I do hope that November is being kind to you so far. I don’t know what the weather’s been like with you over the last few days but in my corner of Berkshire, it’s been unbelievably foggy. If things are a little grey with you then I have the perfect feature to share with you because today, we’re thrilled to being talking about diamonds with the fantastic Handleys of London who’ll also be sharing their top ten tips to choosing a diamond with us, which might be rather useful if you’re planning a sparkling Christmas.
Based in the historic jewellery quarter of Hatton Garden, Handleys of London are bespoke jewelers who offer a truly personal service to all of their clients. Whatever your jewellery desire, Handleys of London offer a unique design to every client so that your finished piece is yours, and yours alone.
“Having worked in the diamond industry for eight years, and with my father having worked with diamonds for 40 years, we decided to set up Handleys of London,” says Director, Simon Handley. “I found that the main problem with the industry was that the majority of jewellery was ‘off the peg’ so we founded Handleys of London to offer a bespoke approach to quality hand made pieces. Our most important attribute is that we’re able to offer a truly tailored service to all of our clients.”
Offering engagement rings, earrings, pendants, eternity rings, wedding bands and more, Handleys of London can design a piece to suit your style, whatever that may be. They also offer valuations, re-sizing and repairing and they’re able to incorporate your own heirlooms into their designs:
“We can work with or around any other stones that customers have already bought or have had passed down to them,” explains Simon. “A lot of people bring in items that hold terrific sentimental value and we work with them to make the stone more wearable.
And that mention of stones leads us happily onto Handleys of London’s brilliant diamond buying tips so I’ll hand you over to Simon…
- Always buy a graded diamond – There are a number of diamond grading certifications out there, however by far the most recognised and prestigious is GIA. When you are looking to buy a diamond, make sure that it comes with the relevant grading reports. Always ask to see the paperwork for the stone, and look out for the GIA logo.
- Understand the 4 C’s – Developed by the GIA, the 4 C’s stand for cut, colour, clarity and carat. They have become the universal method of assessing diamonds and provide a methodology by which jewellers across the world can abide to in their diamond certification When choosing your diamond it is useful to understand how each of these affects the overall appearance of it.
- Cut – This is the overall shape of the diamond.
- Clarity – All diamonds feature imperfections either on the inside or the outside of the diamond. These are called inclusions or blemishes. The severities of these defects are what determine the overall clarity of the stone.
- Colour – The GIA grading system ranks a diamonds colour from D (colourless) all the way to Z (slightly yellow).
- Carat – The unit of weight for diamonds, 1 carat is equal to 0.2 grams.
- Don’t forget to look at the polish or symmetry – In my opinion these two attributes are often overlooked by people. The polish and symmetry are both ranked from poor to excellent. A diamond could possess great clarity and colour, however if the polish and symmetry are below “good” it can have seriously affect the diamond’s final brilliance.
- Know where the diamond has come from – We ensure that all of our diamonds are ethically sourced from conflict free zones. The grading report will show where the diamond was mined, cut and graded. Do some research into where your diamond originates from and ensure that it is ethically sourced.
- Do some research into what cut you’re looking for – People tend to get lost when you start explaining to them the various different cuts of diamonds that are out there. So do some research beforehand to understand what cuts suit what style, for example if you have long skinny fingers maybe a marquise cut would be for you. If you are in doubt, always the jeweller for their advice and opinion. Another thing to consider are the angles of the facets, they can have a huge affect on the final appearance. Every cut has optimum angles, compare the grading report against these to ensure maximum brilliance.
- Fancy colours – Everyone knows that historically the whitest of diamonds is what was most sought after. However in recent years, coloured diamonds have been increasing in popularity. Diamonds can also come in a range of fancy colours from blue to yellow.
- Budget – This one may seem a little obvious, but have a look around and see what you can afford. Be realistic, there is no harm in looking for diamonds with lower clarity or colour to stay within budget.
- Diamond enhancements and fakes – We are seeing an increasing number of diamonds around that have been either heat-treated or enhanced in some way to improve its clarity, they have usually been bought online. Always be wary when you think you have stumbled across a bargain online, for it may have been treated or worse it may be a synthetic diamond.
- Know where you are getting your diamond from – You have to trust the seller before you go ahead and buy your diamond. If your diamond dealer seems a little clueless on some of the simple facts, then they may be ripping you off. A professional diamond seller will work with you and look to get you the best product for your budget.
- Other gemstones – There are other types of gemstones that are available. Yes, diamonds are a girl’s best friend but it doesn’t have to be the main feature stone. A lot of our designs use diamonds to bring out the best in other precious gems, For example, the diamonds on our halo rings flash light and bring the attention to the main feature stone. The feature stone can be any precious or semiprecious gemstone that you desire, from the royal blue sapphire to the colourful pink tourmaline.
So, if you’re hoping for something precious this Christmas, may we suggest that you take a trip to Hatton Garden and make an appointment to visit Handleys of London who are offering a rather lovely 5% discount to all Love My Dress readers with a free re-sizing and lifetime warranty.
For more information on Handleys of London, do take a look at their website to browse their portfolio and read their excellent jewellery guides or follow them on Facebook, Twitter or Google+ for regular updates.
Prices are entirely dependent on your chosen design and so do get in touch to find out more or to book your personal appointment.
Love Tamryn x
