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Shopping For Diamond Carats In The Rough

Diamonds are jewels that twinkle. They are shimmery and glistening. You might have wondered about the best diamonds to buy in the rough, isn’t it? You can buy diamond of the highest quality online if you know what to look for. However, you might be perplexed as to how to buy diamonds online, isn’t it?

Fret not; this blog will give you tips on how to go about a rough diamond purchase. You will know the pointers you need to bear in mind when purchasing rough and uncut diamonds. So read on to know everything about diamonds shopping online and get yourself a wise investment. 

What Are Rough Diamonds?

Rough diamonds are natural, raw, and uncut. These are removed directly from the earth, and to the untrained eye, they look like a shard of glass. You get a rough diamond in various colors and cuts. 

Further, rough diamonds are less costly, and you can make beautiful engagement rings with these diamonds. You merely design your ring according to the shape of the rough diamond. Rough diamonds are ones you can saw, bruit, polish, and inspect for creating a gemstone. Essentially, rough diamonds are moldable into anything you want them to be. 

Often investing in a rough diamond is a good idea due to the options it gives you. Plus, you’ll find it cheaper to buy a rough diamond as a businessperson. 

How To Buy Rough Diamonds?

Buying rough diamonds online or anyone can be quite a risky business. Generally, it is difficult to make out whether what you are buying is diamond indeed. So, you need to carefully consider the below before diving in and purchasing rough diamonds. 

Clarity 

The clarity of the raw diamond is not flawless. It often comes with inclusions, impurities, and unseen cuts. You need to examine it closely to see the flaws. 

If the rough diamond has more flaws, the cost will be less. In contrast, a flawless rough diamond that is clear without any inclusions or impurities will probably be more expensive than even a polished diamond. 

Cut 

The cut is the shape of a rough diamond. Rough diamonds are generally natural in shape and cut. You’ll need to apply the due process to get to the gemstone stage. So, suppose you get a rough diamond that is irregularly shaped and requires more cutting. You’ll be able to get it at a steal. 

In contrast, a ready shape that is easily moldable will cost more. So, consider the cut and shape when you purchase a rough diamond. If you look to save money, go for an irregularly shaped rough diamond. 

Carat 

Carat is what determines the weight of the diamonds. It would be ideal to bear in mind that 1 carat is equal to 0.2 grams. You get rough diamonds for ½ carat, ¾ carat, 1 carat, and more. 

Generally, the more the carat, the higher the price tag of the rough diamond. However, it also depends on the quality of the diamond. So, if you have a small-sized ½ carat diamond that is clear and free of impurities, it will cost more than an impure rough diamond of a higher carat. 

Diamond Strength

You need to examine the strength of rough diamond buying. Often if the uncut diamond has impurities or unseen crack, the diamond might likely break. You want to ensure there are no impurities or cracks in the diamond; otherwise, it will prove to be a weak diamond. 

Buy From Trusted Vendors 

When you buy rough diamonds online, research your vendors thoroughly. Ensure they give you all the information regarding the rough diamond accurately and transparently. Look for a GIA certification for your vendor and ensure they will certify your diamond. Plus, the vendor should be trustworthy and reliable and offer you excellent service. 

In case you want to upgrade or you change your mind regarding your rough diamond purchase, you must be able to get your money back. 

Endnotes

Rough diamonds are raw uncut diamonds of a certain weight. The carats determine the weight of the diamond and give you an understanding of the value of the diamond. Apart from the carat, you need to examine the clarity, cut, color and price before you dive into investing in diamonds. Plus, you must ensure you buy from trusted vendors like Diamond Birth.

Diamond Birth has GIA-certified diamonds that will help you tell your story. They will take rough diamonds from the ground and make them into beautiful, polished diamonds. Plus, they let you buy a rough uncut diamond in your budget.  So, follow the tips in this blog and buy diamonds online.

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Knowing the 4 “C”’s When Diamond Shopping

Are you looking to purchase diamonds for your loved one? But, you’re not sure what to tick off your checklist to buy the perfect diamonds? 

Well, then you’re at the right place. Diamond purchase can be tricky, especially when it’s your first time. 

A number of people may have told you what a good-quality diamond should look like, and all these different suggestions are bound to confuse you. 

However, you need not worry as there is a universal rule that will make your job easier. This rule refers to adhering and looking out for the four “C”‘s when shopping for diamonds. 

Here is what each of the four “C”’s stand for and what makes them essential to consider while shopping for diamonds:

Cut

A diamond’s cut is one of its most essential qualities that directly decide how the diamond will shine. 

The cut of the diamond basically refers to the way in which it has been cut. This process requires a lot of patience and skill to produce a sparkling masterpiece. 

If the cut of the diamond is not up to the mark, the purpose of the diamond itself is lost. A poor cut gives you a diamond with no sparkle even when light touches its surface. Hence, the end product will be a very dull-looking piece of jewelry.

Usually, the cut of the diamond is classified under the following categories: 

  • Excellent
  • Very good
  • Good
  • Fair
  • Poor

If you’re looking to buy diamonds online, you should only buy them from a place that has certified diamonds for sale. These stores have a range of diamonds with different cut grades from which you can choose the best-cut diamond.

Color 

The color of the diamond is its next quality determining factor. You may be wondering how diamonds are available in different colors. Well, most diamonds have light color to them when viewed closely. 

The cut of the diamond also has the ability to reduce or increase the expression of this color. Diamonds are categorized under different letters from D to Z based on their color. 

D constitutes those diamonds that have absolutely no color, and Z comprises those diamonds that have an appreciable amount of color, such as yellow or brown. However, these shades are very light.

To choose a diamond of good quality, the diamond should fall under the color categories ranging from D to J. Anything more than this category involves slightly colored diamonds, with the color slowly becoming more prominent towards the Z category. 

Based on personal preferences, people may choose to buy colorless or colored diamonds.

Clarity

Whenever anyone draws a picture of a diamond, you will notice that the image includes distinct lines within the diamond, and these lines are known as inclusions. 

In a diamond with a high grade of clarity, you will not be able to see these inclusions very clearly, hence indicating a good-quality diamond.

The best website to buy diamonds will always display the clarity of the diamond to help their customers clearly see if any visible inclusions are present or not.

These inclusions occur naturally, and their presence lowers the sparkle of the diamond. When inclusions are present in the diamond, the diamond is unable to adequately reflect the light that falls on its surface. 

Hence, the end product in such a case is a very dull-looking diamond. As these inclusions are in-built and there is very little that one can do to remove them, getting a diamond with little to no inclusions is pure luck. 

Therefore, you must check any diamond’s clarity and presence of inclusions before you finally decide to purchase it. 

Carat 

A diamond’s carat basically refers to the weight of the diamond. Many people get confused between the size of the diamond and the diamond carat. 

It is important to note that the diamond carat is very different from the size of the diamond. The greater the carat of the diamond, the greater its price will be. 

One carat is approximately equivalent to about two hundred milligrams. Though this value may be small, if the diamond has a good-quality cut, it will automatically look more beautiful than a diamond of heavier carat with no good cut.

So, while the diamond carat is definitely an essential element that helps you choose a high-quality diamond, you should give it preference only after the cut of the diamond when you go diamonds shopping. 

Final Words

The four “C”’s of diamond shopping are hence simple qualities of a diamond that help you choose the perfect diamond. 

The best place to get diamonds is from a store that actively prioritizes the four “C”’s of diamond shopping. In this way, you will know for sure that the store has good-quality diamonds with the essential qualities. 

While the four “C”’s are simple tools that help you with your decision, it is not necessary to religiously abide by these factors. Based on your choices and likes, you can choose and buy the best diamonds!

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Diamond Color Vs. Clarity – Which Is More Important?

Diamong Birth vs. Color

If you’re at the store to buy a diamond for the very first time, you’d probably run by some research. You may be fixed on a particular shape of diamond or know well about the settings you’d want on your diamond. In fact, you might be fixated on the color vs. clarity round diamond dilemma when you are into it.

Provided that you’ve done your homework pretty extensively, you’d know that diamonds are graded based on clarity, color, cut, and carat. But often, people get confused between diamond clarity and color

In simple words, color is the absence of color, and clarity is the absence of imperfections. We’ll take you through a guide to diamond color and clarity to give you a better knowledge of their distinction. So, which is more important, between clarity vs. color of a diamond? Let’s find out.

Are Diamonds Cut by Hand or Machine?

Cutting a diamond and transforming it from a  rough stone into a faceted gem is an art. It requires specialized knowledge, tools, and equipment to do justice to this difficult workpiece of art. Cutting a diamond into its perfect shape and polishing it requires efficiency.

Did you know that the first diamond cutter and polisher guild, known as diamantaire, was invented in Nuremberg, Germany? It was this diamond cutter and policher founded in 1375 that gave rise to the different cut types.

The first cut types were oval, square, and so on. This was followed by specific qualities of cutting within the shape which influenced the quality and price of the diamond. Since diamonds are special stones, they require special diamond-coated surfaces to carve out the diamond.

Diamonds are cut using both hands and machines. A rough diamond is cut by a highly trained cutter or they use a machine for the cutting process. Although technology has highly advanced and there are highly accurate machines to cut out the diamonds, diamond cutting using hands is a piece of craftwork.

Diamond Cutting

Diamond cutting requires cleaning it using a steel blade or laser. The stone is then placed in wax or cement mold to hold it stable and cleave it along the tetrahedral plane which is its weakest point. Additionally, sawing is used in the absence of any weak points. However, with newer technology available, cutting diamonds is becoming easier over time.

Once the stone is cut in the appropriate form, it needs to be bruted or girdled. Having it completely smoothened out into a round shape, it’s time to polish the diamond to give it its shine.

Diamond Polishing

After cutting and smoothening the diamond, it is time to derive the faceted gem out of the diamond it is destined for. The rough of the diamond is placed on the rotating arms to polish the same using a spinning wheel.

This smoothens the diamond and reflects its facets. Additionally, polishing is well processed through the stages of blocking and brilliant. This is where the fine-tuning with diamond clarity and color hop in. 

Color Vs. Clarity in Diamonds: What Affects Diamond Brilliance More?

Brilliance comes from all the characteristics of a diamond when each is perfectly defined. The intensity is based on the stone’s cut. Diamond color and clarity do not directly define the brilliance of a diamond. However, they play a major role in making a diamond perfect and complete with its visual effects.

Color

Indeed, diamond color does not directly affect its brilliance. However, colorless diamond stones appear much brighter and livelier overall. On the contrary, diamonds with a strong yellow tint are low-grade stones that appear darker and are concluded to be less brilliant.

Clarity

In terms of clarity, it is quite common to believe a stone with fewer flaws or an absolute absence of flaws to be sparkling clean. Visual imperfections might make a diamond appear dirty. However, such imperfections do not change the reflection of the light on the stone. Thus, its brilliance is preserved.

Any diamond’s brilliance will be affected if it has several negative and large inclusions. However, most jewelers do not store such diamonds that are low in clarity.

A diamond’s brilliance could be negatively affected by stones with numerous, very large inclusions, but most jewelers do not carry diamonds of such low clarity.

How Does Color Affect the Appearance of a Diamond?

According to Pricescope Diamond Forum, diamonds’ GIA and AGS certification grades are based on diamond color and clarity chart. The GIA certification takes into account the diamond color based on a letter scale. 

On this scale, D is the top grade. It symbolizes that the diamond is indeed colorless. The lower it is graded on the chart, the more it appears to be tinted. A K grade or a grade lower than that on the GIA grading chart means that the diamond is slightly tinted with yellow color.

You will find that the yellow tint becomes more and more prominent when you go down the grading chart to check for its color.

How Does Clarity Affect the Appearance of a Diamond?

Diamond clarity refers to the number of inclusions or internal flaws along with the number of imperfections put into a diamond. You must know that clarity in diamonds also refers to the surface imperfections of diamonds. These imperfections are visible when the diamond is placed under a magnification lens.

FL is the highest grade in terms of flawlessness. It means that the stones do not have any internal flaws even when checked in 10X loupe. If you are looking at a lowly graded stone, you may expect to see more imperfections, such as black spots or lines inside the stone.

Diamond Color and Clarity Guide: How to Choose Diamond Color and Clarity?

When buying a diamond, it is important to ensure that the stone is eye-clean. This means that it should not have any flaws that are visible to the naked eye. You need not aim for the highest-clarity stone. 

This is because VS1-VS2 or SI1 graded diamonds appear as clean as FL or IF-rated clarity stones. You will only have such knowledge if you invest enough time to learn what color and clarity are good for diamonds. 

If you aim to buy a round diamond for a yellow gold setting, a grade as low as J, K, or L, even M, sounds good. You need not worry about the visibility of yellow tints as they set the stone. However, other diamond cuts may require looking for higher grades of color such as I, J, or K.

Round diamonds are best suited with platinum or white gold settings. It would not be wise to go below the grades of H, I, or J colors. If you are aiming for cuts other than round, G or H would be a better choice. Avoid lowering the grade than I color whatsoever.

Endnotes

While buying a diamond, the diamond color and clarity are equally important to judge the perfect stone. Both equally impact the brilliance of a diamond, though not directly. You should, however, stand at a balance of the two when you make a choice.

All you need to do is opt for a diamond that is eye-clean without any visible yellow tint. Once you go through the point of finding the appropriate clarity and color grade for your diamond, you’d have to shift the focus to the cut and carat of the stone. And you shall have the perfect stone decorated on your hand or whatsoever.