My Pink Diamonds

The cut of a diamond is the physical measurement and relative proportion of a polished diamond and is the most important characteristic in producing a diamond’s beauty. A single number does not define cut. Instead, it is a myriad of measurements, relative percentages, angles, finish, and performance of light within the diamond.

The brilliance and sparkle of a diamond is the result of the reflection and refraction of light within a diamond and is the cumulative effect of the many facets on the surface of the three-dimensional diamond shape. What makes judging cut difficult is that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Different people perceive the beauty of a diamond differently in terms of what they perceive as beautiful.

In recent years, major diamond grading laboratories like the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and the American Gem Society (AGS) have established cut grades to help the consumer make better decisions for purchasing diamonds based on cut characteristics. However, the cut grading systems are different from each other and constantly changing. As a result, there is no single official cut grade but the current systems are a giant leap ahead of the past with no cut grades.

The quality of the cut is most visible in terms of how light performs in a diamond to produce Brightness, Fire, and Scintillation.

Brightness is the visual effect of all the internal and external reflections of white light. This brightness (also known as brilliance) results primarily from the angles of the facets and the relative size of the top facet called the table.

Fire is the visual effect of rainbow colored flashes of light caused by the separation of white light into various colors when the diamond acts as a prism.

Scintillation is the visual effect of sparkle and patterns of light and darkness. Sparkle is the points of light that flash as the diamond, the light source or the observer moves. The arrangement and contrast between the bright and dark areas is important to what the eye perceives as beautiful. An all-bright diamond or an all-dark diamond is less attractive than a diamond with a balanced, symmetrical and contrasting pattern of reflection.

Some of the more important diamond measurements influencing the cut grade are depth percentage, table percentage, crown angle, and pavilion angle. The initial cut grade research focused on round brilliant diamond shapes but the grading laboratories are slowly introducing cut grades for the fancy shapes like the princess, emerald, oval, radiant, cushion and others. Each diamond shape has its own set of cut parameters that produce the optimal light performance and beauty for that particular diamond shape.

If the cut of the diamond is the key to its beauty, why would anyone purchase a diamond without great cut? Probably the main reason is lack of knowledge by the consumer. Until recent years, it has been difficult for the consumer to assess the cut of the diamond because jewelers focused on color, clarity and carat weight. The jeweler used the bright lights in the showroom to mask the light performance of the diamond. As the diamond shopper becomes more aware of what constitutes cut and has access to the GIA or AGS cut grades on the diamond grading reports, they will be able to filter out the average and poor cut diamonds in their purchase decisions.

Sometimes budget is a factor in purchasing something less than the best cut. However, cut is typically a real bargain since there is little visual difference between the top echelons of diamond cut and the price difference between average and exceptional cut is often minimal. Perhaps the real cost of getting better cut in a diamond, is the time and effort to learn about cut and to find a retailer who can provide diamonds with exceptional cut at reasonable prices.

Once a diamond shopper has determined what shape of diamond they want to purchase, they need to research what cut parameters contribute to desirable appearance. Some diamond shoppers fall into a trap of narrowly defining their acceptable range for every diamond measurement, not realizing that the beauty of the diamond results from the interrelationships of all the facets. Simply picking the middle of the range for each parameter can lead to a mediocre result. The cut grades are an attempt to rate how a combination of factors work together in the diamond.

Regardless of the cut grade systems today or in the future, only the diamond shopper can determine what is most appealing to their eye. Cut is critical to the beauty of the diamond so making the best diamond purchase decision means understanding the importance of cut and finding that special diamond that is beautiful to behold.

Now your dream becomes reality and you’ve gotten engaged and are beginning to plan the perfect day. Except when you do start, you soon realise that the reality is that funds are not endless and you have to work within a budget. That budget must cover so much, fees for rental of your ceremony and reception site, decorations, catering/food, bar, flowers, music, photography, video, marriage license, invitations, wedding rings, transportation, honeymoon, attendants, gifts, guest wedding favors, and a myriad of other miscellaneous costs. So how much is then left for your wedding attire, which could also include not only a dress for you, but your bridesmaids, flower girls and of course the men’s wear too.

Not many of us have the luxury of spending over £2000 on a designer dress and even if you could you might prefer to allocate less towards the dress and use a larger portion of your budget for a more elaborate honeymoon or reception party. Whether or not you are working to budget, everyone enjoys the feeling of accomplishment when locating and acquiring a bargain. These days it’s not so hard to come across a bargain with little effort. The best way to start is to have a look in some bridal shops. You may not have the intention of buying from them but you can certainly establish the style, size, and cut of the kind of dress you are going for.

Make notes of what kind of styles and colours you like the best. Sometimes you find a style in a magazine and when you try it on you find it isn’t really how you imagined and it doesn’t flatter your shape the way you expected. Bridal gown sizes can come up smaller than your usual size so the best thing to do is to go by your measurements and ask dressmakers for the bust, waist and hip sizes that make up the size in general. Some bridal shops don’t keep the manufacturers labels on and instead re-label and price with their own internal tagging system (many salons do this to avoid competitive shopping and price comparisons). The shop should tell you the name of the designer or manufacturer if you ask.

Once you have got an idea of the styles you like and the size you need, then you can begin searching for your gown and accessories. It’s best to purchase your dress before shopping for accessories. Certain elements of the dress will help you choose the best accessories to match.

When you start looking for a gown it is better to find a dress that either fits perfectly or is just a little bit big. Because of the delicate fabrics making alterations can be done easily if the dress needs “taking in” but to “let it out” can be quite tricky. Most gown designers always allow about an inch or slightly less for seem allowance. If a gown is very tricky to alter then this will reflect in the price of the alteration. So remember your dress budget needs to be for the dress itself and any alterations needed.

Bargain dresses can be found in a number of places. Some bridal shops will sell ex-show dresses at a cut price. Some of these gowns will have been modelled on the cat walk but may no longer be manufactured. Some dresses are available due to brides changing their minds and therefore forfeiting their deposits. Generally these kinds of dresses are almost new but can still be dry cleaned and altered for that perfect fit.

One of the best ways to bag a bargain is online via the internet. Internet shopping has reached record levels and it is great way to be connected to thousands of sellers and great offers. There are a number of good websites dedicated to selling bridal wear. Some sites host new dresses and some nearly new. Either way, because the sellers have no overheads in terms of premises and stock, they can sell you the same dress that a store will, for a fraction of the price.

Many local full service bridal shops are losing business to internet bridal retailers because they have difficulty competing with the deep discounts, therefore, you may have noticed paid articles in bridal magazines discouraging brides from purchasing gowns online. You will need to make your own mind up but ultimately if you want a bargain then online has to be a better choice.

The one thing to be careful with online is getting the size right. Make sure you ask for their guide to “how to measure” and ask them how they determine the sizes as you won’t get to try before you buy, this is very important. Once a dress is made to your requirements there will be no refunds. Buying online is becoming more popular and online stores are becoming more flexible in what they can offer. You can request samples of materials and if you have a picture of something you want or need some special beading just ask. Most online stores will be able to accommodate changes and alterations as the dresses are usually made after the order.

It is vitally important you order in time, especially if you are not ordering a standard dress. Most suppliers insist on 6 to 8 weeks. So bear that in mind when placing your order. Of course if you are happy to make changes and alterations using someone you have chosen then a last minute deal can be snapped up! Other ways to use internet searches to locate a bargain is by visiting sites like e-bay that have many second hand designer dresses at bargain prices. Which ever method you choose I know you will look drop dead gorgeous and you will find your dream dress without breaking the bank!

Buying your dress should be fun. Make sure you have a friend with you that knows you well enough to give you an honest opinion and remember if it is too much over your budget you are bound to find a similar dress elsewhere that has your name written all over it. Good luck and Happy Bargain Hunting!