How do you buy jewellery with internationally certified diamonds?
Very few people truly understand this exclusive market. For most of us, diamonds are something precious and, somewhat logically, expensive. What's more, the combination of diamonds and gold gives us a piece of jewellery that we can appreciate according to our tastes, our education or... our budgets. We put our questions where we sensed we would find an answer to satisfy us. Lucian Constantinescu, Communications Director at Diamante.ro, sheds light on the subject in the interview below.
Rep. As the good-faith buyer that I am, I have the right not to know. And not out of superficiality, but simply because I am interested in buying gold jewellery with diamonds, beautiful ones and... that's it. Does international certification help me avoid falling victim to some kind of scam?
LC. Absolutely, yes. Certification of the diamond by an internationally recognised Gemological Laboratory assures the client that they are receiving exactly what they ordered. More often than not, the seller of a piece of jewellery will tell you a little about the diamond's characteristics: colour G-H, clarity VS. It is an evasive answer, generally given by professionals in retail, not in gemology. This can instil in you a certain "shame" about going into detail, because you are afraid of asking something naive. On top of that, the seller can leave you with the impression that they have given you absolutely all the information you needed.
To avoid this situation, it is recommended that the diamond be certified by an international gemological laboratory. This works as the ultimate guarantee of the stone's authenticity and adds no extra cost to the value of the diamond.
There are specialised laboratories that do only this and are a benchmark on the diamond exchange.
The major manufacturers and the dealers on the Diamond Exchanges cannot afford to sell diamonds that are not gemologically certified.
I won't go into the depths of this subject right now, because it is very technical and, most likely, boring.
Rep. Very well, so what should an honest seller tell me?
LC. In my opinion, the complete answer should go something like this: this diamond has colour G, clarity VS1, cut, symmetry and polish: Excellent. Fluorescence: medium, and it is certified by the international laboratory IGL, with serial number D88968493IL, bearing the safety laser inscription BE569. And you will find all of this information written in the gemological certificate, presented both physically, in the shop, and online on the gemological laboratory's website.
More often than not, the seller says nothing about cut, polish and symmetry. These characteristics influence the visual impact of the diamond and, by extension, its value too. Take the cut, for example: the better a diamond is cut, the more brightly it will sparkle, because it will reflect more light. And so we will have some elaborate and spectacular engagement rings or gold jewellery with diamonds.
Rep. It seems a little strange to a layperson that diamonds have a kind of registration number...
LC. A diamond's serial number is unique; it appears both on the certificate and on the diamond itself. (It is inscribed on the crown, the thin part of the diamond, visible from the side.) All certificates can also be checked online on the laboratory's website before you make the investment. Please note that only polished natural diamonds are certified. No certificates are issued for moissanite, synthetic diamonds or other substitutes.
This way, the transaction is 100% safe and the buyer has concrete guarantees that they are making an investment free of unpleasant surprises.
Rep. Is there a particular time to invest in diamonds?
Not necessarily. If someone sets out to make "a job" of this kind of investment, they will have to follow the market. Supply and demand greatly influence the price. What I can say is that, around the end of the year, diamond prices rise slightly.
Rep. I gather from this that the decision to buy a piece of jewellery at a good price really ought to be made well in advance...
LC. Something like that. Anyone wanting to give a diamond piece for Christmas should buy it around October. That's a "tip" worth keeping in mind...
Rep. It is obvious that diamonds, like gold, are a smart investment. But what about diamond jewellery? Can it be an investment as a finished product?
LC. Certainly, taking sentimental value into account as well. It is just that the answer isn't quite so simple and, if you will allow me, I will address this subject on another occasion. And I will tell you then whether — and where — there are people who keep several diamond engagement rings or dozens of pairs of gold wedding rings in their safes.
