We know that the world of diamond buying is daunting at first, but with the right guidance and advice, it can be very enlightening. Ultimately we want you to feel comfortable before parting with your hard earned money. That's why we have written this blog post that will hopefully put your mind at ease. We will share with you some tips on how you can better educate yourself on the topic of diamonds and tell you of the ways we could help ourselves.

Where do you begin?

First things first, get to understand the basics of a diamond, one of the most useful tools to begin with is the GIA 4Cs guide to diamond quality. This guide will help you learn how to buy a diamond. This basic knowledge will not only unlock the mystery of a diamond’s quality, it will also help you understand a diamond’s value and price. 

The 4Cs are:

Cut does not refer to a diamond’s shape, but to the proportion and arrangement of its facets and the quality of workmanship. The amount of brilliance, sparkle and fire in a diamond is determined by cut. Grades range from ‘Excellent’ to ‘Poor.’

Colour typically refers to the absence of colour. The less colour in the stone, the more desirable and valuable it is. The grading scale for colour goes from ‘D’ (colourless) to ‘Z’ (Yellow Tint).  Although some of these differences are not visible to the naked eye, this factor does significantly affect the price of the stone.

Clarity measures the amount, size and placement of natural internal ‘inclusions,’ and external ‘blemishes.’ Grades run from ‘Flawless,’ with virtually no imperfections, to ‘Included,’ which contain a number of imperfections.

Carat refers to a diamond’s weight. All other factors being equal, the higher the carat weight the more valuable to stone. Two diamonds of equal carat weight, however, can have very different quality and price when the other three Cs are considered.

Click here to see a interactive 4Cs Diamond Guide.

Secondly, Choose your jeweller. 

Your jeweller should be armed with expert knowledge and training, open to questions and able to explain how to buy a diamond in clear, simple language. Not only that but they must be trustworthy and reputable. We have ample expertise here at Powell's, from Gemmologists Sophie Evans and Greg Powell to Mr Will Powell himself who is a GIA trained diamond graduate.

Meet Will Powell, our Diamond Expert.

So now that you've chosen your Jeweller, what's next?

We advise booking in for a consultation. Visit the shop, meet the expert, browse the range and sit down to discuss and figure out exactly what you want. This is extremely beneficial, being able to get up close and personal with the diamonds will satisfy any queries you may have. Browse a selection of loose stones or ready made pieces to get a feel for what you like.

The knowledge, experience and relationships that Will has attained over the years has become one of our biggest strong points at Powell's. This means that we are able to source almost any stone you desire. 

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This concludes our diamond guide. We consider it brief, but helpful! Perhaps a more in depth look into diamonds will appear in another blog. If you would like us to be your diamond experts, please do visit us, we would be delighted to assist you in your search. Book a consultation by clicking here.