Which Unique Diamond Is The Perfect Fit For Your Engagement Ring
When it comes to diamond engagement rings it is always recommended to pay close attention to the 4Cs of a diamond. However, in recent years, couples have had a tendency to go for unique diamond shapes for their engagement rings. Moving away from traditional diamond cuts, more unconventional diamond shapes and cuts have grown popular, like Marquise Diamonds, Heart Shaped Diamonds, Grey Diamonds, etc.
The popularity of these diamonds is not always based on their brilliance or fire. In a lot of situations, it is the rarity of some of these diamonds that account for their popularity. However, are these diamonds worth it? Is it a smart move to go unique diamond cuts over traditional diamond cuts like a Round Brilliant or Princess cut diamonds? Let us find out.
Why Choose Unique Diamonds over Traditional Diamond cuts?
When it comes to engagement rings, couples search for unique experiences over traditional choices. For example, the flawed nature of Grey diamonds accounts for their popularity. Their unique inclusions and blemishes are responsible for their soaring popularity. In all situations, diamond color is looked upon as a flaw, however, the unique grey color adds to the uniqueness of Grey Diamonds.
The unique shape of Heart-shaped diamonds makes them a favorite among couples. The very shape of the diamond is emblematic of love and togetherness. The added bonus when it comes to heart-shaped diamonds is the fact that they are a variation of round diamonds. This means that they have all the amazing qualities of a round-cut diamond. We will elaborate on this further in the coming paragraphs.
With Marquise diamonds, it is history that stands out more than anything else. The diamond shape was modeled on the shape of the lips of Madame de Pompadour, who was the lover of King Louis XV. This particular diamond’s unique shape also makes it seem bigger than other diamonds on the finger. The romantic history and the unique shape of this diamond make it a unique choice for an engagement ring.
When it comes to unique diamonds, the primary reason for choosing them is the fact that they are much cheaper than premium diamond cuts like a Round diamond. The cost per carat of these diamonds is much lesser than premium diamonds which makes them more affordable. Also finding premium pieces for some of these diamonds is very rare, for example, grey diamonds are extremely rare, even rarer than Asscher cut diamonds. For this reason, every single diamond is looked upon as a unique piece in itself.
Picking The Right Diamond for Your Engagement Ring
Irrespective of their unique shapes and romantic histories, the 4Cs cannot be avoided when it comes to these unique diamonds. Here is everything you need to know about the 4Cs when it comes to these unique diamonds.
Diamond-Cut Quality
Diamond cut refers to the cut and polish of your diamond. It is the most important aspect of the 4Cs as the cut quality of your diamond affects its brilliance. A poorly cut diamond will appear bleak and dull.
Heart Shaped Diamond
As mentioned before, heart-shaped diamonds are a variation of round brilliant diamonds. For this reason, they have excellent brilliance. Unfortunately, the GIA does not grade the cut quality of fancy diamonds, for this reason, when judging the cut of a heart diamond, it is important to pay attention to the depth percentage, table percentage, and length to width ratio. The ideal numbers are as follows.
- Depth Percentage: 57% to 61%
- Table Percentage: 54% to 64%
- Length to Width Ratio: 0.9 to 1.10
Paying close attention to the length and width ratio of heart-shaped diamonds. Anything below 0.9 will lead to a chubby diamond and anything above 1.10 will give you a diamond that is too elongated. Having the right shape is everything when it comes to heart diamonds and for that reason, it is important to pay close attention to the length and width ratio.
Marquise Diamond
The unique shape of this diamond makes it appear bigger on the fingers. Sticking to the numbers below will give you a quality Marquise diamond.
- Depth Percentage: 58% to 62%
- Table Percentage: 53% to 62%
- Pavilion: 42.8% to 43.2%
- Length to Width Ratio: 1.85 to 2.25
When choosing Marquise diamonds one must always watch out for the bow-tie effect. This particular effect appears due to misaligned facets. In certain situations, the diamond surface fails to reflect the light, and the light moves out of the pavilion. This leads to dark areas within the diamond that resembles a bow tie. This is a major flaw in Marquise diamonds and one must always keep an eye out for this effect.
Diamond Clarity Grade
The ability of a diamond to hide inclusions and blemishes is dependent on a diamond’s clarity grade. The GIA grades clarity from IF to I2, IF being internally flawless. The smart choice when it comes to choosing the right clarity grade is to go for eye-clean diamonds. It is very difficult to distinguish between premium clarity grades even for experts. For precisely this reason, it is important to choose eye-clean diamonds. Eye-clean diamonds do not exhibit flaws or blemishes when viewed with the naked eye. Inclusions are only visible with eye-clean diamonds when they are viewed under a microscope under 10x magnification. You can save up on your diamond by choosing eye-clean diamonds.
Heart Diamonds
Heart diamonds are excellent at hiding blemishes and inclusions. Eye-clean SI1 or SI2 diamonds are a smart choice when it comes to heart diamonds.
Marquise Diamonds
Choosing eye-clean diamonds is imperative when choosing Marquise diamonds. Under any circumstances, you want to avoid the bow-tie effect when it comes to Marquise Diamonds. Rather than fixing on a specific clarity grade, it is always better to check your Marquise diamonds for yourself or get them checked by a professional.
Grey Diamonds
It is extremely difficult to find eye-clean grey diamonds, infact, grey diamonds generally have unique inclusions which account for their popularity. In the case of this particular diamond, it is the uniqueness of the flaw that accounts for its popularity. With regard to naturally occurring grey diamonds, it is important to always go for a higher clarity grade. A VVS clarity grade is considered to be the highest clarity grade when it comes to Grey Diamonds. The unique blemishes and inclusions found in salt and pepper greys account for their popularity.
Diamond Color Grade
The GIA grades diamond color from D to Z, D being the highest. When it comes to the Grey diamonds, it is the color of the diamond that accounts for its name and uniqueness.
Grey Diamonds
Grey diamonds are not graded like other diamonds because the diamond color in this regard is not looked upon as a flaw. Grey diamonds are graded as Faint Grey, Very Light Grey, Light Grey, Fancy Light Grey, Fancy Grey, and Fancy Dark Grey. The intensity of the grey color is what sets the grades apart.
Heart Shaped Diamonds
The ring setting for your Heart shaped diamond engagement ring will play an important role when it comes to picking the right color grade. Going for an H color grade should be a good choice.
Marquise Diamond
Choosing the right color grade for Marquise diamonds is dependent on your diamond’s carat weight. Following the list below will give you a comprehensive idea.
- Below .50 – D-G color grade. Avoid L-M
- .50- 1.0 – D-F color grade. Avoid K onwards
- 1.0- 2.0 – D-F color grade. Avoid I onwards
- 2.0 and above – D-F color grade. Avoid H onwards
The Price Of Your Diamond
When compared to traditional diamonds like a round brilliant, all of these unique diamonds are relatively cheaper. However, it is difficult to find these diamonds in higher carat weights. Owing to their rarity the cost per carat increases substantially when comparing 1-carat diamonds to higher carat weights. For example, a 1-carat heart-shaped diamond of J color and S1 clarity will be about $2000-$2500. Whereas a 2 carat diamond with the same features will cost $8500-$9000.
Premium quality grey diamonds are very rare, however, they are not very expensive diamonds. For example, a one-carat grey will be between $2000 to $2500 irrespective of its cut quality or clarity grade. The price of Grey Diamonds goes up to $10000 at the most. When compared to white diamonds of the same carat weight, grey diamonds are much cheaper.
Your ring setting adds to the price of your diamonds. It is important to always consider your ring setting along with your diamond. For example, an E color, VVS2 clarity grade, 1 carat Marquise diamond in a 14K white gold setting will roughly cost you $5000.
Best Place to Buy Diamonds
There is no doubt about the fact that a good jeweler is required to buy premium quality diamond engagement rings at the best price. We at Jewel Hero have made your diamond shopping experience super simple. All you need to do is log in to our site and tell us about what kind of diamond you are looking for. Our unique algorithm will give you a list of jewelers and jewelry stores near you with whom you can connect virtually. Buying diamonds has never been easier. So what are you waiting for? Whether it be Greys or Marquise diamonds, your dream diamond engagement ring is just a click away.