Is romance dead? Or just the passion?

This post came about by someone buying a diamond purely on the details of a fake certificate. Where this particular consumer managed to do alright in this deal, many don't. What surprised me about this is that someone was prepared to buy a precious object based on what a piece of paper says, rather than look at it and make a judgement. Not everyone is a diamond expert, fair enough, but when buying, go to someone you can trust and at least use your eyes.

Every day I deal with people looking for a piece of jewellery for "celebrations or commemorations" , occasions where emotions should be running high. Buying a gift for a loved one. An engagement ring for "The One". A locket to put a picture of a departed loved one in. An endless list of highly emotive occasions. So why is it that romance and passion for pieces of jewellery seems to be going out of the window in preference for pieces of paper, weights and statistics?

Diamonds are the prime example. In my workplace the decision has been made to only sell certificated single stone diamond rings. Certificated means that someone (hopefully an independent, respected laboratory) has looked at the diamond and listed its "qualities" or attributes and measurements. My reference to who is important if you are going to go purely on the piece of paper. One high street chain state that each diamond has been graded by their Managing Director. No mean feat, I haven't the time to grade all of ours in one shop, let alone a group of 60! If everyone subscribed to this idea, you would only see the modern round brilliant cut in everyones rings as it ticks all the boxes on a certificate.

When I was taking part in a grading course in London this year, both my class tutor and the Director of Education said to look at the stone and assess it before taking measurements. This is referring to the cut grade and means that your opinion of how the stone looks has an affect on the final grading. Even this is broken down into smaller pieces. Brilliance: how bright a diamond is, how much light it reflects back. Pattern: Does it look symmetrical and pleasing to the eye. Fire: An interesting one. How it throws back a little twinkle of different colours to you as it moves. Looking at fire in a diamond I think is one of the nicer things to do. You almost have to daydream, blurring your vision slightly as if you were a child watching ants scurry around their nest. It never fails to take me back to childhood.

Other than the modern brilliant cut, most cuts of stone would have an un-flattering description on a certificate. Modified Brilliant cut is the term used to describe many cuts, oval, pear, marquise to name a few. An Asscher cut, square cut and French cut often have the same description but look totally different. Where Asschers and French cuts look stunning, in fact mesmerising by candle light where a brilliant cut would look dull and un-interesting.

How did you choose your spouse or partner if you have one? Did you look at a list of specs? Hair and eye colour, height, weight etc. Some people do, but most don't. My wife is was not my usual "type", but she is the most wonderful woman I've ever met. She knows more about me than anyone and has a smile so warm, she could melt tungsten (metal workers joke). But as a list of stats, I wouldn't have picked her and what a mistake that would have been. As for the diamond she wears, it has no certificate, but its perfect for her.

Certificates are useful, but they can't beat a decent look, guidance from an expert and a bit of instinct. Choose with care and attention.

Take care,
Damian