Selecting Loose Diamonds

Loose Diamonds

At Jaume Labro, we understand that the perfect diamond speaks to your heart and creativity. Should you wish to design your bespoke jewelry around an individual or collection of gemstones, our designers and artisans will meet all of your precise expectations.

How to Start Selecting Loose Diamonds

Whether you’re designing a one-of-a-kind Mokume Gane engagement ring or a fine jewelry necklace, you can count on showstopping diamonds that are hand selected and hand cut by our expert gemologists and gemcutters. Each diamond has a unique character, and our team strives to showcase its best attributes.

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From marquise to emerald to princess-cut diamonds, combining your ideal gemstone with the perfect setting means a bespoke jewelry design that reflects your precise taste and personality.

Should you not find something that fits your exact specifications in our, our team is able to source and/or cut a diamond into any carat weight and shape. Whether you’re seeking a canary yellow diamond or fancy color diamonds to accent a piece, our GIA-certified gemologists are at your disposal.

Choosing the Right Diamond Color

As GIA-certified gemologists, we use a diamond color scale that ranks these stones from D (colorless) to Z (light). Diamonds are magnified and studied under controlled lighting conditions, and those that fall between D-F are considered the most valuable. As you can see below color is an important fact when selecting loose diamonds for your engagement ring.

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  • D-F: colorless
  • G-J: near-colorless
  • K-M: faint
  • N-R: very light
  • S-Z: light

However, the difference between most near-colorless and colorless diamonds is imperceptible to the naked eye. We recommend choosing a colorless or near-colorless diamond for platinum and white gold settings. A near-colorless or faint diamond may actually look colorless when it’s paired with a yellow gold setting.

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Understanding Diamond Clarity

Diamond inclusions are often impossible to detect without the use of a microscope. As
determined by GIA, diamond clarity rules are as follows:

  • FL-IF: Flawless/internally flawless. No inclusions are visible under 10x magnification.
  • VVS1-VVS2: Inclusions are very difficult to see under 10x magnification.
  • VS1-VS2: Inclusions can be seen under 10x magnification but it requires some effort to
    spot them.
  • SI1-SI2: Inclusions are relatively easy to see under 10X magnification.
  • I1 and I2-I3: It’s very easy to spot the inclusions under 10x magnification and they affect the stone’s brilliance.

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Unless it falls below Sl1 (when brightness and fire can be negatively impacted) we don’t believe that a diamond’s clarity needs to be a major purchasing factor.

Choosing the Right Diamond Carat

Carat weight measures a gemstone’s weight, with each carat being equivalent to 200mg, and each “point” adds 2mg. Obviously, the larger a stone, the more valuable it tends to be. However, cut, clarity, and color play a major role in determining the cost: A large stone with flaws (e.g. inclusions) may actually cost less than a smaller stone.

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If you find the perfect gemstone, there are multiple methods to make your diamond look larger.
These might include selecting a princess, emerald, or marquise cut – or choosing a more delicate setting that showcases the stone’s perfection. Adding flourishes to the band or cluster settings are other excellents hacks to increase the optical size of a diamond.

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Understanding the Cut of a Diamond

We believe this is the most important element when it comes to choosing your loose diamond. Even a lower-quality diamond can have incredible brilliance, sparkle and fire when its facets are cut correctly. Our expert gemcutters maximize each stone’s potential and light performance. No matter the size, if you’re seeking an absolute showstopper of a diamond, you must invest in a company that prides itself on exceptional gem cutting standards – like Jaume Labro’s experienced team.

Why We Work with Truly Conflict-Free Diamonds

Sustainable jewelry is the future – and there is simply no excuse for anything less than perfection.

Due to diamond mining’s environmental impact and history of human rights abuses, Jaume Labro pledges only to use certified, conflict-free diamonds. However, our team understands that the industry-standard Kimberley Process leaves multiple loopholes open. This is precisely why we purchase all of our gemstones directly from reputable mines and sellers (like DTC Sightholders) who can trace all of their movements before reaching our studio.

It’s crucial that we purchase from companies that keep their promises regarding environmental pledges and safe working conditions. We’re also proud to work with organizations that rehabilitate the areas impacted by those mining operations.

We understand sometimes selecting loose diamonds for your once in a lifetime purchase of an engagement ring seems difficult but we are professionals and we love to assist and advice our clientele. Don’t hesitate to contact us.

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