Things You Need to Know Before Buying a Diamond

1. Carat is the weight of the diamond or gemstone, not size. Diamonds can be the same carat weight but may appear to be different sizes depending on the spread and shape of the diamond.
2. Diamonds are the hardest of all gems, making them highly suitable for use in jewellery.
3. Cut is assessed based upon seven characteristics: brightness, fire, scintillation, weight ratio, durability, symmetry and polish.
4. The less colour a diamond exhibits, the higher its value may be. Colour is measured on a scale D – Z. At Linneys we offer diamonds from D – H in colour.
5. Almost all diamonds will exhibit some manner of flaw, called an inclusion, which occurs naturally within the stone. The fewer inclusions a diamond has the higher its clarity grade will be. It is important to look at a diamond in person as the placement of each inclusion differs meaning that although a diamond falls into a particular clarity, they can actually be very different.
6. People often get cut and shape confused. Shape is the shape of the diamond, for example round brilliant cut, oval, emerald, pear & radiant.
7. The setting is how the diamond is set in a ring. A few examples are solitaire, three stone, halo & bezel.
8. When you get your jewellery cleaned at Linneys we always check the setting to ensure the diamond secure.
9. At Linneys we offer a layby service where you can place a diamond or ring on layby. This helps spread out the payments and we can hold the ring for you until you are ready to propose.
10. If you are looking to get a bespoke design, we offer a complimentary design service which means that it is not more expensive to design something especially for you. Often people think it is cheaper to buy off the floor but this is not the case, it is the element of the design or diamond that affect the price.

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