Lab-grown diamonds are a much more reasonable option than natural diamonds. These are highly preferred by individuals seeking diamonds for themselves or their loved ones. It offers the same diamond selection that you get in the natural ones.
Over the years, these have become more accessible to the mass public, and people are increasingly interested in these gems. Not only are these lab-grown diamonds a much more reasonable option, but they are highly customizable. They are tailored to your colour, desired size, and clarity to meet your preferences. It helps provide customers with a wide range of exceptional choices.
This blog post details the science behind lab-grown diamond grading and how to evaluate a diamond’s quality.
How to Evaluate a Diamond’s Quality
There are many different sizes, shades, and designs for diamonds. All diamonds have complex blends of features that not only make them one-of-a-kind but also contribute to a diamond’s worth.
Therefore, to select the greatest diamond, you must be aware of the qualities to seek for. Learning about the 4Cs of diamond quality is a good place to start. The Clarity, Colour, Cut, and Carat Weight (CCC) grading method, devised by the GIA in the 1950s, is used by diamond experts to define and categorize diamonds.
Carat Weight
Of the 4Cs, the carat (weight) is the most measurable one. A set digital scale determines the weight of your diamond. It is usually related to its quality and value since bigger diamonds are generally more valued than tinier ones.
Decimals are the most accurate way to express carat weight. Rounding is typical to practise in retail businesses to make an item’s worth appear higher. For example, a diamond shown as one carat in the store might weigh 0.89. But if all other things are equal, a 0.89-carat diamond would cost you substantially less than a genuine one-carat diamond stone.
It’s also crucial to recognize that different carat weights have different qualities. Remember that several elements determine a diamond’s value and carat weight. Consequently, a two-carat diamond with inferior colour, cut, and clearness may cost less than a one-carat diamond with superior quality.
It’s also crucial to remember that even if two diamonds have similar carat weight, one may appear larger. Why? Simply put, certain diamond shapes appear larger than others ones. For instance, although having the same weight, a one-carat ring-shaped or emerald-cut diamond might seem better quality than a one-carat moderate-cut diamond.
Colour
The colour feature of your diamonds has a substantial influence on their value. The finest diamond indicates that it is colourless. Even the smallest touch of shade significantly drops the diamond’s grade. Once you start going down the colour spectrum, some hints of golden or dark brown can be seen in these stones, lowering the diamond’s worth and quality.
This rule does have one exception, though. If the colour is considered a “fancy colour,” such as canary-yellow or a red diamond’s ultimate rarity, it will not reduce the value of the diamond. A diamond’s price may rise significantly as a result of these hues.
A 23-point colour grading system, from D to Z, is used to evaluate a diamond’s colour grade. There are five subgroups of colour quality associated with each letter.
The following components make up the GIA diamond colour grading scale:
- No colour (D-F)
- Nearly colourless (G-J)
- Weak (K-M)
- Extremely Light (N-R)
- Shiny (S-Z)
Clarity
Clarity is significant to a diamond’s value because it is believed that stones with superior clarity are more uncommon. A diamond with an extremely low transparency grade will be less shining and could even seem slightly foggy, in addition to being a significant factor in the stone’s rarity. Poor-clarity diamonds are also more likely to chip, break, or even shatter, especially if the tiny particles are near the diamond’s edges.
While the diamond is being inspected with a 10x magnification, its clarity qualities are rated. A clarity scale with 11 clarity grades is then used to represent the clarity quality. And you must comprehend these grades.
Under a 10x magnification, diamond clarity grades include:
- Flawless diamonds (FL) have no flaws or inclusions.
- Internally Flawless (IF) diamonds are those without any surface imperfections that may be seen at 10x magnification but have no interior imperfections.
- Small, difficult-to-see inclusions are present in Very, Very Slightly Included (VVSI) and (VVS2) diamonds, even when magnified 10 times.
- Minor inclusions can often be seen clearly at a 10x magnification in diamonds classified as Very Slightly Included (VSI) and (VS2). However, these inclusions are not apparent to the unaided eye.
- Inclusions in diamonds classified as S11 and S12 are discernible under magnification and might be apparent to the human eye.
- The more you drop down on the scale, the more likely there is a durability concern because of the prominent presences that are highly noticeable to the unaided eye in included (I1), (I2), and (I3) diamonds.
Cut
The way your diamond is cut is essential for its appearance. The edge and angles of your stone attractively play with light, making it sparkle. The three visual occurrences, which the ideal cut combines, give your diamond its dazzling appearance:
- Brightness. It is your diamond’s reflection in white light.
- Fire. The bursts of colour your diamond exhibits from light refraction due to a colourful effect are called “fire.”
- Scintillation. The interaction between your diamond’s bright and dark parts is this aspect.
The main goal of an excellent diamond cut is to give your diamond a dazzling, crisp appearance by creating the right prominence between its bright and shadowy parts.
When determining the quality of your diamond, the 4Cs are undoubtedly essential. Because of this, it’s crucial to understand where each diamond falls on the 4C grading scale before purchasing. However, relying just on a jeweller’s word is not advisable. Instead, look at the diamond’s official certification to confirm its grades.
A third party’s verification of a diamond’s quality is known as a diamond certification. It isn’t an endorsement from the diamond vendor or buyer. These have grown in significance as a result of diamond frauds.
Final Verdict
A lab-grown diamond is mined in the same way a natural diamond is; both depend on the four Cs of a diamond: the cut, carat weight, clarity, and colour. Even though the value of lab-grown diamonds is high and has increased drastically in the last few years, there is a growing concern that lab-grown diamonds might lose their value as the years pass.
by Australian Diamond Brokers : May 10th 2023 Come visit our store or browse our website to find out more.