Diamond Tips by Excel Diamonds

Which "C" is more important?

We get asked this question every day...

A customer is contemplating purchasing one of our Super-Ideal Cut SuperbCert Hearts and Arrows Diamonds, is working within a given budget, has already correctly decided that cut matters most and is now looking to sacrifice a little bit on the diamond specifications.

Part of the beauty of maximizing on the precision cut quality of your diamond is the resultant effect it has on the diamonds visual appearance and beauty. A diamond that has been crafted to achieve maximum cut precision will have significantly greater brilliance, fire, and scintillation than a poorly cut diamond which will appear completely dull and lifeless to the eye.

A diamonds color and clarity grade as good or as poor as it may be, will have almost no effect on the diamonds physical beauty or lack thereof.

The most important factor to consider when purchasing your diamond (and unfortunately the least understood of all....) is the diamonds cut quality, which will determine whether you are buying a visually stunning diamond, or a piece of frozen spit the likes of which you will see on Ebay or at your local mall (a.k.a. maul) store.

By increasing the cut quality of your diamond you are ensuring that the diamond will face up eye-clean and completely white due to its incredible brilliance.

This means that you can sacrifice quite a bit (and save quite a bit of money in the process...) on the color and clarity grades of the diamond with the knowledge that your SI clarity, I color stone will be eye-clean (you will not see the diamonds inclusions with your naked eye...)and face up completely white.

Once you have done this, then the question of what to choose vis a vis color/clarity becomes more psychological than anything else, since unlike with poor cut quality diamonds; you will not be able to see the inclusions or coloration in your ideal cut diamond.

Some customers will say o.k., all of this makes sense but how about from the side of the diamond.. in the profile? Won't people be able to detect slight coloration from the side where there is no brilliance to mask it? My answer to this is #1; once the diamond has been set into an engagement ring setting of 4/6 prongs it will be extremely difficult altogether to view the sides of the diamond which will be obstructed by the prongs. #2 an excellent cut quality diamond will appear whiter from the sides as well. #3 If anybody gets that close to your diamond, that they are now dissecting the sides of your diamond through the ring basket, you ought to alert the police and have them immediately arrested!!

Remember; the diamonds that you are used to viewing in the typical jewelry stores look nothing like a super-ideal hearts and arrows diamond. Comparing the two would be akin to comparing apples to oranges.

The diamond in the jewelry store when taken away from the glare of the high intensity halogen showcase bulbs (...ever wonder why they put those things in there....) will discriminate against lower color/clarity grades and you will definitely be able to see the interanl inclusions and brownish color.

Not so with a Super-Ideal Cut diamond, which will sparkle like crazy in any lighting environment and mask your ability to see the internal inclusions and coloration with your naked eye.

We regularly set our I and even J color SuperbCert Diamonds (SI all the way up to VVS) in precious Platinum (which incidentally discriminates against lower color diamonds more than any other precious metal type) and they face up absolutely white and eye-clean for the savvy consumer who has just saved a small fortune!!

The "Magic" of Cut

Only the cut of a diamond; its depth and width, as well as the size, shape, angle, and positioning of the diamond facets will determine its brilliance, dispersion, and scintillation.

Of all the characteristics of a diamond that determine its beauty and value, "Cut" is the one thing that is entirely manipulated by the diamond cutter and will make the difference between a visually brilliant diamond vs. a diamond with a dulled appearance and poor light performance.

A diamond can have a perfect color and clarity grade but if it is poorly cut it will look like a piece of glass; dull and lifeless.

Conversely, if a diamond has been properly cut, it will achieve maximum optical performance regardless of its color and clarity, and will actually look more beautiful and brilliant than a poor or mediocre cut diamond of higher color and clarity.

Here is how it works:

Light is constantly entering into the diamond through the table, which is it's largest facet and the surrounding crown. Once inside, the light will travel within the stone by way of reflecting off of the round brilliant diamond's facets which if aligned and positioned correctly act as mirrors. In a perfectly cut diamond the light will then refract and exit back out through the table to the eye. A perfectly cut diamond is therefore going to display incredible light performance in any lighting environment.

In a diamond of poor cut quality the light will be misdirected when entering and exiting the stone. Instead of the light being refracted back through the table to the eye in the form of brilliance, it will be lost through the sides or escape from the bottom in the form of leakage. This is because the incorrect alignment and positioning of facets results in them acting as windows through which light will exit. A poor or mediocre cut diamond is therefore going to rely on the halogen bulbs of the jewelry stores to make them "appear" sparkly, but will appear dull and lifeless when viewed in normal lighting conditions.

Buying loose diamonds from exceldiamonds.com makes sense considering our lowest diamond prices and unrivaled level of information provided for every loose diamond we sell.

Educate yourself on loose diamonds

Spend as much time as you can researching how loose diamonds are sold and you will be amazed at the in-depth infomation you will learn on how to properly evaluate any loose diamond you might be considering for your purchase. Many first time loose diamond shoppers will make the mistake of not getting the proper education to empower themselves before making a once in a lifetime purchase (we hope..;-)) of this magnitude.

Buying Loose Diamonds

In order to get the very best value for your dollars in a loose diamond you can be proud of, you need to set clear goals and an attainable objective. Establish exactly what you are looking for and then commence with your search for perfect loose diamonds online that would match your criterion. Compare and contrast different loose diamonds and ask for as much information on your loose diamond selection as you could possibly get. As for Megascope, BrillianceScope and IdealScope images for every loose diamond and certainly do not settle for anything less than actual diamond photos and a scan of the loose diamond's grading report.

Research before Buying Loose Diamonds

Cull us at any time for help with you loose diamond purchase, we hope to make your dream a reality!

At Excel Diamonds our motto is "You don't understand how much we know, until you know how much we care".

Obviously, a great deal of thought goes into the purchase of your diamond ring, wedding rings, engagement rings, and particularly, custom engagement ring designs.

Custom Engagement Rings

Excel Diamonds answers the call with an incredible selection and collection of engagement rings that will be cherished and adored for generations to come. We carry the finest platinum and gold engagement rings in all styles and configurations, including 3-stone diamond settings. We feature the most famous and popular Tiffany Style Solitaire replica setting on the Internet as well as the highest quality Tiffany settings and diamond engagement rings. Choose a 3-Stone diamond ring, or Vatche diamond engagement ring. Do you wish to create a custom diamond engagement ring of your choice? We can do it for you with our special 3D imaging software program. You will literally see your custom engagement ring take shape before your very eyes!

Fabulous Loose Diamonds Selection

When you are ready to select a loose diamond, we hope you will consider our SuperbCert Signature Ideal Cut Diamonds, or one of our fabulous AGS-0 Ideal Cut princess diamonds!
Looking for something a bit different? No problem. We offer Asscher cuts, trillion diamonds, pear shape diamonds, heart shape diamonds, cushion cut diamonds, radiant cut diamonds, emerald cut diamonds...and even the elusive marquise cut diamond!

When you choose an engagement ring online from Excel Diamonds you will have multiple options to choose from. What is your personal style? Do you select your engagement ring setting first and the loose diamond to match up with it..or the other way around? Whatever your desire, we will work closely with you every step of the way to create the diamond engagement ring of your dreams!

The scientific technologies we use to showcase our loose diamonds is absolutely cutting edge and is guaranteed to be the most comprehensive way to look at and view a loose diamond online.

When you purchase diamond engagement rings and wedding bands online, there are so many to choose from. Unfortunately, however, they often all look the same. Our solitaire settings, engagement ring designs, pave diamond rings, and custom diamond solitaire rings, are both unique and completely affordable! We will work within your budget every time to assure you of the finest diamond engagement rings at prices that are as close to wholesale as possible. Our online engagement ring boutique is not as expensive as it looks! Whether you choose an engagement ring set, bridal wedding set, or custom-made diamond engagement ring or diamond jewelry item, we promise to give you our lowest price match guarantee!

We hope you will contact us and let us show you what we can do for you!