If you are buying a loose stone, it is a good idea to ask your JAA Jeweller to arrange for a grading certificate from an independent diamond grading laboratory, to determine the quality of the diamond by accurately assessing the different characteristics according to international standards.

If you wish to have your jewellery valued for insurance purposes, you should always ask for a registered jewellery valuer to provide a valuation for a finished piece of diamond jewellery.

The rule of choosing a diamond is the 4 C’s.

Brilliant round cut, Emerald, Marquise, Oval, Pear, Heart and Princess. There are additional new cuts such as Dalhia, Fire rose, Maigold, Sunflower, Zinnia, Duchess, Baroness, Empress and Grace. Most common color is white, there are magnificent cognac, champagne color diamonds that has become fashionable in recent years. Diamonds can be pink, blue, but are very rare and expensive. Diamonds were made by nature millions of years ago under enormous heat and pressure. Consequently most diamonds contain tiny inclusions, the amount of inclusions in a stone determines the true value of the diamond. Diamonds are measured in carats, each carat is divided into 100 points. A carat is equal to one fifth of a gram e.g. If a ring contains 3 stones, center Marquise is 0.50 which is ½ a carat and two round diamonds of 0.25 each the total weight is 1 carat. With any diamond purchase you’ll be given instructions that will teach you how to take care of your diamond. Traditionally diamonds have been available in seven shapes (brilliant) Round, Pear, Oval, Princess, Marquise, Emerald and Heart. However now there are new shapes available Dahlia, Fire Rose, Marigold, Sun Flower. Zinnia and in the last decade four new cuts known as royal cuts have been released Duchess, Baroness, Empress & Grace. They appear larger than traditional diamond cuts due to the larger member of facets compared to the traditional round brilliant, which has 58 facets. The other important aspects to consider are the setting and use of claws. The traditional method of setting a stone is using a claw or prong, that reach from under the ring to clasp the stone over its sides, and the more claws employed the safer the stone. In a Bezel setting, the stone is completely surrounded by the metal making it very secure. An alternative to this is the half Bezel setting where two sides of the Bezel are removed. The advantage of this setting is that the stone may be viewed from the side and its brilliance can be prominent from above. Another contemporary is the Channel, several stones are set in a row inside a channel between two horizontal sides of gold. As metal separates each individual stone and so the effect is one of maximum sparkle. In Flash set designs the diamonds are actually embedded into the band itself, after with a prominent center stone capturing attention. This type of setting was made popular by Princess Diana’s engagement ring – a large Sapphire encircled with diamonds and set in platinum.