How to Choose the Best Diamond

The title of this article should be "How to Choose the Best Diamond without relying on 4Cs alone", let's see how we can do this.

When looking to buy a wedding or engagement ring, it is important that you know how to choose a perfect diamond. Diamonds are still the most popular gemstone in the jewelry market and so it is essential that you understand everything you can about them. When searching for the best diamond, the 4Cs have worked faithfully and tirelessly for the diamond industry, giving three generations of diamond purchasers a solid and reliable yardstick for diamond grading. In a changing marketplace driven by technology and the desire for more profound information to support your purchase, it's time to discover a new approach to enhance the 4Cs.

Today, there is a way to give the new generation of consumers a deeper, intuitive, up-to-date experience of the diamond's unique character. it is called Light Performance.

With the development of science-based measurement of the variables that describe the diamond's interaction with light, it is now possible to give a Light Performance grade based on an objective measurement of the beauty of light.

Working together, Light Performance and the 4Cs are a powerful, modern approach to diamond evaluation. When the Light Performance grade and the 4C evaluation result are combined, they hold an incredibly rich story of the diamond.

Unlike other gemstones, the diamond's appearance is a direct consequence of the way the stone interacts with light. Direct measurement of a diamond's performance in the light provides a holistic approach to diamond grading. instead of grading specific parameters that affect diamond beauty, such as cut, proportions, clarity, color, polish and symmetry.

Light Performance: Brilliance, Fire, Sparkle and Light Symmetry

Since a key element in the diamond's appearance is its cut and craftsmanship, the Light Performance approach, developed by Sarine, is a holistic analysis of cut that measures and grades the beauty of the diamond as seen by the observer. The light performance grading system was developed based on analysis of more than 23,000 diamonds in several countries and from multiple manufacturers and retailers. The variations and distribution of the diamonds researched covered most of round brilliant cut diamonds that comprises the diamond trade. Diamonds measured were sourced from manufacturers that are known for providing the best-cut diamonds, as well as from manufacturers of diamonds with poor cut grade and clarity of I3. Such a broad variety and volume of diamonds enabled the acquisition of an enormous pool of data about light performance, and specifically the interdependency of light performance and clarity or cut grade. The data was used as the basis for the development of a grading scale for four parameters that provide a comprehensive summary of light performance: Brilliance, Fire, Sparkle and Light Symmetry. These parameters are an extension and refinement of the commonly used parameters of Brilliance, Fire and Scintillation used to examine a diamond's beauty, providing a more thorough and complete analysis of light performance based on cut factors. The Light Performance approach also presents a new concept of total grading based on the combination of the four individual parameters into one summary light performance grade.

Light Performance system defines and measures four parameters that cover all aspects of a diamond's light performance. They are Brilliance, Sparkle, Fire and Light Symmetry.

Brilliance

Brilliance is defined as the intense bright light that shines from the diamond.

Light Symmetry (round brilliants)

Light Symmetry is defined as the measure of light distribution in the diamond, based on cut and inclusions.

Fire

Fire is defined as the vivid colors of the rainbow that radiate from within the diamond.

Sparkle

Sparkle is defined as the flashes that burst out of the diamond as it moves.

GRADING LIGHT PERFORMANCE

A common problem with the 4Cs grading system is the conflict that arises when comparing various diamonds. See the following table; which diamond is the better choice?

The same conflict may arise with Light Performance. Here's a comparison of two diamonds with the same carat weight, color, clarity and cut, with the following individual Light Performance parameter gradings:

Based on these gradings, it is difficult to state with certainty which of the diamonds has better Light Performance. Although the Light Performance approach entails four parameters, for purposes of trade, it is preferable to present a unified grade that summarizes the diamond's light beauty. This enables clarity in the comparison of two or more diamonds. In cases of diamonds having similar grade, the consumer may look for the diamond that matches his/her personal preferences, such as higher level of Brilliance, or more intense Sparkle.

HOW LIGHT PERFORMANCE GRADING ENHANCES YOUR DIAMOND SEEKING PROCESS

As a non-educated person, while searching for a diamond, the 4Cs information, such as VS2 clarity and G color, is providing only part of the picture. In most cases, you are not well versed enough in diamond analysis to comprehend the effect of the size of the culet or the consequence of the small natural near the girdle in the diamond pavilion. You are actually seeking a diamond that will shine the most, considering your preferred stone cut and shape, diamond setting, stone quality, stone size and price tag, rather than a host of 'technical' information about the diamond that does not provide the answer to your question: how well the diamond shines?

Let's take an example of two diamonds being sold side by side in a jewelry store:

According to the price list, the first diamond is valued at half the cost of the second diamond. However, when comparing light performance, there may be a case where Diamond 1 in fact outscores Diamond 2 due to other characteristics of the diamond, which are not described in the 4C (for example milkiness of the diamond). As a consumer, you may prefer the light beauty of Diamond 1 over the rarity of Diamond 2 and will choose to purchase Diamond 1 at half the price.

The light performance grading enables you to find the best fit according to visual preference and budget, and enables your diamond retailers to provide a more focused, personalized purchase experience that meets the needs of the new millennial generation of consumers.

CONCLUSION

The Light Performance approach provides an objective, technology-based grading of diamonds.

4Cs alone cannot deliver complete information about a diamond's appearance to the consumer. Adding light performance grading results will generate reliable and trustworthy information that answers commonly asked questions about the diamond's appearance.

If you want to know more about Light Performance, please feel free to reach out to me [email protected] or leave a comment below