A Tesco guide to buying diamond jewellery
Buying diamond jewellery
Diamonds are a symbol of romance and love for so many women and men because of their incredible beauty and rarity. It has been said that Cupids arrow is diamond tipped.
Diamonds are the hardest mineral, at 10 on the MOHS scale, they also have very high dispersion and reflection, this is the reason for their beautiful lustre and brilliance.
- Other information:
- The Kimberley Process
Carat
This refers to the weight and size of the diamond. 1 carat = 0.2 grams.
The term "carat" comes from greek word for the seeds of the Carob tree. In antiquity the beans of the carob tree were used to weigh diamonds because the seeds of the plant are generally of an even size and weight. (The word diamond also comes from the Greek word "adamas" which means "very hard".) Larger diamonds are much rarer and generally speaking that means the bigger the more expensive. At Tesco you can find a good range of large diamonds that won't break the bank!
Carats are sometimes referred to as fractions of a carat and "points", with one carat equalling one hundred points. See table below;
| Carat (Deciaml) | Carat (Fraction) | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 100 points |
| 0.75 | 3/4 carat | 75 points |
| 0.50 | 1/2 carat | 50 points |
| 0.33 | 1/3 carat | 33 points |
| 0.10 | 1/10 carat | 10 points |
| 0.05 | 1/20 carat | 5 points |
| 0.01 | 1/100 carat | 1 points |
Tesco.com stocks diamond rings, pendants, bracelets and earrings from 1/10 to 1 carat
Browse the diamond range on Tesco.com
Clarity
This refers to the amount and position of "inclusions" in a diamond. An inclusion is the unique "fingerprint" of the diamond. They may look like small feathers or spots. They may even be tiny diamond crystals. The fewer the inclusions, the greater the clarity.
Colour
Diamonds can come in every different colour naturally, although some colours are very rare. Black diamonds are often treated to enhance the colour.
As well as white diamonds, Tesco also do a range of coloured diamonds.
Generally speaking for clear "white" diamonds, the less colour in a diamond, the rarer it is.
| Colour | Grades |
|---|---|
| Colourless | D, E, F |
| Near colourless | G, H, I, J |
| Faint yellow | K, L, M |
| Very light yellow | N, O, P, Q, R |
| Tinted | S, T, U, V, X, Y, Z |
Diamond cuts
Brilliant round cut diamonds have 58 facets which cause the light to be reflected from within, to enhance their beauty. The light enters through the table, see diagram below and is reflected by the pavilion facets, and come back through the table. You could say that the table is the window and the pavilion is the mirror in a brilliant cut diamond. Brilliant round diamonds have incredible sparkle and reflection because of this cut which really showcases the beauty of diamonds. Other diamond and gemstone cuts include, the princess cut, the emerald cut and marquise cuts.
See Tesco's range of round and princess cut diamond jewellery
The Kimberley Process
Conflict Diamonds or "Blood Diamonds" are diamonds that may originate from areas controlled by forces opposed to legitimate governments and used to fund military action in opposition to these governments.
Tesco and our suppliers support the Kimberley Process set up in 2000, designed to halt the trade in illicit diamonds, and the voluntary system of warranties that supports this process.
All vendor invoices for Tesco Diamond Jewellery contain the following statement.
"The diamonds invoiced have been purchased from legitimate sources not involved in funding conflict and in compliance with United Nations resolutions." The seller hereby guarantees that these diamonds are conflict free, based on personal knowledge and/or written guarantees provided by the supplier of these diamonds.