Buying diamonds

Everyone involved in legitimately selling diamonds and jewellery today is committed to giving all the facts to one's customers.

However, certain companies in this line of business still continue to disseminate misleading information regarding a so-called "safeguard" that the public should take into consideration when purchasing diamonds. The terminology used in the advertisements concerned almost implies that a purchaser can only be assured of a diamond's quality by purchasing "certified-sealed" diamonds.

This is manifestly incorrect as a grading report is that laboratory's opinion and not a fact. Just because something is in a signed document does not make it so. Besides, the criteria used for grading can change from time to time and the human error element cannot be underestimated. For example, a diamond can unintentionally be changed with another.

Consequently, it is the jeweller's certificate that ought to prevail and this is what makes the jeweller accountable. The empty seal pack is in fact worthless.

Implying that "a certified sealed diamond is the only assurance of the genuineness of the diamond" indirectly encourages the public to ignore highly skilled, professional experts who actually see, cut and polish innumerable types of uncut diamonds, transforming them into full-cut brilliants for many years. In other words, these advertisements are putting an incorrect message across: that the experts' certification is not reliable enough!

As with other trades, diamond grading diplomas can be gained in a few weeks if not days, by attending crash courses in the Netherlands. However, the certification on its own does not make an expert, as real expertise can only be achieved through years of practical experience.

Locally and abroad, during my course of setting, checking and sorting of diamonds, there were occasions when I witnessed "sealed diamonds" that were found to be substantially different in quality from what was indicated on their relative certificates and/or seal packs. Moreover, while in Antwerp, I had the opportunity to examine diamonds accompanied by grading documents which did not match their true classification. In fact, after returning the diamonds in question for regrading at the same laboratory I was given a different classification for the same diamonds, simply because the laboratory changed its opinion and regarded the diamonds differently from before.

It clearly follows, therefore, that buying a precious stone, which is in a "certified-sealed" pack, does not guarantee a precious stone's quality. It is in fact the reputation of the diamond dealer that is of paramount importance in the diamond trade, because at the end of the day he is responsible for its classification and the client can only hold the dealer and nobody else responsible in this regard.

It will interest the public to learn that the use of microscopes or similar instruments is not permitted in classifying diamonds. In fact, microscopes are only used in locating types of "flaws"; mainly because no diamond can be classified as 100 per cent clean. Inclusions can be seen in all diamonds if a higher than tenfold (10x) magnification is used for inspection. Diamond experts therefore are allowed (by international standards) to use only a tenfold magnification and a trained eye to determine the size of the inclusions.

Hence, experience comes heavily into play when deciding on a stone's clarity, cut and confirmation or otherwise of the real genuineness of a diamond. It must be highlighted here that up to this very day, no diamond testing equipment exists which can authenticate a diamond with 100 per cent certainty as a "natural diamond".

Reputable diamond laboratories which are giving an exceptional service to the trade, especially to dealers, brokers and salesmen and who help inexperienced traders to market their precious stones fairly on the open market, should be commended for their professionalism and their direct service to the public. It must be emphasised, however, that diamond retailers should not in any way shift their responsibility onto these gemmological laboratories, against whom the ultimate purchaser has no right of redress.

In view of the foregoing it should be abundantly clear that a diamond expert's assessment is always advisable for the purchaser's peace of mind. As to the expert, I fully believe that knowing how to protect consumers and how to give them solid and objective advice gives me, personally, a rewarding feeling just by knowing that someone has been given honest assistance.