How To Buy A Loose Diamond

Buying a diamond is an exciting and memorable experience. It usually signifies a milestone or the beginning of one. It is imperative to have a positive quest to find the perfect diamond.

When purchasing a loose diamond, your first steps are to develop a basic knowledge of the gradings and the terms used in identifying those grades. The 4C’s is a great starting point. The Cut, Colour, Clarity and Carat of a diamond will determine the quality and cost of your diamond. Familiarising yourself with the terminology used to identify and differentiate these gradings will provide you with a good foundation.

The Cut generally refers to the shape and proportions of a diamond. Although the shape is purely cosmetic and a matter of personal taste, the proportions are very important. It is the proportions that define a diamond’s brilliance and sparkle. Shallow or deep stones should be avoided at all costs. At Kalfin Jewellery we only use stones with a minimum of ‘very good’ to ‘excellent’ Cut grades.

The Colour of your loose diamond will determine the visible hue it produces. At Kalfin Jewellery we believe that the yellow tinge becomes visible at level ‘H’ and lower. We only use diamonds above the Colour ‘G’, and are even selective at that grading level.

The Clarity of a diamond is usually a little less significant, provided it is an ‘eye clean’ stone, meaning no blemishes can be seen with the naked eye. At Kalfin Jewellery we avoid using anything below the SI-1 Clarity grading and even then we make sure it is 100% eye clean. For step cut stones like emerald cut and asscher cut diamonds, the Clarity grading needs to be higher, as the lack of multiple facets with these diamonds makes their inclusions more visible.

The Carat of a diamond is its weight, so beware not to misuse this as a measure of size. The true size of a diamond should be compared in millimetres. At Kalfin Jewellery we believe that a diamond’s quality should not be compromised for its size. A balanced stone will usually achieve a more favourable result.

Fluorescence and Certification should also be taken into consideration at this point. The blue glow under ultraviolet light produced by a diamond is very difficult to see. To meet a budget, using a faint fluorescent diamond may be a better alternative than using a diamond with visible inclusions, provided that the stone is not impacted in a negative way by the presence of fluorescence.

Certification should be from a well-known and respected laboratory. Some laboratories have different grading parameters, resulting in overstated results. At Kalfin Jewellery we provide independent GIA certificates with all loose diamonds over 0.30ct.

We do NOT deal or carry any treated, laser-drilled, irradiated, cavity-filled, or colour-enhanced diamonds.