Cushions are the New Rounds? (maybe new princesses at best)

The latest figures from wholesalers and diamond centers around the world show a steady rise in demand for brilliant cut cushion diamonds, making them the hottest "fancy" shape diamond after the classic round brilliant and square princess.  It is really quite easy to understand the appeal of the cushion diamond given the unwavering popularity of the round and the princess.

The cushion diamond is really a mixture of the two, taking the brilliance of the round with the uniqueness of the princess cut. What's more is that unlike the previous trend of pear shaped diamonds, cushions are extremely versatile for making jewelry. Almost any solitaire ring design made for a round or a princess can be adapted to suit a cushion and in smaller sizes they make great side stones.

This increase in demand of course at some point will come at a price as supply and demand effects kick in and the delay from rough diamond supply and demand reaches wholesalers and ultimately retailers. Certainly something to keep your eyes on…

Gold Prices Gone Mental!

You may or may not know, but in the past 12 months gold prices have gone beyond crazy. From around $750 per ounce (which is about 29 grams) for pure 24k gold to a whopping $1200 per ounce. That is over a 50% increase in a year alone. One would assume that prices would have risen for gold and diamond jewelry, but the delayed effect still hasn't hit the retailers who have kept prices low to stay competitive. One of the most popular ways retailers have used to stay competitive is to reduce the purity of gold in their jewelry. Most online jewelers will still offer 18k or 14k gold as standard, however many retailers in the US and UK are marketing heavily 10k and 9k gold jewelry at great prices. Do remember, however , that 10k and 9k gold are 40% or less pure gold and so are mostly silver or cheap metal alloys, rather than gold.


Now no one knows the future and there is of course a ton of speculation around the price of gold, not least from investors. The Indian and Russian governments purchased 20 tons of pure gold each (which is one reason for the most recent surge). Gold is a great investment and has seen a steady rise just above inflation throughout its history, more so in the face of a weak dollar. These prices are of course record breaking and either they will go the way of crude oil (which hit record highs of $128 last June and then crashed to $32 with the economic downturn – it is now around the $70-80 mark, which most believe to be its real market value), or it will continue to rise. Hopefully for all jewelry lovers (and manufacturers), the prices will lower.

Diamond Shapes

Commonly confused with cut, the shape of the diamond is its geometrical form wheras its cut is more specifically the angles and alignment of the diamond's facets and how they affect the sparkle and brilliance of the stone. Unlike other essential details regarding a diamond's specifications, the shape is a matter of personal taste rather than an indication of quality. Rounds and princesses are generally speaking the most popular choices however "fancy shaped" diamonds may be the right choice for you depending on both your taste and the setting of the piece you are interested in. Popular shapes can also mean more expensive as demand and supply factors take affect.... I will try to post as often as I can about the latest trends. Rounds and princesses, generally speaking are always "in", cushions, ovals and radiants are next, then emeralds and pears, and finally hearts, marquise and all other "odd shapes".

Clarity Enhanced Diamonds

Clarity Enhanced Diamonds – What's the deal?

Ok… So you are looking to purchase a piece of diamond jewelry, a loose diamond or an engagement ring and you may have come across clarity enhanced diamonds. There are a great many rumors, positive and negative spins from both in and outside of the diamond and jewelry industry and this can be extremely confusing, especially when you are about to part with hard earned money.

One important thing to remember is that like with anything, you will never be able to get a 100% purely unbiased opinion and at the end of the day, you must make an educated decision on what is right for you. Local jewelers and diamond dealers that do not deal with clarity enhanced diamonds due to lack of access to the wholesale market, will inevitably not support clarity enhanced diamonds whereas manufacturers of clarity enhanced diamonds and retailers of clarity enhanced diamond rings and jewelry will inevitably boast their advantages. The following information is to help you make the right decision for yourself.

There are two types of procedures that will improve the clarity of a diamond. The first is called laser drilling and the second is called fracture filling (more commonly known as clarity enhancement).

All diamonds besides flawless diamonds will have internal characteristics commonly known as inclusions, including black carbon spots, feathers, clouds, bubbles and more. Laser drilling creates a minute hole in the diamond, allowing for black carbon spots to be cleaned out. This type of enhancement is permanent, which is both an advantage and disadvantage. One the one hand, the tiny holes, although not visible to the naked eye, will always be in the diamond. On the other hand, the diamond will be clearer for good.

Fracture filling, despite its name, does not mean that the diamond is broken or cracked, rather that the original inclusions are coated with a clear substance to make them invisible to the naked eye. Diamonds that are filled are cleaned and boiled to remove any dirt and other imperfections, and then they are filled with a microscopic amount of clear material that cloaks the feathers.

There are two types of filling used for clarity enhancement.  One using bromide and the other using a silicone based material. The former is the lower quality treatment and can discolor or fade over time. The higher quality treatment can last a lifetime so long as it isn't exposed to extreme heat (over 1500 degrees) or acid.

This type of enhancement is not permanent, which again is both an advantage and disadvantage. On the one hand, the enhancement process can be reversed at any time you choose, meaning that whenever you decide you do not want a clarity enhanced diamond, you may remove the enhancement and you will have a 100% natural diamond. It will not look quite as good as with the enhancement, but the value will be the same. On the other hand, if by accident, the enhancement is damaged for any reason, this can be inconvenient, although if anything ever happens to the treatment of the diamond some companies will offer a lifetime guarantee and will fix it for you free of charge.

So should I buy a Clarity Enhanced Diamond (Ring) ?

As I mentioned before, this decision should be your own, based on the information you have at hand. Many companies will offer both enhanced and non-enhanced diamonds, with non-enhanced diamonds of course being more expensive. The big difference in the price starts with 3/4 carat diamonds and is more significant with 1 carat diamonds and above, where prices can be anything from 2 times the price and more for the same grade (or "look"). Note that CE diamonds are graded after the enhancement, so it is sometimes difficult to see what the original grading will have been. With smaller diamonds, from 1/4 to 1/2 carat weight, the prices are closer with the mid and lower ranges and differ more with the high quality ranges.

Diamond Cut (The 4 C's)

The exact opposite to the clarity, this is where the diamond experts/dealers care, and most people over look the issue as far less important than the rest of the 4 C's.

The width and depth proportions of the diamond as well as the polish and symmetry will determine the amount of light that is reflected as described above.

Polish and Symmetry

In addition to the proportions of the diamond, both the polish and symmetry affect the beauty and brilliance. Poor symmetry due to uneven alignment of the facets will cause the light to be misdirected and therefore not shine out of the face of the diamond. Un-smooth facets or poor polish will cause the surface to look dull and may cause the diamond to look cloudy. For a beautiful diamond look for Excellent, Very Good and Good polish/symmetry grading.

What's right for you?

Like with most of my recommendations, the middle ground is usually the way to go… You don't have to have an ideal cut diamond (as you probably won't see any difference), however you should really stay away from "Fair" and "Poor" cut grades (in some cases also "Good" cut grading).

Diamond Clarity (The 4 C's)

There is a lot of talk about the diamond clarity and although it is not usually the most important of the 4 C's to a diamond dealer, it is very often the most important factor for most people.  There are, however, some very important things to know so that you get what you expect and don't over or under-spend.

FL, IF (Flawless) - VVS (Very very slightly included), VS (Very slightly included), SI (Slightly included), I (included).

As you can see from the above table, you have the Flawless grades (enough said), the VVS grades, VS grades, SI grades and I grades.

Diamond grading on clarity is very subjective and depends on a wide range of factors including:

·         Size of the inclusions

·         Size of the diamond

·         Type of inclusion (black, white, bubble, feather)

·         Position of the inclusions (inclusions in the center usually grade down, whereas inclusions on the sides usually grade up)

·         Visibility from the "face" of the diamond

·         Internal or external inclusions

·         Cloudiness and effect on brilliance

·         Visibility to the naked eye

What is right for you?

FL-IF

·         You want only the best.

·         You have lots of money or don't mind having a small diamond.

·         You are purchasing mainly for an investment.

VVS1-VVS2

·         Similar to Flawless, these are very expensive and the quality difference between these and Flawless or VS diamonds is only visible in 40x magnification.

VS1-VS2

·         Eye clear diamonds.

·         You want quality, but don't want to spend a crazy amount of money.

·         My personal recommendation, even if it means choosing a slightly lower color or carat weight.

SI1-SI2

Best value for money.

I1-I3

If you are looking for the biggest diamond at the lowest price.

Diamond Color (The 4 C's)

… Or "colour" to the Brits out there (I am one of them, but I'm spelling it here as the American's do… when in Rome…).

When you can't see the diamond with your own eyes, it is very important to know what to expect should you choose a lower priced option and also what the top end diamond color grades mean in terms of visible beauty.


As you can see in the above table, and as you may already know, the top grades are D-F or "colorless". These are of course the most sought after diamonds and are of course the most expensive. G-J are "white", however are commonly split into G-H being "near colorless" and I-J as "white". The reason for this is that I-J diamonds tend to start to have visible discoloration, which is usually a very faint yellow. Set in a piece of jewelry, in some cases, there is very little difference between D and G color and therefore it is often recommended to opt for the lower option for value for money (if the price difference is significant).

What is right for you?
Tips from the eyes of a jewelry designer (not just a diamond expert).

D-F
• When you want the top quality.
• When your ring has high quality small diamonds.
• Usually best for white gold or platinum.

G-H
• When you want a white diamond.
• When you want the best value for money.

I-J
• Very well cut diamonds will have a completely white face, so recommended for jewelry where the face is shown more than the side.
• Best in yellow gold, also suitable in white gold or platinum solitaires.
• Recommended without high quality diamond accents.
• Recommended when on a budget and want a beautiful solitaire at the best price.

Diamond Carat Weight (The 4 C's)

Diamond Carat Weight – (The 4 C's)

I'm not going to bore you with too much technical stuff, but if you are interested in buying some diamond jewelry you will no doubt have heard, and certainly need to know, what the carat weight of a diamond means . This should not to be confused with gold karat or carrots J (believe me I get this a lot!). It is also not the size… although size and weight are of course related.

If you would like to read about the history and metrics of a carat, good old Wikipedia is great: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carat_(mass). One thing that is good to know is that the term "points" refers to 0.01 carat… so 100 points make 1 full carat.

The carat weight of a diamond is one of the most significant factors that will affect the price of your rock; however I have a few tips that can help you save big.

A well cut diamond (I'll speak about cut later) will mean that for example a 1.00 carat round diamond will have a diameter of approximately 6.5mm.  A slightly deep cut diamond of the same carat weight can make the diameter smaller. "Under-sizes" are slightly less popular diamonds that are very close to very popular (and much more expensive carat weights). For example, you can save up to 50% by choosing a 0.95 carat diamond over a 1.00 carat diamond, despite them looking exactly the same without measuring.  In some cases, the diameter would be exactly the same.  Some examples include 0.45-0.49 carat instead of a 1/2 carat… 0.70-0.74 carat instead of 3/4 carat and so on. Over-sizes will have the reverse effect – you will be paying more in total for a diamond that is just a fraction heavier, but is not visibly larger.

Diamond prices in wholesale are referred to in terms of price per carat (or ppc). As the price per carat for a diamond increases, the larger the diamond, prices become exponentially higher the further you go. For example, a 0.50 carat diamond can cost $2000 ppc, meaning $1000 for the stone. A 1.00 carat diamond can be say double in price per carat at $4000, but will be 4 times the price for the stone.

Lingo summary for diamond carat weight:

100 points = 1.00 carat

Under-size = a few points below the most popular sizes (usually will look the same, but cost much less)

Under-size = a few points below the most popular sizes (usually will look the same but cost a bit more)

PPC = Price per carat

Ct. = Carat


If you would like to know any other sizes, just ask me. Fancy shapes don't really have a standard as it will depend on the length-width ratio, but I would happily help out.

Shiree Odiz Official Blog - Official Opening

Welcome, welcome, welcome… It's been a very long time coming, but finally it is here. Dragged by the ear, kicking, shouting and screaming out load is the spanking new Shiree Odiz blog.

We have loads to say (all of us) and so this won't be a one dimensional deal. You'll see updates on e-commerce (eBay, Amazon, etc. etc.), social media (Facebook, Twitter…), market trends on gold and diamonds, fashion trends in diamond jewelry, new designs and of course professional advice and information on diamonds and jewelry as well as trade secrets you absolutely must know. We'll be posting lots of stuff and we'll be having lots and lots of fun! (I promise).