{"id":5020,"date":"2012-09-23T10:06:49","date_gmt":"2012-09-23T14:06:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/?p=5020"},"modified":"2016-09-08T12:05:26","modified_gmt":"2016-09-08T16:05:26","slug":"is-this-a-good-diamond","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/is-this-a-good-diamond\/","title":{"rendered":"IS THIS A GOOD DIAMOND?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Is<\/div>\n

Often customers who have little Knowledge about Diamond Quality will ask the salesperson who’s showing them a Diamond Ring “Is this Diamond a Good Diamond?<\/strong>“<\/p>\n

\nOf course the salesperson is going to answer “Yes, it’s a Good Diamond!<\/strong>“<\/p>\n

What do you Expect?<\/h2>\n

\nThey may even bring up a Few Points to Highlight the Diamond’s Features (never mentioning the Low Quality Stuff), to assure you that it’s a Good Stone to Purchase.<\/p>\n

\n“This Diamond is Pure White<\/strong>“<\/p>\n

\n“This Diamond has very good Sparkle and Brilliance<\/strong>“<\/p>\n

\n“This Diamond is Guaranteed for lifetime<\/strong>“<\/p>\n

\n“This Diamond is on Sale<\/strong>“<\/p>\n

\nBut the truth is, this is NOT <\/strong>the way to judge Diamond Quality and whether it’s Good or not…<\/p>\n

\nEvery stone will have Strengths and Weaknesses<\/strong>. If all they tell you are the couple of the strong points, you’d be led to believe that the Diamond is “GOOD<\/strong>“.<\/p>\n

\nMore than likely, it isn’t!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Don’t be Fooled!<\/h2>\n

\nLearn what makes a “Good Diamond<\/strong>” good, and you’ll keep yourself from buying a Low Quality Stone.<\/p>\n

\nThe point is, everyone can be tricked<\/strong> if they don’t take the time to learn and the effort to understand.<\/p>\n

Ready?<\/h2>\n

\nGood… let’s look at what makes “A Good Diamond Good<\/strong>“…<\/p>\n

\n\"Is<\/p>\n

\nP.S.<\/strong> Do note that Quality is Highly Subjective<\/strong>, and different people will have different meanings of “Good<\/strong>“. These are just my Personal Opinions from working in the Jewelry Industry for over 23 years. Let’s begin…<\/strong><\/p>\n

Diamond Color<\/h2>\n

\nTo get a Good Diamond, you’ll need a good Diamond Color<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\nThe main 2 Color Ranges on the market are Colorless Diamonds<\/a> and Near Colorless Diamonds. Take a look at the Color Grades<\/strong> below…<\/p>\n

\"Diamond<\/p>\n

\nColorless Diamonds are the BEST<\/strong> to get since they are Pure White<\/strong>. But this Color Range also commands a much Higher Price.<\/p>\n

\nA Good Diamond generally means a good Color which falls more in the Near Colorless Range<\/strong> (G H I J).<\/p>\n

\nI would plant “Good Color<\/strong>” right in the center of the Chart and call a Good Colored Diamond H or I Color<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\nThis is a Safe Color Zone<\/strong> to be in and most people won’t see any of the Color in the Diamond.<\/p>\n

\nNow you can go Higher or Lower than this Range, but if you want a Nice Diamond that doesn’t look Yellow, Gray or Brown, then I would stick with at least H Color or higher<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\nGood is Good, but Bad is really Yellow<\/strong>!<\/p>\n

Diamond Clarity<\/h2>\n

\nTo me, what separates “Good” Diamond Clarity<\/a> from “Bad<\/strong>” is whether or not you can see the Inclusions with your naked eye (without a 10x Jewelers Loupe<\/a>).<\/p>\n

\nIf you can see Black Spots<\/a> or Clouds or Cracks in your Diamond, then to me, that’s what I’d call a bad stone.<\/p>\n

\nI’m sure you’d get a lot of opinions about this, and a lot of people don’t mind a little speck<\/strong> or so, but personally, I’d rather not see any Flaws just by looking at my Diamond.<\/p>\n

\nI prefer these faults to be hidden, or Microscopic Only<\/strong>!<\/p>\n

\nThat dividing line falls in between SI2 and I1 Clarity!<\/strong><\/p>\n

\nAny Diamond SI Clarity<\/a> or higher (Eye-Clean Stones<\/strong>) is what I would call “Good<\/strong>“, and any Diamond Clarity lower than that is “Bad<\/strong>“.<\/p>\n

\n(Again, this is just my own Opinion!<\/strong>)<\/p>\n

\nTake a look at the Clarity Diagram<\/strong> below…<\/p>\n

\n\"Diamond<\/p>\n

\nKeep in mind, that almost every Diamond you see has Inclusions<\/strong>. It’s just the Size of these Imperfections<\/strong> that Distinguishes Better Stones from Worse.<\/p>\n

\nWhen you get up into Great Clarity, you get into the VS and VVS Clarity Diamonds (and higher).<\/p>\n

\nAnd any stones I1 Clarity or lower, you will be able to see Flaws in them (some much more obvious than others<\/strong>).<\/p>\n

\nSI2 Clarity is the border line Clarity<\/strong>. Some stones will look more like SI1’s, while others will look more like I Clarity<\/strong>. They have to be judged independently to see if the Flaws in the stones are visible or well masked. Some are, some aren’t!<\/p>\n

\nTo be safe, you should stick with SI1 Clarity or higher<\/a>. That way you won’t have to worry about spotting a Flaw later that you didn’t see in the Jewelry Store, and then having to look at this Flaw For the Rest of your Life!<\/strong> :(<\/p>\n

\nOnce you see a Flaw, you will always <\/strong>be staring at it!<\/p>\n

Fluorescence<\/h2>\n

\nThere’s nothing wrong with a Diamond having Fluorescence<\/a>, as long as the Fluorescence doesn’t affect the beauty of the Diamond<\/strong> in natural light.<\/p>\n

\nFluorescence is when a Diamond will glow in the dark<\/strong> under UV lighting (Black Lights<\/a> are Great for this). It’s a Cool Phenomenon<\/strong> that some Diamonds have. It’s just a Quirky Trait of nature that some Diamonds have and others don’t.<\/p>\n

\nIt’s not Good nor Bad<\/strong>, it’s just another way of Identifying the Stone<\/strong>. But, if that Natural Fluorescence makes the Diamond look Foggy, Cloudy or Milky, then Yes, I would have to say this is BAD!<\/strong><\/p>\n

\nNo one wants to pay for a High Clarity Diamond that looks Foggy and Dull, with no Brilliance or Sparkle! What’s the Purpose?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\nSo, NO<\/strong> Fluorescence is “Good<\/strong>“, that is no Fluorescence that’s visible in natural light. If your Fluorescence only shows under UV light (think Fun House<\/strong>, Haunted House or the Dance Bar down the Street), that’s fine. It’s Good, Fun and Cool…<\/p>\n

\nBut not if it Clouds up your Diamond like so…<\/p>\n

\n\"Diamond<\/p>\n

\nFluorescence is listed on a Diamond Report<\/strong>. Make sure you look for it. <\/p>\n

Cut – Polish – Symmetry<\/h2>\n

\nThe Cut Grade, Polish Grade and Symmetry Grades<\/a> are all listed on a GIA Diamond Report<\/a> as well. GIA Grades these characteristics in 5 Different levels:<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n