You’re celebrating a big moment and decide that buying diamond jewelry is the perfect way to commemorate that moment. Perhaps this is the first diamond jewelry you’ve ever purchased, or maybe you are upgrading a past jewelry gift with a larger stone. Either way, you know you should be beaming with excitement, glowing with a smile so wide it hurts, but for some reason, you are anxious, sweaty, and twitchy.
This is an important and costly purchase. You want to get it right — there’s not much room for error when you’re investing in diamond jewelry. We understand you might have questions before you shop.
Questions to Ask Yourself Before Jewelry Gift Shopping
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What do you know about buying diamond jewelry?
- Who can you trust with such an important purchase?
- Where can you find reliable information about diamond jewelry?
The diamond experts at Fink’s Jewelers are here to remind you to stop and just breathe. All will be right with the world if you take this simple piece of advice: Trust your own eye and heart.
Now, let’s unlock some of the mystery of the diamond, debunk some myths, and help you make an informed decision about your diamond jewelry purchase. This will help ensure that your new eternal symbol of love, commitment, and achievement isn’t clouded by doubt and uncertainty.
Everything You Need to Know About Diamonds
Most people have heard of the 4Cs — color, cut, clarity, and carat — but what do these Cs mean, and what makes each Fink’s diamond superior? We’re glad you asked!
The first thing you should know is that not every diamond meets Fink’s standards for Superior Quality® and Superior Cut®. We take the 4Cs seriously, so you can count on getting a diamond that’s beautiful and unique.
Secondly, we like to stress that, contrary to popular belief, every diamond is measured against elements of beauty, not rarity. Just because something is rare does not make it pleasing to the eye. The beauty of diamonds starts with understanding that no two diamonds are the same.
The Fink’s Diamond Examination Process
We believe it is important to view every diamond you select under a microscope to help you understand and witness those characteristics for yourself. Just because two diamonds are graded the same does not mean they are exactly alike.
Color, for example, is the absence or presence of body color in a diamond. The scale that most people are familiar with starts with D (for diamond) and goes down the alphabet,--E, F, G, etc.--all the way to Z. There’s an assumption that D is the best, but it is actually the rarest.
Nature creates fewer D, E, and F color diamonds than the other shades. When it comes to the color of diamond jewelry, it’s important to know there is a range of shades. Have you ever tried to buy white paint only to realize how many shades of white there are?
Studies have shown that when looking at diamonds without being prejudiced by the grading of a diamond, many people prefer a diamond with a little body color or a little warmth. Many beautiful and lively diamonds are actually in the H to K range.
Diamond Cut: The Reason Your Diamond Jewelry Sparkles
How a stone is cut truly is what unleashes the fire and brilliance in the diamond. When a cutter is given a diamond to facet, they are faced with a decision to either save weight or sacrifice weight to achieve ideal or near-ideal proportions.
When a diamond loses precious carat weight for the sake of ideal proportions, the price of the diamond is usually higher for the finished diamond jewelry product, even though it eventually ends up weighing less.
Clarity is Key When Choosing the Right Stone for Diamond Jewelry
Clarity denotes what is going on inside and on the surface of the diamond. Very few things in nature are perfect, and diamonds are no exception.
Choosing the Right Clarity for Your Jewelry Gift
- What does it look like to the naked eye?
- Look at the stone with magnification.
- Check for inclusions.
1. What does it look like to the naked eye?
First, thoroughly study the diamond without any aid of magnification. Do you see any distinguishing blemishes that distract from its brilliance? You shouldn’t because these diamonds don’t meet the Fink’s Superior Quality® standard. In fact, diamonds with blemishes are rejected by our diamond buyer.
2. Look at the stone with magnification.
A loupe is what is commonly used at the sales counter to examine diamond jewelry. Think about your kitchen window. You can focus your eyes on the window to see the fingerprints and spots on the window, or you can look through the window to see who’s in the yard.
Do the same thing to the diamond. Look through the windows. Look to see if there are any noticeable inclusions or what we call birthmarks. These aren’t flaws in the diamond but rather unique characteristics that make each diamond special. Sometimes it’s little white lines, and sometimes it’s clouds.
3. Check for inclusions.
You might even see little black spots when looking at a diamond. Did you know that those tiny specks are called included crystals and that if you magnified them, they would reveal themselves to be tiny diamonds or garnets trapped inside your diamond jewelry gift? It’s a two-for-one deal!
The grading scale of clarity refers more to how noticeable these characteristics are rather than to how many are inside the diamond. At Fink’s, we only offer diamonds that have no inclusions visible to the naked eye.
What Size Diamond Jewelry is Best?
That’s strictly a personal decision. For some, a larger stone is the dream, and they might be willing to sacrifice a little color or clarity to stay on budget. To others, the color, cut, and clarity trump size. There is no right answer when it comes to choosing the size for your jewelry gift.
What Else Should I Consider When Buying a Diamond Jewelry Gift?
Beyond the 4Cs, many other questions have come across our sales counters. A popular topic is diamond shape. What shape is the most expensive? The answer isn’t so simple.
In larger diamonds, all the Cs being equal, the timeless round brilliant still reigns queen. It’s the most brilliant and in the highest demand. As fancy shapes such as princess, emerald, marquise, and pear float in and out of style, prices, though stable, may fluctuate based on their popularity.
Have You Met Clif?–Fink’s 5th C of Diamond Jewelry
There’s a fifth C that isn’t mentioned but is instrumental in setting the standards for Fink’s diamonds — Clif. For nearly 30 years, Clif has single-handedly inspected tens of thousands of diamonds, and he only chooses the best of the best to become a Fink’s Diamond. Clif’s favorite saying is, “If it's not a diamond I would be proud to put on my wife's hand, then I don't buy it."
We don’t keep any diamonds on hand that don’t pass the Clif test. Although every Fink’s diamond is graded by the Gemological Institute of America or Forevermark, Clif’s approach to exceeding Fink’s Superior Cut® and Superior Quality® standards starts with a personal inspection of each stone.
Clif inspects every part of the diamond, ensuring our customers get only the best diamond jewelry with optimal cut, light performance, brilliance, and even durability. If it doesn’t meet or exceed Clif’s standards, then you’ll never see it in a Fink’s case, even if a diamond passes all the GIA criteria. This is how we continue to ensure a high standard of quality in both service and diamond selections.
Shop for Jewelry Gifts with Your Heart
Diamond jewelry shopping can be intimidating, but now that you’re armed with the right knowledge, it will be a fun process. At the end of the day, you will be selecting a beautiful jewelry gift for someone special in your life.
Shop For Your Jewelry Gift With Your Person in Mind
- What type of jewelry do they usually wear?
- What metal color matches their favorite jewelry pieces?
- What diamond jewelry in the display reminds you of your special someone?
The team here at Fink’s will always ensure that you leave with only the best quality diamond jewelry gift.
