Jubilee Diamond

Did you know that I reject over 90% of the diamonds offered to me for sale?

Hello my name is Steve Crout, I am the chief diamond grader and gemmologist at Jubilee Jewellers. Let me explain why we reject so many and why a jubilee selected diamond will sparkle more, be brighter and look larger then most others.

My priority is always to select for beauty, sparkle and value. You see most diamonds are cut for weight and not beauty.

Let me show you some of the reasons why we reject one diamond and select another.

Every diamond crystal is different, but they have one thing in common (they are very expensive). The cutter has to decide whether to cut a diamond from a particular crystal for beauty, or make more money by cutting one that weighs the most.

The value of a diamond increases dramatically at certain points. A classic example is that a stone which weighs exactly one carat will cost over 30% more then a stone which weighs only 0.96 carats. Both may have the same width.

The cutters know this and most want the extra money. If they thicken the girdle, deepen the pavilion and give the diamond a larger table they can increase the weight by as much as 30%. This means the diamond may have the same width as an ideal cut diamond, but may weigh a full carat. The cutter gets the extra cash and you get to pay a one carat price for a stone that looks the same as a 0.80 carat. Not only that, it will look dull and not sparkle because the proportions are incorrect.
 
A diamond should never weigh more than its apparent weight.

Weight verses beauty is the main reason for a diamond being rejected. I believe that a diamond which weighs a carat in weight should look like it does. Why should you pay more for a stone which is over weight?

These two diamonds have the same width
 

This diamond weighs 0.55cts so it falls into the half carat price group and costs $2000.00

This diamond is the same width, but it weighs 1ct, so it falls into the one carat price group and costs $4000.00

You may as well spend less on a more beautiful stone, or buy a full one carat diamond which is correctly cut and will not only look larger but will sparkle more as well.

The pavilion or the base of a stone effects the brightness of the diamond.

We accept only diamonds, which are cut to ideal or near ideal proportions for sale.

We reject diamonds which are cut too deep ("nail-heads") because these make a diamond look dark in the middle and may reflect the light which leaks from the back up back through the top.

We reject diamonds that are cut too shallow ("fish-eyes") because these make the diamond look grey. These may take on the colour of the setting as it is reflected back.

We reject diamonds which are not cut to ideal, or near ideal, as they effect the colour of a diamond when viewed from the top.

In the classic white diamonds the value increases as the amount of colour tint decreases. This value is based on rarity and not quality. Colour D is the rarest and most expensive. As you move up the scale each step increases the value by around 20% to 40%.

The colour of a diamond is graded in a laboratory by comparing each sample to a master diamond (in special lighting) with the viewing in an upside down position. This is to prevent the cutting effect the grade.

Diamonds are however always seen from the top when they are mounted in a ring.