RECOMMENDED MINIMUM DIAMOND QUALITY

Diamond quality is a very interesting thing. It’s all subjective and based upon opinion.

This means, some people may find beauty in a diamond with color (“It adds warmth“), or a diamond with a small black spot (“I can identify my diamond“). Many people are not bent on perfection and thrive off deals that diamonds with minor flaws have.

So are there truly recommendations in diamond quality?

Sure. And that’s based upon the 4C’s of diamonds and the perception of what the normal qualifications are.

Let’s take a look at clarity for example, which is one of the easiest and most identifiable traits known to man.

Diamond Clarity:

Clarity is the amount, size, or placement of inclusions inside (and the outside surface) of a diamond. The fewer, or smaller these flaws are, the higher the clarity grade.

Take a peek at the clarity chart below:

Any diamond SI1 or higher, should have microscopic inclusions only. Meaning, that just by looking at a diamond without any aid (microscope or hand-held jeweler’s loupe), you shouldn’t be able to see any imperfections in the stone (dots, lines, cracks, carbon spots, feathers, clouds). So generally, SI1 or higher is the recommended quality to buy. Most people do not want to see flaws in their engagement ring diamond for life.

But here’s the tricky part:

Since every diamond is different, and every diamond faces up differently from the top and side view, many diamonds of a lower clarity (SI2, I1, I2, I3) appear just as clean as a higher clarity diamond. Flaws can be hidden under a prong, the mounting, a facet, reside deep in the stone, or be masked by brilliance, sparkle, and even how white the diamond is.

So while the recommended clarity is normally SI1+, a diamond of lower clarity could look just as good (and be much much cheaper). The only way to know for sure, is to view them individually, and side by side for comparison. I’ve seen tons of I clarity diamonds that appear flawless at first glance (for a fraction of the price). Just the grade by the eyes, and not just the grading scale.

Diamond Color:

Color is the amount or absence of color in a diamond. Is it white? Off-white? Yellow? Is it intense? Mild? Barely noticeable? In diamonds, the less color the better the grade. But the funny thing is, almost all diamonds do have color to some degree (which is caused by minerals, irons, and other intrusions brought into the stone during creation). Usually this color is yellow.

See the Diamond Color Chart below:

Only D, E and F are pure-white diamonds. And this pure white adds a pop to the diamond. A wonderful brightness that really makes the diamond stand out.

And when you put a pure white diamond up against a more common color, like I-J, then you will really see a big difference. Sometimes it’s outstanding.

Color, in my mind, makes such a difference to a diamond. It’s stunning. You can see it just by looking at the stone. And a white diamond will be so much whiter that it looks like there’s a spotlight on the stone. It’s that impressive.

Just for fun, compare these two diamonds below, a D color diamond, and a J color diamond:

See the difference?

The problem is, pure white diamonds are more rare and more expensive. This is why most stores just carry near colorless diamonds, which is G, H, I and J. G-H is considered “off white”, and still faces up as a white stone without any distracting yellow tones.

Most people would not notice the yellow cast at all, unless it was quite apparent, like in a K color diamond.

When purchasing a diamond, I always recommend a diamond that’s “pure white”, meaning D-E-F in grades, because I love them so much, and love showing them off so much.

Diamond Cut:

Cut is very often overlooked. But GIA made understanding cut grades easy. They have broken it down into specific categories: Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair, Poor. Excellent is of course, the best cut grade to buy. Very Good is the second best, and I would probably not buy any of the other cuts at all.

But there is more to cut than meets the eye. For symmetry and polish also affect how cut grades are given. If you get a symmetry and polish with excellent grades as well, then it’s called triple excellent, and it’s the best of the best and will give you more brilliance and fire than any other cut of diamond. Look for these grades on a diamond report as shown below:

Cut affects the beauty of a diamond more than any other aspect (color, clarity, carat weight). Cut is not only how well the diamond is proportioned and faceted, but how balanced and perfect the angles and crown are. This allows light to enter the diamond, bounce around the pavilion (base of the diamond) and come back out in a thousands bursts of light. It’s brilliance, sparkle, scintillation, reflection, fire and shine. This is why we love diamonds so much. It’s the twinkling light, the magical dance in our eyes. We are mesmerized.

This is because of how well a diamond is cut.

The better the cut, the more intense and bright these sparkles will be. This is why excellent is always the recommended cut grade. This excellent grade is the #1 thing I would advise everyone to look for when shopping for diamonds. A well cut diamond will overpower all other traits. It will make the stone brighter, whiter. It will hide flaws and inclusions with flashes of white and color light. Look for excellent on the diamond certificate, you will never regret it.

Carat Weight

The bigger the better. Really. I would always recommend at least 1.00 carat. But today, with the low-low prices of lab grown diamonds, I would actually push you towards a 1.50 or 2.00 carat diamond instead. The difference in size, and WOW factor is phenomenal. Once you put a big diamond into an engagement ring, it will knock her socks off.

To sum things up:

The recommended 4C’s, in my opinion, are this:

• SI1 Clarity or Higher
• D-E-F Color
• Triple Excellent Cut Grades
• 1.50 Carat or Bigger

Just like these diamonds here at James Allen.

Cheers! :)