Diamond is the strongest mineral in the world to cut which you need another diamond. Meanwhile pearls are the most fragile minerals and need special care and rules for use
Diamond jewellery brands promise us that only diamonds can stay unchangeable forever, nothing can destroy the mineral. But despite having that miraculous characteristic, they can also have a surprising negative effect on your other jewellery. To find out how to choose, keep and clean diamonds and pearls, how to re-sell and authenticate real diamonds from fake and other important questions, I asked a specialist to sort out this issue.
Juliette Kor is a jewellery designer and gemologist from Tel Aviv, who makes bespoke jewellery with diamonds, pearls, and other stones as well as handmade, off-the-shelf pieces.
First, your jewelry should be the last thing you put on in the morning and the first thing you take off in the evening
What is the clarity of a diamond? And how does clarity influence the price and the look of the diamond?
Diamond clarity is an index that shows how “dirty” diamond is which means what kind, quality and quantity of inclusions or “defects” stone has. The cleaner the stone the more expensive it costs and the better look it has. But I would recommend analysing a diamond by its look first and then to check its written clarity grade. Because as practice shows 99% of people cannot see declared inclusions even if they are visible (to specialists). So if it’s not a case of impurities that really affect a diamond’s look, do not concentrate on the certificate just because you read that you need to buy only the “cleanest” diamond.
What is the difference between a natural diamond and a lab-grown one?
By their chemical structure – no difference at all. One is created deep in earth a few mln years ago, another one in a few weeks in a lab recreating the same conditions. Only with special equipment diamond can be identified as naturally sourced or lab-grown. The main difference is price. Lab growns are times cheaper. Which is why they are extremely popular now. But. If you are thinking of buying jewelry with lab grown diamonds just keep in mind that there is no resale value in them. Because of their not high (in comparison with natural ones) price no one would buy them if you decide to sell for some reason ( On contrary to the natural ones). I also believe their price will go even lower. So if you can consider a natural diamond as a kind of a liquid investment that any time you can turn into money again, that doesn’t work with lab grown ones. Even if it’s a rough example but think about purchasing a fake Chanel, the one they call “1 to 1 copy, made on the same factory” – you spend a good money on that (less, much less than original but still) but you won’t be able to resell it coz no would be interested. With lab grown diamonds it’s similar – it will be easier for another person to buy a completely new piece of jewelry from the store than to buy it from you. And you just spent a few thousand dollars that you never can get back. But If you only care about bling bling that’s completely different.
Can an ordinary person authenticate a real diamond from a fake?
If you mean by fake a lab grown (which is not fake) then no. If you mean in comparison to the most popular diamond substitutes (moissanite, zirconia, white sapphire etc) then lots of times it’s still pretty impossible for some people especially if it’s a store with lots of pieces and the right lighting. If it is about the stones that are already in use then it is easier because zirconia and sapphire can be scratched on the contrary from a diamond.
Can I resell a diamond ring and what do I have to do first?
Of course. If you have a GIA certificate for a stone(s) it’s even easier. There are many online resale platforms where you can do that or go to local places who specialize in it. Just keep in mind if you do that – when you want to sell a jewelry piece and usually you know how much it costs so you intend to get something around that price. In reality the other side thinks about two things – gold and stones. How many grams of gold and what kind of stones. And only based on those factors they make you an offer for your piece. In pieces with really small diamonds they won’t offer you anything for them. Small ones do not have value for them as well as design. My recommendation for a person who has no connection to the industry – go to Vestiairecollective or Etsy and try to sell to another person. You may get lucky to receive what you ask for.
If I ask a local jeweller to change the diamond shape, is it possible for them to do it in-house, or will they need to send it away to a specialist? How easy is it to change the shape of a diamond?
Depends on who you ask. In diamond industry circles it is a common practice for the reasons I explain further. For a regular person – I would not recommend doing that. I believe this question can come from a place of just getting “tired” from let’s say round shaped diamonds. But it is not like any person can do this change. There are special factories, special people who do that, not a jeweler around the corner that you bring your bracelet to when it gets broken. The main reasons why you can reshape a diamond is to make its proportions better (if needed) or to uplevel a clarity or colour grade (while reshaping parts with inclusions can be cut so diamond will receive better clarity grade or even be of a higher colour) but in both ways you lose weight. So this is more of a professional way of thinking based on look and price criterias than just “got tired and want to reshape”. Buy a new diamond of a desired shape and you will have two;). Trust me, in a few years you will love that diamond again, you just look at it too often so want some change.
Why do pearls range so much in price? For example one pearl necklace can cost 100 Euro but another one which is exactly the same size is 1000 Euro. Why?
There are also pearl necklaces that can cost 100 000 Euro and even few millions. It depends on the many facts, such as natural or cultured pearls, freshwater saltwater type, their shape, appearance etc.
What kinds of pearls exist? What are their differences?
First things first. There are natural and cultured pearls. 99% of the pearls nowadays are cultured. Which means that they are created on special farms with the human help. Natural ones are created in nature with no human intrusion. They are extremely rare and extremely expensive.
When we established that the majority of the pearls on market are cultured then we can move on to the freshwater and saltwater pearls. The name says it all. Freshwater pearls are cultured in freshwater lakes or rivers. Saltwater pearls are cultured in saltwater in the sea. Freshwater are the cheapest between the types. One of the reasons for that is that a freshwater mussel can produce number of pearls at a time (up to 40 in one shell). Saltwater oyster can often only produce one pearl at a time.
The main types of saltwater pearls are akoya, South Sea and Tahitain. The differences in prices depend on type, shape, size etc.
Interesting fact is that the freshwater pearls come in the biggest variety of colors, sizes and shapes. And their affordable price makes them really attractive for purchase.
Can a pearl break? And what should I do if a pearl cracks or breaks?
Yes. And nothing you can do. If pearl is cracked the only thing you can do it to throw it. Pearls cannot be repaired. That’s why you should be extra careful with them.
How should we keep diamonds and pearls?
All the jewelry pieces (especially pearls) should be kept separately on a soft surface. So no ceramic or other kind of surface. I know they are pretty but they can scratch your jewelry. Also don’t hang your pearl necklaces and bracelets. Because they are strang on the silk thread it can stretch from hanging.
How should we clean them?
There are a lot of recommendations on the internet on the cleaning tips which make my hair stand in fear. Because most of them actually harm your jewelry. There are two things I personally recommend you to do.
First, your jewelry should be the last thing you put on in the morning and the first thing you take off in the evening.
Second, use the clean soft cloth to wipe your jewelry from time to time. For everything else bring your jewelry to the professionals once in a while and they will already take a correct care of them.
