Summary: When you buy jewelry, remember the four Cs of diamond buying and when buying antique jewelry, remember these two other Cs, to ensure you’re buying a true antique, not just a bit of pre-owned jewelry.
When buying antique or estate jewelry, it’s important to keep track of the four Cs (cut, color, clarity and carat weight ). But you’ve also got to know whether you’re buying an actual antique or simply an estate piece. So let’s add two more Cs: cost and credibility.
Cut: The way a diamond is cut affects its appearance, durability and worth. Diamonds are cut into shapes that show off their individual brilliance and clarity. The most popular cut for diamonds is round (brilliant). However, other popular styles are the baguette, marquise, oval, pear and square (princess) cut.
Color: Diamonds range in color grades starting from D through to Z. Many diamonds appear to be white (or colorless), but they may contain traces of other elements that impart slight yellowish or brownish tints. Color variants among diamonds in the D-F range are often very slight. Stones as far along the scale as G are still largely clear; but the further you get from a D rating, the deeper the color concentration.
Some diamonds occur naturally in shades of blue, yellow, green, pink or even red. These “fancy” diamonds are extremely rare and costly.
Clarity: Clarity refers to the size and amount of inclusions in a diamond. Most are merely traces of carbon that didn’t crystallize during formation, undetectable by the naked eye. The average consumer would need a microscope (and a considerable period of scrutiny) to see them.
The more inclusions in a diamond, the greater the interference with light dispersion; this diminishes the brilliance of the gem. Large or numerous inclusions will also decrease a stone’s value. The converse is also true: The fewer or smaller the inclusions, the more valuable the diamond.
Diamonds are rated according to their clarity under 10x magnification. Diamonds rated IF contain only minor external flaws, which may be removed by polishing. Diamonds rated VVS1 and VVS2 are “very, very slight.” VS1- and VS2-rated diamonds have “very slight” inclusions. Inclusions in SI1- and SI2-rated stones are “slight”; and the I1- I2- and I3-rated stones contain imperfections large enough to be visible to the unaided eye.
Carat Weight: Diamonds are weighed in carats; this doesn’t refer to size, shape or diameter. One carat may be divided into units of 100 points; therefore, a -carat diamond is described as being 50 points or 0.50 carat. The larger the diamond, the more expensive it is, per carat; a one-carat diamond costs more than two half-carat diamonds of like cut and clarity.
Cost & Credibility: Don’t just assume you’re getting a valuable diamond because you’re paying a lot for it. That’s where credibility becomes important. Are you buying this gem from a reputable dealer? Moreover, are you actually getting what the dealer claims you’re getting? Is he calling this ring an “antique” when it’s really just pre-owned (or “estate”) jewelry? Know for sure. Know your jeweler. To get the best quality for your dollar - from a reputable dealer with years of experience - visit Estate Diamond Jewelry. They only do estate and antique jewelry.
