Examining The Stone
Does it make any difference if I examine a diamond mounted or unmounted?
When examining a diamond, it makes a huge difference whether you see it mounted or unmounted. A mounted diamond hides up to 25 percent of the diamond from your eye. So you have to examine the diamond loose, using the proper lighting conditions, with the right microscopic tools to be able to see what's in a diamond. Now, when you're examining that diamond loose, many people concentrate simply on the top of the diamond. That's a mistake. You need to look at the diamond layer by layer, and delve deep into the interior of that diamond, so you can identify where all of the characteristics are that make that diamond unique.
Should I ask the salesperson to clean the diamond before I view it?
When viewing diamonds, the diamonds should already be clean, and any great professional jewelry salesperson will always show you the diamond after having cleaned it. That said, if the diamond hasn't been cleaned; yes, please ask your jewelry professional to clean that diamond for you so you get the best view possible.
When I examine a diamond should I use my hands or tweezers?
When examining your diamond, it's recommended that really you use diamond tweezers to be able to examine at. The reason that we don't recommend that you use your hands is because the oils on your hands are easily transferred to that diamond, and it impairs the look of the diamond. There are special tweezers that every jewellery sales professional should have at your disposal. So you should always use tweezers instead of your fingers.
How do you properly pick up a diamond with tweezers?
The best way to examine a diamond using tweezers is to, first of all, turn the diamond over, face down, on a black surface. Don't use your fingers, but gently slide the locking tweezers along the girdle and gently lock the mechanism in place. At that point you can pick the diamond up with the tweezers and examine it to your heart's content. Put it over your fingers, hold it under the light, and do whatever you like with it, because it's pretty secure in those tweezers.
Does it matter under what light I view a diamond?
When purchasing your diamond you should actually see it under several different light sources. When you are buying a diamond and you are trying to determine that what you're looking at is the actual colour that you are being told it is, there is a very specific type of light which is a laboratory light that bleaches out all other colour and lets you see the true colour. However, before you make that final decision you should be able to view that diamond under natural sunlight because that is how she's going to see it everyday for the rest of her life. If that diamond sparkles and dazzles your eye then that's how you make your choice, so you should be able to see your diamond under different types of light.
Should I view a diamond under a microscope when shopping?
When considering whether or not to purchase a diamond, you should always view it under a magnification before making that decision. There are a couple of ways to do that. At the very least, you should have a ten power loop, and a ten power loop is a small, hand-held device that's really a great tool in the hands of a trained gemmologist. However, the pitfalls of the loop are that it doesn't have a light source, it's a little bit unsteady and if you're not accustomed to using it, it can be difficult to use. What every reputable jeweler will recommend that you do is that you view that diamond under a stereo binocular microscope at ten power magnification. Stable light source, double eyes looking at it, and you can study the depth of the diamond and every other characteristic available to you.