you can find a stone between these numbers, they will generally cost less.
Polish, Symmetry, and Fluorescence
When you are ensuring the cutting is excellent, it is also important to have the polish & symmetry being excellent. The polish is how well each facet is polished during the diamond cutting process, ensuring the smoothness of thefacets. And the symmetry is the proportions of each facet to each other after the diamond is cut. It is always important to have fluorescence being none, for D-H color diamonds. Fluorescence gives a hazy & cloudy look inside the diamond, which affects the sparkle from reflecting out from the diamond.
Lighting
View your diamonds under different types of lighting, not just the store’s spotlights. The colour, sparkle and fire will all look different and by viewing it under a variety of lighting conditions, you will get a more accurate perspective of the stone. After all, most of the time when you are actually wearing the diamond, it will be under normal lighting and not spotlights.
Brand
Don’t be seduced only by brands: A diamond’s quality and beauty are not dependent on its brand. You could pay a huge premium by buying a diamondfrom a high-end boutique but all you are really paying for is the brand. While they are found around the world, it is impossible to tell where a diamond is from by looking at it, even under a microscope. All you should be focused on are the quality and characteristics of the diamond, and of course, its price.
Country of Origin
Similarly, no one can tell where a diamond is from by its appearance so don’tget fooled by marketers that tell you a diamond from one part of the world is better than that from another. Diamonds are mined in different countries andthe biggest producers are Russia, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Australia and Canada.Raw diamonds are cut and polished in India, South Africa, Belgium, Israel, Russia and the United States. Over 90 percent of the world’s diamonds—including those sold by top international jewellers— are cut and polished in Surat, India, which is the world centre for diamond cutting and polishing today.
Conflict Diamonds
The Kimberly Process
Conflict diamonds refer to gems that originate from war-zones in Africa, which are sold by rebels to fund their causes and operations. The Kimberly Process was created by the United Nations in 2003 and signed by governments of countries involved in the diamond industry to reduce the flow of conflict diamonds around the world. It has 54 signatories representing 81 countries and its participants include all major rough diamond producing, exporting and importing countries. Singapore has been a KP participant since 2004 and no rough diamonds can be imported into the country unless they carry this certification. Our diamonds are responsibly sourced from mines that have committed to the KP.
Country of Origin
Similarly, no one can tell where a diamond is from by its appearance so don’tget fooled by marketers that tell you a diamond from one part of the world is better than that from another. Diamonds are mined in different countries andthe biggest producers are Russia, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Australia and Canada.Raw diamonds are cut and polished in India, South Africa, Belgium, Israel, Russia and the United States. Over 90 percent of the world’s diamonds—including those sold by top international jewellers— are cut and polished in Surat, India, which is the world centre for diamond cutting and polishing today.
Conflict Diamonds
The Kimberly Process
Conflict diamonds refer to gems that originate from war-zones in Africa, which are sold by rebels to fund their causes and operations. The Kimberly Process was created by the United Nations in 2003 and signed by governments of countries involved in the diamond industry to reduce the flow of conflict diamonds around the world. It has 54 signatories representing 81 countries and its participants include all major rough diamond producing, exporting and importing countries. Singapore has been a KP participant since 2004 and no rough diamonds can be imported into the country unless they carry this certification. Our diamonds are responsibly sourced from mines that have committed to the KP.