lab grown diamond buying guide
Our quick diamond buying guide, to finding the right diamond for your jewellery.
When it comes to buying diamonds, most people first think about how many carats it is. Some aim for the magic 1-carat diamond which is a good starting place. You can buy a 1-carat lab-grown diamond for about the same price as a .60-carat earth-mined diamond of the same grade would cost. However, it’s the larger diamonds, say over 1.5cts that blow away the price comparison with earth mined.
Here are our top tips for your guide to buying a diamond ring and diamond purchase.
- A Round Brilliant cut gives the brightest look due to the proportions which reflect the light back to the eye.
- An Oval shape of the same weight as a round diamond looks considerably bigger as the length exceeds the diameter of the equivalent round shape.
- Select a diamond that does not have any large eye-visible inclusions that will affect the overall beauty and durability of the diamond. If you want to be 100% sure that your diamond will be completely clean of eye-visible inclusions, (called eye-clean), stick with diamonds graded ‘VS2’ or higher.
- Balance the clarity grade of your diamond with the colour. So, higher clarity grades warrant a colour in the D-F or colourless range.
We suggest you chose one of the three selected combinations of grades, based on ‘Best value for money’, up to ‘I want the best’!!
Usually in a quote for a particular diamond size, we offer these three diamond quality grades.
1. Best value for money. Grades are F/VS2/3x. Cut Grade:
We recommend these grades as being the best balance of value, against colour and clarity, that is without noticeable colour and no eye visible inclusions. (You may be able to see an inclusion under 10x power loupe). (That used by Jewellers to examine and grade the clarity of a diamond).
2. Very good grades: Grades in this category are E/VVS2/3x Cut Grade.
We guarantee you will not see any inclusions with a 10x power loupe.
3. Premium Grades: Grades in this category are D/VVS1/3x Cut Grade.
If you want the best. Diamonds in this category still cost at least 50% less than an equivalent Earth mined diamond.
All our diamonds are of Ideal or excellent proportions, usually 3x Cut Grade which is:
Excellent Proportion, Excellent Symmetry, and Excellent Polish.
If you would like to know more before selecting your diamond, read our more detailed guide below, which explains the 4 c’s of diamond buying or get in touch and and we’ll be happy to advise you.
Buying from an Overseas Jeweller
If you are considering purchasing your engagement ring from an offshore jewellery company, you will be charged GST and Customs Fees on importation. These extra costs are not usually disclosed on the initial price, as they show the item GST free. Not only is GST is added, but you will also be charged a Customs Importation Fee when the item arrives in New Zealand. These extra Customs Fees on jewellery can mount to between $100 – $300 extra. You will not be able to claim either back. However, if the item is made in New Zealand, and you can synchronise the purchase with an overseas trip you can save the 15% GST.
At Adamastar, we guarantee to match the price of any overseas piece of jewellery, so you get the advantage of competitive pricing and without compromising the quality of craftsmanship as all our jewellery is made by our own craftsman jewellers here in New Zealand.
GST Free Purchase.
We offer this service if you are travelling overseas. You can save 15% on your purchase price by exporting your item GST free through Auckland International Airport providing you can synchronise the purchase with an overseas trip.
You must be leaving the country to be eligible, so you need to pick up your item past Passport Control on the way out, then bring the item back into the country when you return, no tax to pay.
There is a Custom’ Fee Required, of $395.00 payable to NZ Customs.
Firstly, you must decide if it is worth your while to claim back the GST. There is a formula to work out the money you save then decide if you want to proceed. We provide a detailed information sheet to assist you on how to claim back the GST component on your purchase and how to go about it. Our information sheet is custom made for your specific purchase.
The requirement is that you pick up your item once you pass through Passport Control and Immigration at Auckland International Airport at ‘The Collection Centre’. You cannot leave the jewellery there and pick it up on the way back into the country. If you don’t pick it up before your flight, it gets returned straight to us, (& GST is payable).
We will require information such as Name, Flight Number, Passport Number plus Date & Time of your flight. We must deliver your item securely to the airport one- three business days before your flight.
As you leave, you present your ‘Collection Authorisation’ form at The Collection Point to pick up your item. This form will have been emailed to you, 1 – 3 working days before you fly.
If you were fortunate enough to discover a rough diamond in the ground, you might assume it is just another unremarkable, irregular shaped pebble.
It has taken diamond cutters generations of experimenting and passing down the (often jealously guarded) knowledge, of the physical and optical characteristics of such an unremarkable pebble, to bring out the brilliance and fire of a polished round brilliant cut diamond.
There is a wonderful symmetry with artisans skilfully beautifying this magnificent gemstone and now, with human ingenuity, actually creating it.
A lab-grown diamond is a diamond for the future. We invite you to experience the wonder of lab-grown diamonds for yourself in an exquisite piece of jewellery from Adamastar.
