Buying a diamond separate from its setting gives you more control over the finished piece. Instead of being restricted to a stone already paired with a ring or other jewellery, you can compare shape, carat weight, cut, colour and clarity in order to decide how they should be set.
As a buyer in Spain researching loose man made diamonds looking to create an engagement ring, pendant, earrings, or custom jewellery design, it’s important to know which qualities actually determine appearance rather than simply judging a diamond by one grade.
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Why Choose a Loose Diamond Rather than a Finished Ring?
You can assess the diamond on its own merits
you have the option of pairing the stone with a setting that appeals to you, and
you can consider individual shape and proportion in order to make a choice that’s right for you.
Buyers can therefore look at loose man made diamonds to compare the individual stone, and the jewellery design can be considered separately. This may be particularly useful in determining differences between stones of comparable carat weight but differing proportions.
Look Beyond Carat Weight
Carat measures a diamond’s weight, not its physical diameter or visible size. Two diamonds can have the same weight but look very different from one another when viewed from above due to differences in shape, depth, and other proportions.
Cut is another important consideration; with cut grades or detailed information about proportions available it can be an easy way to identify how a given diamond will handle light, especially in shapes where information is listed for these qualities.
Color and clarity are important, but the highest grade isn’t necessarily the best choice for every buyer looking to compare loose man made diamonds. Instead it’s possible to judge the appearance of the diamond in combination with its specifications.
Useful details to review include:
carat weight and dimensions
cut and proportions
color grade
clarity grade
polish and symmetry
grading report information
Judging a diamond based on all of these characteristics rather than a single characteristic can help buyers conduct a more useful comparison.
Check the Diamond Grading Report
An independent grading report will document the characteristics of an individual diamond. Depending upon the laboratory and report type it may include information regarding carat weight, color, clarity, dimensions and identifying characteristics.
Laboratories such as IGI and GIA grade lab grown diamonds but the format and language of reports can differ between them.
A grading report should be considered to be general information rather than a guarantee that one diamond will appear to be better than another, and it’s important to compare diamonds based upon what you’re able to see as well as the report information.
CVD and HPHT Are Growth Methods and Not Quality Grades
Laboratory-grown diamonds are typically created through either CVD or HPHT processes.
Diamonds formed with Chemical Vapour Deposition techniques are created in a controlled chamber with carbon-rich gas, while High Pressure High Temperature diamonds are formed through the application of high pressure and temperature.
It’s important to remember that neither of these methods are inherently higher quality; individual stones must still be compared based upon their cut, color, clarity, and other characteristics.
Compare the Stone Before Choosing the Setting
A loose diamond gives you the ability to make the centre stone your starting point. With information about the diamond’s dimensions and shape in hand it’s then possible to identify whether yellow gold, white gold, rose gold, platinum, or other options appear to be the best choice.
The type of setting also impacts the presentation and appearance, with prong settings exposing more of the diamond than bezel settings which surround the stone. Before buying in Spain it’s important to compare a diamond’s specifications, and to look at the reselling, returns, delivery, warranty, and after-sales policies of the retailer rather than assuming that all retailers offer the same conditions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are man-made diamonds real diamonds?
Laboratory-grown diamonds consist of diamond material formed in a controlled environment. They should not be mistaken for simulants, such as cubic zirconia or moissanite, which are entirely different minerals.
Is a larger carat always better?
Diamonds can appear larger or smaller depending upon their shape and proportions, and carat weight alone cannot indicate these characteristics.
Should I choose CVD or HPHT?
Each diamond should be reviewed individually and the choice between the two methods shouldn’t be made based upon general information.
