DIAMOND BUYING GUIDE
Specialising in Dreams and Diamonds
Unlocking the Brilliance: Navigating the Maze of Diamond Selection
THE ULTIMATE DIAMOND BUYING GUIDE
Welcome to the Ultimate Diamond Buying Guide from Monroe Yorke Diamonds! Choosing the perfect diamond for your engagement ring is an exciting yet daunting task. With countless options and factors to consider, navigating the world of diamonds can feel overwhelming. Fear not, as our comprehensive guide is here to demystify the process and empower you to make informed decisions with confidence. Whether you're a first-time buyer or a seasoned connoisseur, join us on a journey to discover the intricacies of diamond selection, understanding the 4Cs, decoding diamond certifications, and uncovering insider tips to ensure your engagement ring shines as brightly as your love story. Let's embark on this enlightening quest together, paving the way towards your dream ring with Monroe Yorke Diamonds.
Monroe Yorke Diamonds - Australia’s finest purveyors of diamonds and diamond jewellery
How to Select the Perfect Diamond for your Engagement Ring
DIAMOND ENGAGEMENT RING BUYING GUIDE
This Diamond Buying Guide from Monroe Yorke Diamonds has been designed to give you a practical sense and insights in helping you to evaluate with confidence, the quality of the diamond you are about to make your own. We hope the information shared will make your purchase journey enjoyable, and fulfils every expectation you hold.
It should be noted that our intention here is to provide you general advice that does not take your personal preferences and budget into account. We welcome you to call 1800 766 567 and engage with us for a personalized consultation, where our specialists can give you more tailored guidance towards procuring the diamond of your dreams!
Cut, Colour, Clarity & Carat
An introduction to the 4Cs…
Diamonds are rare as they are beautiful, making them divine objects to be treasured for now and forever. Every diamond is unique and has a set of characteristics that gives them their individual intrinsic value. Until the middle of the last century, there were no industry accepted standards by which the quality of diamonds could be judged.
The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) was the first to create a globally consistent standard for describing diamonds, using the attributes of Cut, Colour, Clarity and Carat Weight. Today, these 4Cs represent the universal best practice for evaluating a diamond and convey the truest sense of quality, which you as the customer can hold with the highest confidence.
DIAMOND CUT
The Cut is often regarded as the most important element of the 4Cs as it is what optimises the fire and brilliance of the diamond. Where colour and clarity of the diamond is almost exclusively dependant on natural factors, the cut is and must be executed masterfully by the human hand if a stone is to gloriously project its fire and brilliance. It is this affectation that ultimately translates to the ‘sparkle’ that becomes an essentiality for every good diamond.
At Monroe Yorke Diamonds, we will guide your search and give our recommendations in helping you find a diamond that has a great cut above everything else!
DIAMOND COLOUR
Colour, is the second of the 4Cs that impact a diamond’s quality. The colour grade determines the amount of colour a stone holds, or more accurately, doesn’t. It’s a case of less is more where the less colour seen within the stone contributes to a higher colour (quality) grading.
Our recommendation is that you select diamonds with an ‘H’ colour grade for moment-defining pieces such as Engagement and Wedding Rings. For other jewellery; specifically earrings and pendants, lower colour grade diamonds can still be used to mesmerising effect!
DIAMOND CLARITY
Clarity; the third factor influencing quality grading of diamonds, is less important to a wearer of diamonds or a customer than it is to grading laboratories like the GIA, AGS, or the HRD.
This is because the element of clarity, considers inclusions or imperfections visible within the stone when examined under 10X magnification. Naturally, such flaws cannot be seen to the naked eye and therefore will rarely concern end-buyers as they really don’t diminish the diamond’s quality perception. But, it is still a very valid and important quality marker considering that the ideal diamond should not have any inclusions or imperfections.
Here at Monroe Yorke Diamonds, our accepted standard is the clarity grade of VS2; diamonds with only the infinitesimal of inclusions, which are hardly noticeable. Diamonds that hold a SI1 or SI2 clarity grade are still acceptable in our opinion and offer great value for money, even though they notch below the premium VS2 diamonds. Anything that grades lower than SI2 will have flaws visible to the naked eye and should not be a purchase consideration.
On very rare occasions, some SI1 and SI2 diamonds may have inclusions and imperfections that are actually visible to the eye. We describe them as diamonds that are ‘not eye clean’ and always ensure that every SI1 and SI2 diamond sold by us is completely ‘eye clean’.
DIAMOND SHAPES
Diamonds come in many wondrous shapes. Pick something traditional like the ever-popular brilliant (round) cut or the stunning princess (square) cut; or artful and contemporary such as the oval, pear, cushion, heart, asscher, marquise, radiant, or trilliant cuts. More information regarding diamond shapes and sizes can be viewed here.
A Monroe Yorke Engagement Ring will Last an Eternity
DIAMOND CERTIFICATION
Every diamond we sell that is over 0.50ct, is accompanied by a certification that validates its quality; a service attribute that we believe to be extremely important, simply because it is important for our customers to have the confidence of having purchased a product of authenticated quality.
The certificates are issued by highly respected independent diamond grading laboratories that follow extremely stringent grading standards;
GIA - Gemalogical Institute of America
AGS - American Gemological Society
As part of Monroe Yorke Diamonds quality assurance best practices, we only sell diamonds graded by the above bodies and do not promote diamonds or certifications that do not meet our benchmark criteria.
Maintaining such standards allows us to provide you peace of mind with the knowledge that your chosen diamond is one which has been evaluated by an unbiased grading authority.
Now that you are aware of the importance in diamond certification, make sure you know the source (grading laboratory) that is responsible for the authentication offered by the retailer for the diamond that you are about to buy. If you are still unsure, give us a call. We’d be happy to be of assistance.
DIAMOND PRICES EXPLAINED
Monroe Yorke Diamonds are direct wholesale suppliers of diamonds. Naturally, our prices are a whole lot lower than when you buy from a brick and mortar retail jeweller because we are able to source our diamonds at lower prices.
We also don’t have many of the costs associated with a retail operation such as rent, staff costs, and advertising, all of which are typically passed on to the customer. As such, we can be very competitive with our pricing, which ultimately means that you derive maximum value for the money you spend.
Trust and transparency are a fundamental value of our business; one which extends to our pricing practices as well. All published prices (in our promotional and POS material as well as on our website) are inclusive of GST. Considering that some sellers conveniently ‘forget’ to quote their pricing with GST, we advise you take extra care when comparing prices and not be misled!
Chelsea - Round Diamond Halo EarStuds
CAPABILITY OF SERVICE
Another significant advantage we have over brick and mortar retail jewellers as diamond wholesalers, is that we have far greater accessibility to a wider range of diamonds. Once we have understood your desired quality, finding it from anywhere in the world is not beyond our ability.
At Monroe Yorke Diamonds, our purpose for being is to surpass customer expectations by delivering an exceptional level of service across each stage of your journey with us; from sourcing your diamond, to designing a unique piece of jewellery, and delivering it to your waiting hands in under 6 weeks. But, our commitment to you doesn’t end there. You can also count on us for complimentary after-sales care, making our relationship with you, a lifelong one…
ASK A PROFESSIONAL
By reading this guide, you have now hopefully acquired the key information that will be crucial in your search and purchase of a diamond. While we congratulate you on this great start, we must also point out that certain complexities on the topic may get lost in translation. With our over two decades of experience in all things diamond, we can confidently tell you that our specialist knowledge can further help you to search, identify, and buy the perfect diamond with absolute confidence.
And, for the said purpose, Our team is ever ready to offer consultations and buying advice that is simply at a level of industry-best.
UNIQUE DIAMOND PUCHASE EXPERIENCE
Monroe Yorke Diamonds has created a unique diamond purchasing experience that combines an unmatched allowance for personalization, with collaborative customer engagement that enables the realization of your diamond masterpiece exactly as it was envisioned.
While it is true that your budget will ultimately determine the scale and quality of your diamond, by speaking to us, we will be able to help you find the best compromise between the cut, colour, and clarity towards retaining the desired intrinsic value of the stone. As with most things in life, buying a diamond that is beautiful to the eye, and at the same time which is optimal in its investment value, depends solely on a well-balanced decision; something we are quite good at advising on your behalf.
As we stated earlier, give us a call on 1800 766 567 and tell us your diamond dream. We are only too happy to have that all important conversation with you, which will undoubtedly lead on to the fulfilment of your wish, and our promise of a commitment; set in diamonds no less.
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DIAMOND & JEWELLERY EDUCATION
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