How to Choose a Diamond

Advertisement keeps washing our brain, telling us that only Diamond can express true love. It is the symbol for infinity etc. So if you want to propose, men MUST buy BIG DIAMOND. This is the only chance for a woman to receive a diamond though. (Ahem, women at least must receive 2 rings from their men. One for engagement and one for wedding. If a man can give extra proposal ring will be better.)

Tiffany - Beautiful engagement ring

Well, is diamond worth more than gold? Unless you have a graded BIG diamond (more than 2 carats) with certificate (with perfect 4C's of course), else diamond is always COST MORE than gold but WORTH LESS than gold.

You can dispose/sell off gold easily (that is why the robbers and thieves love to aim them) but not for diamond. You need the certificate to sell the diamond and it doesn't really depend on the market price like gold. If you want to prepare for war, keep gold instead of diamond please.

However, when I was working in Singapore, I was influenced by my colleagues who are really into diamond. There are more diamond retail shops than goldsmith shops in the shopping malls too. I learn how to choose an ideal diamond before I get any of them. (And I found out that the price in Singapore is much cheaper compare to Malaysia.)

If you are hunting for one, would like to share the tips in choosing the graded diamond with 4C's.

What are the 4C's? Remember, it is Cut, Colour, Clarity and 'Cost'. 
Just joking, it's Carat (not carrot, ok).

Cut

Diamonds are fashioned into a number of shapes, depending on the nature of the rough stone. The eight most popular shapes are round, marquise, pear, oval, emerald, princess, radiant, and heart. Of all the variables affecting the value of a diamond, the cut is the most crucial.

A well cut diamond is beautiful because it's very brilliant. A well cut diamond is the work of a master diamond cutter, as when a diamond is well proportioned, light is reflected from one facet to another and dispersed through the top of the stone as rainbows of color. This allows the maximum amount of light that enters through its top to be reflected and dispersed back through its top.

Carat

Carat is the easiest of the 4C's to determine. Carat is actually a measurement of weight, NOT size. 

One carat is divided into 100 points. 1.00 ct is equal to .20 grams. Two diamonds of equal weight can have different values depending on their cut, color and clarity so BIG doesn't mean is the BEST.

Colour

The difference between one color grade and another is very subtle, particularly to the untrained eye.

Diamonds are found in a range from colorless (grade D) to yellowish (grade Z). It is the colorless diamond that is most valued because it is the most rare. However if a diamond is well cut, it's refraction and dispersion of light will often disguise certain degrees of coloration. The average stone bought carries an I or J grading for its Color (that's why you can see the normal diamond shop can give buy 1 free 1 or 70% sales for such low grading color diamond). If possible, try to get D or E colour.

Clarity

Most diamonds contain tiny natural birthmarks called inclusions which are not visible with the naked eye but can be seen with 10X magnification. Inclusions interfere with the dispersion of light and therefore the diamond's brilliance. The fewer and smaller the inclusions, the rarer the stone and higher the price.

Clarity is graded on a scale with a range from internally flawless (IF), very very small inclusions (VVS1-VVS2), very small inclusions (VS1-VS2), small inclusions (SI1-SI2) to imperfect (I1-I2-I3) with eye visible inclusions. 

I got to pick my own rings before wedding as my hubby got blur after listening to my 'diamond 4C's lesson'. Glad that I can get VVS1, D color and round brilliant cut with less than 1 carat (can not be too greedy, have to think like a 'wife' already). 

So, hope you learn something here and go grab a nice diamond ring/bracelet/earrings/pendant for yourself/your love one now! (Just to clarify that this is not an advertisement for any diamond company. If you are a diamond shop boss and this month happen to close many deals, don't forget to thank me by either be my blog's follower or give me some commission.) *wink wink