Has the decision been made? You want to buy a beautiful ring, necklace or bracelet, incorporating a precious diamond? A wonderful decision, both literally and figuratively! You will undoubtedly have been seduced by the beautiful design and unique sparkle in the jewellery, the result of pure craftsmanship. You, or the fortunate person who this piece of jewellery is being purchased for, will be able to shine on many different occasions. You can already see it clearly now.

But at the same time you have certainly also arrived at a sober realisation: buying a diamond means an investment too. You therefore want to be sure you are paying the right price for the right quality. Even if it’s just to make sure you won’t be faced with any unnecessary surprises during a possible later sale – should you ever plan to do so – when it appears the diamond was actually worth less than you had been told. How can you obtain certainty about the quality?

  • Only buy a certified diamond, which has had its quality assessed by top HRD, GIA or IGI laboratories.
  • These three tenors of the diamond world are extremely consistent and fully independent in their assessments.
  • Each certificate contains a series of security features, making it very difficult to forge.
  • BAUNAT gives you the choice between two quality combinations as standard. Always optimally sparkling diamonds with a beautiful, white colour and only very minor impurities, impossible to see with the naked eye.

Opt for a certificate, but which one you receive does matter

Our first advice is as follows: only buy diamonds with a quality certificate. This may sound obvious, but it certainly isn’t. Many of the major jewellery sellers won’t hand you this document. They prefer for you to pay for their brand name. They may possibly also not be keen for you to see the finer details, as this will allow you to easily compare prices of gemstones with the same characteristics.

Have you received a certificate? Good news, but that doesn’t necessarily complete the story. After all, it’s important you don’t simply accept the statements on the often beautifully presented document as facts. As it’s not uncommon for these to be slightly exaggerated. Perhaps because the jeweller put the lab used to grade the gemstone under pressure to come back with a high quality estimate. Labs certainly also differ greatly: their gradations can sometimes be quite far apart.

Only rely on the three tenors

Everyone in the diamond world is aware of this fact: if you want absolute certainty about the content of a certificate, then there are only three laboratories you can trust blindly.

The first is the High Council for Diamonds or HRD. This Antwerp institute is the most important authority where the certification of diamonds in Europe is concerned. They provide incredibly high quality certificates. They are relying on 570 years of Antwerp expertise in diamonds for this purpose.

A second sound name is the Gemological Institute of America or GIA. This big name certifies most of the world’s gemstones. The GIA also invented many of the systems used today to determine a diamond’s quality criteria.

The third topper amongst laboratories is the International Gemological Institute or IGI. This is the biggest certification and valuation institute in the world. Wherever you are in the world, IGI is never far away. The institute has laboratories and offices from Antwerp to New York, Hong Kong, Mumbai and Tokyo to Dubai, Tel Aviv, New Delhi and Surat. And there are quite a few more we could mention.

Ultimately consistent, without any influence

First and foremost: HRD, GIA and IGI will virtually always establish the same quality for the same diamond. At the same time their quality assessments barely show any differences. No matter how many times you send in the same diamond.

Their experts are unwavering. They would never entertain the idea of estimating the quality of a diamond higher because someone feels the gemstone should be awarded that grade. The only thing which matters to them is the actual quality, not the brand and not the trader. The specialists therefore assess the gemstones completely anonymously. And to be completely sure their assessments are correct, their work is always double-checked by a supervisor.

More difficult to copy than money

An important question you have undoubtedly asked yourself: how can you be sure a certificate is authentic? This is guaranteed by a whole series of security measures. What will you find on the HRD documents?

  • The micro text: the black box around the results is no ordinary line. If you look at this with a magnifying glass which magnifies it ten times, you will be able to read HRD Antwerp.
  • The fluorescent fibres and markings, which are only visible under UV light. You will also find this kind of security with bank notes.
  • The line structures in a blue box on the certificate. If you want to copy the document, the text in the box will still be legible, but the lines will be disturbed.
  • The unique paper which the report is printed on. This is exclusively produced for HRD. No other company will have access to this. Each sheet is numbered too.
  • The watermark and hologram, another two things you will also find on bank notes.

The ultimate test you can perform to check for authenticity? Enter the certificate number, which you can find on the document, on the website of the laboratory involved. This will allow you to download a digital version of the report, which you can then use to verify the contents of your paper version word for word.

Clear analysis of the quality

Let’s take a look at one of these certificates, like the ones issued by the GIA. A sample now follows.

GIA certificate example

The information about the four C’s is very important. After all, together these will determine the quality and therefore the value of the diamond:

  • Carat: a diamond’s carat refers to its weight or size. 1 carat weighs 0.200g, rounded down to two decimal points. Fun fact: the word carat comes from ‘carob’, the seed from the carob tree, the original unit of measure used by diamond traders.
  • Colour: most diamonds incorporated in jewellery have a colour which ranges from D to Z. D stands for absolutely colourless, even an expert won’t be able to find the tiniest hint of colour. Very beautiful, but also very rare and expensive. The gemstones are slightly yellow moving towards Z. But they can display other colours too: orange, pink, blue ... The most intense colours are rightfully referred to as Fancy.
  • Clarity: the expert will look for inclusions in order to determine the clarity of a diamond. The fewer the gemstone contains, the more light can get through and the more beautifully it will therefore shine. The scale runs from LC (Loupe Clean) or F/IF (Flawless/Internally Flawless) from VVS1, VVS2, VS1, VS2, SI1, SI2 to P1, P2 and P3 (very easy to see with the naked eye).
  • Cut or cut quality: this will depend on the symmetry, the polish and the proportions. Together they will result in that magical sparkle, this clarity which looks like it comes from the heart of the diamond. The gradations run from Excellent, Very Good and Good to Fair and Poor.

You will also find a drawing with any impurities on the certificate, as well as information regarding the diamond’s size, which shape it has been cut into and whether it displays any fluorescence. This is a soft glow which can be seen under UV light. The effect doesn’t take anything away from the quality. To the contrary in fact, it contributes to the beautiful shine and colour.

Another guarantee for certainty: opt for BAUNAT

Looking for a jeweller who will always offer top quality diamonds? One hundred percent natural; not synthetic, treated or strengthened in clarity? Never from conflict areas? And always accompanied by a certificate issued by the GIA, HRD or IGI? Well, then you’ve come to the right place with BAUNAT, for the right price-quality ratio, thanks to our smart approach.

You can choose between two quality combinations as standard: colour G with purity VS2 or colour H with purity S11. Both options will guarantee a diamond with a beautiful, white colour without a yellow tint. The gemstones only contain a number of very small impurities, which you won’t be able to see with the naked eye.

Best brilliance for the best price

We always select diamonds which shine optimally in relation to their price, thanks to their high cut quality. We also exclusively go for those gemstones which offer more brilliance than their four C’s would have you think. G-VS2 shines that little bit more, as a result of the minor difference in colour and purity.

The cut quality is assessed according to the shape, in line with various parameters. We will always go for a cut of at least Very Good for round diamonds. The polish and symmetry usually score this high too, or even better. We will look at the polish and symmetry for all other shapes. You will always receive one Very Good and one Good, but usually Very Good twice or more. These are our minimum values with every shape: you could possibly enjoy even higher quality.

The specific processing of the diamond in your piece of jewellery will always guarantee maximum shine too. The gemstone will be positioned in such a way that only the top is clearly visible. This ensures light will only shine through from that side and will also only leave your jewellery from there too, in all colours of the rainbow. For a diamond which will truly come into its own, especially whilst you’re wearing it.

Ready to shine yourself too?

All the jewellery on our website is available in two quality combinations. Always with an optimal cut quality and in any size and many shapes: round, square (princess), pear (teardrop) ... All at unprecedented prices. We can provide you with a no obligation, personal quotation within 24 hours if you are interested in a different quality.

So contact our experts today, choose and purchase your jewellery online or make an appointment to visit our showroom. Congratulations on your wonderful purchase!

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