Newbie Q: What should I see??

[OCdeb]

Newbie question:
Given the mind-boggling abundance of technical information available to a layperson regarding diamond quality, when it all comes down to it what should a person "see" when asked, "which diamond do you LIKE better?"

My husband and I will celebrate our 30th this year and I suddenly have a bug about a gorgeous rock for my left ring finger. We "think" we prefer a ROUND D, E, F and size matters (1.0 to 1.25 carat) but when asked which one we "like" better we have no clue what we are looking at.

How should we look at 2 or 3 diamonds to compare them? What lighting? What background?

When everyone was drooling over Kenny''s Octavia I was unsure what they were seeing, diamond quality-wise. (Side note: I look forward to trying some macro shots of a diamond in flowers sometime soon!)

Help please! Thanks!

 

[jet2ks]

Just like differences in taste when it comes to art, clothing, interior design, cars or whatever, there are different tastes in diamonds and people notice and prefer differing aspects of their beauty. Some people are really attracted to a bright white diamond, others like a lot of fire and colored flashes, some want something unique, and still others like nice patterning of the facets--there are multiple reasons to choose a particular shape or style and no one can possibly cover them all.

I''d suggest looking at different shapes and sizes and see what you prefer first, then when it comes to actually comparing individual stones, make sure to look at them in a variety of lighting scenarios. Move them around so you see various aspects of the sparkle and scintillation. See which one attracts you more, which one "speaks" to you.

I would also recommend looking at Good Old Gold''s videos where Jon compares different diamonds. You will probably start to see how different diamonds just perform better and your eye will be drawn to certain aspects.

In the end, you will like what you like and no one can tell you that your opinion is wrong.

 

[Lorelei]

Jet gives good advice ( as usual!!), I would just add if it is a round diamond you are interested in, go and view some AGS0 Peerless if there is a Jareds in your area or alternatively Hearts on Fire if you have a dealer nearby, this will give you a good idea of how a well cut round can look and give you a good base of comparison.

 

[Allison D.]

OC, I''d say that the most important thing is to compare diamonds of different makes in a variety of lighting conditions.

The point isn''t to train your eye what to prefer. Tt''s to have the opportunity to compare stones of average cut, above average cut, and superior cut in a variety of lighting conditions and select the one your eye most prefers. It really is that simple.

The problem for most shoppers is lack of range of cuts (not shapes, but cut qualities) to compare and lack of multiple lighting sources. Under typical jewelry store lights, even a lump of coal would look sparkly, but that''s not the lighting we see our jewelry in. Compare stones of varying cut quality in soft diffused light, ambient daylight, etc. and just select the one that looks best to you.

 

[AmberGretchen]

I would also add to those above, that if it is really difficult to view varying cut grades at any store near you, you could try looking at the videos that Jonathan of GOG has made showing various types of round and other cut stones - this won''t be *quite* as good as seeing them in person, but should give you a better sense of what your eye is drawn to. I believe the videos are linked off of the Good Old Gold website, but if not, I''m sure you could e-mail them and ask for links.