Diamond Education

Cut. Without question. A diamond with exceptional color and clarity will look dull if the cut is poor, because a bad cut traps light inside rather than reflecting it back to your eye. Conversely, a diamond with modest color and clarity grades can look stunning if the cut is exceptional. We always prioritize cut quality above all other factors when sourcing diamonds for clients.

Lab-grown diamonds are chemically and physically identical to natural diamonds. The difference is origin. Natural diamonds formed over billions of years underground. Lab-grown diamonds are created in a controlled environment in weeks. Natural diamonds are rarer, hold their value on resale markets, and carry a traditional story. Lab-grown diamonds offer the same optical beauty at a significantly lower price per carat, allowing buyers to maximize size and quality within a given budget. Both are real diamonds. The right choice depends entirely on your priorities and we help clients think through both options honestly.

For natural diamonds, yes. Absolutely. GIA invented diamond grading and is the most trusted laboratory in the world for natural diamonds. A GIA certificate ensures that the grades on your diamond report are accurate and consistent. For the investment a natural diamond represents, a GIA certificate is not optional. For lab-grown diamonds, IGI certification is the industry standard and what we use. It is reliable, well-respected, and appropriate for the category.

Elongated shapes are the most flattering for creating the appearance of longer, more slender fingers. Oval, pear, and marquise diamonds are the most effective for this purpose, with the marquise being the most dramatic. The longer the ratio of the stone, the stronger the elongating effect. Round and princess cuts are more neutral in this regard, neither elongating nor shortening the appearance of the finger.

Fluorescence is a diamond's reaction to ultraviolet light, causing it to emit a soft glow. In colorless and near-colorless diamonds, strong fluorescence can cause the stone to appear hazy or oily in sunlight, which contains UV rays. Beyond the visual effect, fluorescent diamonds are less desirable in the market, which reduces their resale value and limits your buyer pool if you ever wish to upgrade. At Sakaris Jewelers, we avoid fluorescence entirely when sourcing diamonds for our clients. The price discount offered on fluorescent stones is not, in our view, a worthwhile trade-off for a piece meant to last a lifetime.

Eye-clean means a diamond has no inclusions visible to the naked eye when viewed from a normal distance. This is arguably more important than the official clarity grade. A VS2 diamond that is eye-clean in person is a better choice than a VVS1 with an inclusion positioned directly under the table that catches the eye, even if the VVS1 has a technically higher grade. When we source diamonds for clients, we personally review every stone to confirm it is eye-clean regardless of what the certificate says.

The bow-tie effect is a dark shadow in the shape of a bow tie that appears across the center of some fancy-shaped diamonds, particularly ovals, pear shapes, and marquises. It is caused by light leakage through the pavilion in the center of the stone and is virtually impossible to eliminate entirely in elongated shapes. The key is degree. A faint, subtle bow-tie is normal and acceptable. A strong, dark bow-tie significantly detracts from the diamond's appearance. This is one of the most important reasons to work with a jeweler who personally reviews every stone before recommending it, rather than buying blindly online from a certificate alone.

Yes, significantly. White gold and platinum create a neutral backdrop that shows any yellow tint in a diamond more clearly, making color grade more visible. Yellow gold reflects warmth upward into the diamond, making near-colorless stones like G and H appear whiter than they would in white gold. Rose gold has a similar warming effect. This means a G color diamond in a yellow gold setting can look as white as a D in a white gold setting, while costing considerably less. We factor metal choice into our diamond recommendations during every consultation.

Depth percentage is the total height of a diamond expressed as a percentage of its diameter. It is one of the most overlooked specifications on a diamond certificate and one of the most important. A diamond with too high a depth percentage hides its weight below the girdle where it cannot be seen, making the stone appear smaller than its carat weight suggests and reducing light return. A diamond with too low a depth percentage leaks light through the bottom. The ideal depth percentage varies by shape but finding that sweet spot is part of what separates a brilliant, well-proportioned stone from a dull, lifeless one of the same carat weight.

Yes, and we encourage it. For in-person clients, we show you the loose diamond before any setting work begins so you can see it, hold it, and examine it. For remote clients, we present diamond options with detailed information and our personal assessment of each stone. We never set a diamond without your full approval of the stone itself. This is one of the important differences between working with a private jeweler versus purchasing a pre-set ring from a store or website.