It still amazes and confounds me that in this age of the computer where all kinds of information is literally at your fingertips, I still hear on almost a daily basis, misconceptions about diamonds and jewelry from customers that walk into our store. There are myths and misconceptions about diamonds and jewelry are  perpetuated by well-meaning relatives and even jewelers either through ignorance or by deliberate misrepresentation. The information here has been given previously in different articles but new readers may not have read them.

These are the common misconceptions that consumers would do well to understand for their own personal benefit.

1.    The higher color in a diamond makes it more brilliant.
Older family members are the ones that usually entertain this belief, but it is not true. The color of a diamond only affects its hue not the sparkle or its brilliance as the Master Color Set shows.

2.    The higher clarity grade makes a diamond more brilliant.
Like color this is another misconception about brilliance and sparkle. This is also not true. The clarity grade only defines how big and how many imperfection are in a diamond. It has to be a horribly low clarity grade to block and affect the brilliance and sparkle of the diamond.

3.    The cut of a diamond is not important.
Definitely not true! You may have even heard this from jewelers that were showing you a diamonds, and if you believed this then it would have been a great disservice to you.  This is the most important C as it pertains to sparkle and brilliance. The cut of a diamond determines precisely how much light return a diamond will have and how much brilliance and sparkle you will see. The following diagram (see diagrams to the right) shows light return and the importance of an ideal cut diamond.

4.    Carat weight defines the size of the diamond.
Well, partly correct. Size is relative due to weight. Carat is a weight measurement where a one carat diamond is one-fifth of a gram by weight. If a one carat diamond is cut really deeply cut it can look as small as a ¾ ct by diameter size and larger if it is cut shallow. Although if a diamond is cut too deep or too shallow it will not have very much brilliance and the value of the diamond can drop by more than 50%.

5.    Diamonds cannot be damaged because they are the hardest substance in existence.
While a diamond is the hardest substance in the world it is not indestructible. Hardness is a scratch test meaning that the diamond being the hardest will scratch any other substance in the world and only a diamond will be able to mar another diamond. Diamonds are hard and durable but they can be chipped.

6.    Blue fluorescent diamonds are more rare and valuable.
While blue fluorescent diamonds not as common it does not make them more valuable. On the contrary, diamonds that have strong fluorescence have a deduction in its value. If the fluorescence is too strong it will make the diamond look a bit milky or cloudy. If the fluorescence is medium, faint or none it will not change the way it looks.

7.    Yellow diamonds are more valuable.
Yes it can be if it is a fancy yellow color diamond. A diamond could look distinctively yellow but be a low color diamond and value will be quite low. If you are interested in a fancy yellow diamond you should make sure it has a certificate from GIA that would state that the diamond is a fancy yellow diamond. You should also be aware that there are fancy yellow diamonds that are grown in the laboratory called synthetics which are real diamonds but they not as valuable because you can create as much as you want so they are not rare.

8.    Platinum is strong therefore it is harder.
Not so, strength and hardness are two different characteristics. Platinum is strong but it is not hard so it will get scratched and dented easier, making it appear dull faster than metals that are harder such as 14k gold or palladium.

9.    Sapphires are blue stones.
Yes they are blue but they also come in all the colors of the rainbow. Coincidentally if a sapphire is red it is actually a ruby. Sapphires and rubies have the same mineral composition called corundum.

10.    18k white gold is a white metal.
18K white gold is not that white. Actually there really is not white gold per se. A lot of 18k white gold is rhodium plated to make it appear white. This is generally a common practice. When it wears out the true color shows, which is a light tinge of yellow. What you have to understand is that gold in its pure state (24K) is yellow. To make it appear white you have to add white metals like notably nickel. This would dilute the yellowness. 18K is 18 parts out of 24 which make it 75% yellow gold and 25% white metal, still more yellow than white.

11.    Synthetic stones are fakes.
Synthetic stones such as rubies, sapphires, emeralds and diamonds have the same mineral make-up as the genuine article. They are not fake like glass they are real. The only difference is that it is grown in the laboratory. Quality can be controlled and you can obtain a high quality stone for less because these stones can be created easily in the laboratory.

There are other common misconceptions that I may have missed. If you know of one and would like to confirm it please do not hesitate to ask. Knowing the truth may help you find a nice piece of jewelry of not have to pay more than you should have.


Mahalo,
Russell Oshita
The Diamond Specialists Inc.
Our website: www.thediamondspecialistsinc.com
Email me: russell@thediamondspecialists.com
Email me:inquiries@thediamondspecialists.com
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