How come?

In this post we’ll explain the logic behind this statement.

When we buy a diamond, how do we want it to look like?

The obvious answer is that we want our diamond to look white, sparkling & full of life. After all, that’s what a diamond should look like.

Well, we can get that even if we don’t buy diamonds with high color & clarity.

In the diamond industry there’s only one price list.

Everybody and I mean everybody, in the diamonds market works according to it.

It’s called “Rapaport Price List” by RapNet.

Round stones price list is published on a weekly basis, while all the other shapes on a monthly basis.

The price of a diamond is determined by 3 parameters (apart from the shape): Weight (Carat), Color & Clarity.

If you look at this price list you can find huge differences between various diamonds and that’s exactly where you can actually figure  out what can be a great purchase.

Why J SI is the best combo?

The current price list of Round 1ct D IF (highest quality) is $18,000ct while the same weight in J SI2 is $4,800ct. There’s a difference of about 25% between the two.

Now let me ask you – once the diamond is set in jewelry, will you be able to tell whether it’s D IF or J SI2?

Even I, a gemologist with experience of over 20 years in the diamonds industry, will not be able to determine specifically the color & clarity unless I look at the diamond very closely.

Even then it will be with reservation as the best and most thorough method to check a diamond is by removing it from the jewelry and checking it with a loupe (a special magnified glass to check diamonds).

Let’s not forget that the official gemological world (the first lab was GIA) is celebrating 100 years and as we all know, we learned a thing or two during this period.

The best example is the diamond color check:

The way of checking the color of a diamond is by putting it on its’ side on a white color paper. Now, that’s a bit inaccurate as while a diamond is set in jewelry we view it from the top and not the side, hence some low color diamonds can look better on top than high color ones due to the fact that in some regions the rough looks different from top view.

Why to buy J-K-L diamonds with fluorescent?

In low color diamonds, the fluorescence makes them look whiter (while in high colors the fluorescence doesn’t necessarily do good to the diamond, in low color diamonds it has the opposite effect), therefore J, K or L diamonds with fluorescence will look from the top like G color (white), so you pay less for a great looking diamond and that’s exactly what makes J-K-L diamonds the best value for money.

***Please be aware to the fact that in non-round stones (fancy shape) K-L colors can look more yellow, so if you go for a diamond other than round I-J colors are preferable.