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The Diamond Authority
For over a century De Beers has been the leading global Diamond Authority, the guardian of the diamond dream. Many aspire to imitate but none matches De Beers for knowledge and experience. The peerless ability to see the ‘soul’ of a diamond and the rare, coveted skill to extract its full beauty and realize its extraordinary brilliance sets us apart from others.
The Diamond Experience
For centuries, diamonds have been talismans of magic, passion and success. These fascinating stones hold inside a promise of eternity a billion years in the making: a deep romantic mystery lies within the heart of every stone.
Once regarded as the “Tears of the Gods,” diamonds were thought to hold mysterious qualities and possess supernatural powers. Many myths and legends surround diamonds. They have given rise to countless tales of heroic deeds and legends, of knightly valor and of enchanting magic.
It is said that Cupid’s arrows were diamond tipped to provide them with their emotional power. The first engagement ring is believed to have been offered in the fifteenth century by the Archduke Maximilian of Austria. He presented a solitaire diamond when he asked for the hand of Marie de Bourgogne in marriage. Whatever the origin, the single-stone tradition has endured and flourished. Richard Burton offered one of the biggest and most famous of diamonds to Elizabeth Taylor in 1969. The 69.42-carat “Taylor-Burton” is in the shape of a pear, and magazines all over the world ran with the story. Many such famous legends of love, from yesterday and today, are bound closely to the beauty of the diamond.
Since our founding in 1888, De Beers’ unrivalled expertise, strict quality standards, exacting specifications and peerless heritage sets us wholly apart from anyone else. We continue the tradition by selecting the finest stones in the world and bringing the diamond legend to you. It is our belief that you never really choose your diamond, but that the diamond chooses you.
Cut
The term cut refers to the facets, and their proportions, on the surface of a diamond. At De Beers, we specifically prescribe the precise proportions of every diamond we offer. We operate within stringently applied guidelines and explicitly defined relationships between the table, the crown, the pavilion and the girdle of every stone.
De Beers diamonds are always cut for beauty, not weight. This steadfast belief is at the heart of our expertise. Carat weight is wrongly thought by many to be the most important factor in deciding the value of a diamond. Unfortunately, this misperception has led some diamond cutters to take advantage of the first-time buyer. For example, some diamond cutters will leave an excessively thick girdle around the stone, increasing the diamond’s carat weight. This practice harms the stone, considerably impairing the diamond’s beauty and brilliance. De Beers’ strict standards insist that we routinely sacrifice significantly more of the rough diamond than custom would normally dictate. Our exceptionally gifted craftsmen always prioritize the aesthetic above the raw weight of a rough diamond. They continuously go to immeasurable lengths to create recise, intricate angles that generate incomparable beauty.
THE MOST FREQUENT MISTAKES IN CUT
DIAMOND SHAPE
Cut shouldn’t be confused with "shape." Shape refers to the general outward appearance of the diamond, (such as round, emerald, or pear). When De Beers refers to cut, we are referring to the diamond's reflective qualities, not the shape.
THE MOST OBVIOUS FLAWS
AN INCORRECT NUMBER OF FACETS: A round brilliant diamond from De Beers has 57 facets. Experience has shown that this is the most effective number to optimize the reflection of the light. Having a greater number of facets does not produce a diamond of higher quality. In fact, increasing the number of facets reduces the brilliance.
EXCESSIVE WEIGHT: Contrary to popular belief, excessive weight reduces aesthetic appeal. Since the number of carats is often considered as the most important criterion with regard to a diamond’s value, one common trick is to leave too thick a girdle. This gives the diamond more carats and therefore a higher price. Unfortunately, it also considerably diminishes the brilliance and beauty.
THE “LARGE ANGLE” EFFECT: When a diamond is given a flat cut and too large a table, the stone is dulled. Even worse, it produces an unattractive large angle effect across the crown.
THE “NAIL HEAD” EFFECT: If the cut of the diamond is too deep, a dark nail head may appear in the center of the stone.
DIAMOND SHAPE
Cut shouldn’t be confused with "shape." Shape refers to the general outward appearance of the diamond, (such as round, emerald, or pear). When De Beers refers to cut, we are referring to the diamond's reflective qualities, not the shape.
Clarity
A diamond’s clarity rating is the key measure of its overall quality. Alas, nature guarantees that almost all diamonds have inherent natural blemishes called “inclusions.” Often, these clarity shortcomings are invisible to the untrained eye. However, these same imperfections are immediately apparent to our professional gemologists. The De Beers Institute of Diamonds operates with the highest standards in the industry, continuously and unequivocally rejecting diamonds that do not meet our criteria.
A stone is said to be flawless if, under magnification, no inclusions like “clouds,” “pinpoints,” or internal crystals; no internal flaws, sometimes referred to as “feathers;” and no external imperfections, such as scratches, burns or abrasions, are visible.
THE MOST OBVIOUS FLAWS
CLOUDING: Milky clouding can produce a dull stone. The degree of penetration into the diamond affects the overall purity of the stone.
SUBSTANTIAL CRYSTALLIZATION: All natural diamonds, even the best, have a slight internal crystallization: a mark that occurs as the crystal forms. However, substantial crystallization constitutes a considerable flaw on the surface and sometimes in the depth of the diamond. It is manifested by veins, waves or miniscule cracks.
NODES: It is not unusual to see a diamond crystal, or node, within the diamond, which reaches up to the surface of the stone. While these imperfections are often accepted, De Beers does not use stones with nodes.
NATURALS: Some gem cutters leave a part of the original surface of the crystal in its rough state when cutting the facets of a diamond. These parts are called “naturals,” and they can change the appearance of the diamond. De Beers gemologists reject diamonds with naturals.
Color
In nature, the absence of any color is very rate as most diamonds contain tiny amounts of nitrogen. The untrained eye may not be able to detect these minute variations of color, but these distinctions affect the rarity and ultimately the value of your diamond. De Beers subjects all the diamonds it uses to a customary color examination, regardless of any previous evaluations.
The color of every De Beers diamond is skillfully determined by the De Beers Institute of Diamonds. We compare every diamond to a De Beers Ideal Master diamond. Color is then rated according to a precise scale, running from “D” (colorless) to “Z” (saturated). If a stone has a borderline color classification, we assign it the lower rating. Past “Z” a diamond’s color is considered “fancy.” Fancy colored diamonds are very valuable and, correspondingly, are graded by very different parameters.
Carat
A carat is equivalent to .2 grams and is the unit of weight for diamonds. The De Beers Institute of Diamonds can measure diamonds down to 1/1000 of a carat.
The value of a diamond increases in an exponential manner. Consequently, in the rare cases when two stones are of the same quality, the larger will have the greater value. A two-carat diamond for example will be worth more than two times a one-carat diamond of the same quality. Larger diamonds of high quality are extremely rare and are valued to reflect that rarity.
Brilliance - The New Standard
Whatever the 4C classification, certain diamonds fail the rigorous De Beers selection process because of their “Brilliance” evaluation. All diamonds must demonstrate Fire, Life and Brilliance. The Fire is the magnificent rainbow effect from the refraction of the light. The Life is the flash and sparkle produced by the movement of the diamond. The Brilliance is the reflection of white light when the diamond is at rest. The Fire, Life and Brilliance of a De Beers diamond come from its symmetry, sparkle and refraction. This combination can only be achieved from De Beers’ skill, instinct, experience and our never-ending pursuit of excellence.
Selecting An Engagement Ring
For time immemorial, the diamond has been the ultimate symbol of romance and love, and the ring, a symbol of fidelity, constancy and commitment. The ancient Romans believed that the fourth finger of the left hand was a direct conduit to the heart itself. But purchasing an engagement ring is part of a much larger decision that goes beyond legend and tradition. The very fact that you’re even considering such a commitment indicates that you’ve already decided to begin your new journey. Whether purchasing your ring from our online shop or one of our boutiques, we are here to guide you through the process and help you to select the perfect “gift of love.”
STEP 1: SET YOUR BUDGET
Spend time exploring the various diamond ring options. Make sure you know what is available and are comfortable with what meets your standards. Once you have narrowed your options, begin to establish your budget based on your income, what you feel you want to spend and the quality of diamond you wish to purchase. We will gladly assist you to determine the selection within your budget and hope to be there when the diamond chooses you.
STEP 2: DO YOUR DIAMOND HOMEWORK
The first place most people start when shopping for a diamond, is with the The 4 C's – Cut, Color, Clarity & Cut. This will help you to determine which traits are most important to you, and to find a balance between them which suits your needs. But however important the 4Cs are remember beauty is the only arbiter. De Beers which originated the 4Cs now holds beauty and brilliance as the new standard.
STEP 3: CHOOSE A SHAPE
The shape of a diamond refers to the outward appearance of the diamond, not the “Cut”. Diamond shapes are as varied as people. Whichever one you choose speaks to your own individuality and fashion.
STEP 4: CHOOSE A SETTING
The setting is what you may think of as the “ring” portion without the center diamond. It is the band (referred to as the shank), any accent stones and the prongs which hold the center diamond.
METAL: Settings at De Beers come in either 950 platinum
or 18K yellow gold.
SIMPLE SHANK: A simple, traditional “solitaire” setting where there are no accent stones.
SIDE STONES: These may be tapered stones (or baguettes) on either side of the center stone or
smaller versions of the center stone on either side called a 3-stone ring. The 3 stones represent
the past, present and future.
smaller versions of the center stone on either side called a 3-stone ring. The 3 stones represent
the past, present and future.
PAVÉ: Several small diamonds “paved” either halfway around the shank or fully around.
MOUNT: Traditionally 4-prong settings allow maximum light to showcase brilliance; however, 6-prong settings may be used for larger center stones. De Beers Forever Two rings use only 2 prongs for unparalleled brilliance.
STEP 5: SIZING
To ensure the perfect fit, we recommend that you speak with a De Beers expert at one of our stores.
Tips on finding the ring size:
- Take any opportunity to "borrow" one of your significant other's rings for a moment. With pencil and paper, trace around the inside of the ring. Bring the tracing to a De Beers store to be measured. For accuracy, remember on which finger he or she wears the ring.
- Offer to take your significant other's jewelry to be cleaned, and have one of the rings sized at the same time. To ensure the correct size for an engagement ring, be sure to size something that is worn on the fourth finger.
- Ask your significant other's best friend or family member for help finding the right size.
For more tips and methods of determining your correct ring size, download our printable PDF file.
Tips on finding the ring size:
- Take any opportunity to "borrow" one of your significant other's rings for a moment. With pencil and paper, trace around the inside of the ring. Bring the tracing to a De Beers store to be measured. For accuracy, remember on which finger he or she wears the ring.
- Offer to take your significant other's jewelry to be cleaned, and have one of the rings sized at the same time. To ensure the correct size for an engagement ring, be sure to size something that is worn on the fourth finger.
- Ask your significant other's best friend or family member for help finding the right size.
For more tips and methods of determining your correct ring size, download our printable PDF file.
STEP 6: DOCUMENTS
Once you’ve done your homework and decided on the type of ring, make sure you are obtaining the proper paperwork for your diamond. At De Beers we provide our De Beers Passport for every diamond purchase. We meticulously catalogue and document for you the unique numbered code we give every stone, the color, clarity, carat weight, metal type and the exact cut and measurements. The De Beers Diamond Passport is also our guarantee that every single De Beers diamond is natural, untreated, conflict-free and child labor free. It is made by the same leading security paper company entrusted to produce governmental documents. Its aim is to prevent any potential substitution of the diamonds in the event of a modification to its setting or when being passed from one generation to another.
In addition, for every diamond purchased that is 1.0 carat or greater we also provide a certificate issued by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). This certificate is the blueprint of the diamond. It tells you the diamond's exact measurements and weight, as well as the details of its cut and quality. It precisely points out all the individual characteristics of the stone. Certificates also serve as proof of the diamond's identity and value. A certificate is not the same thing as an appraisal. A certificate describes the quality of a diamond, but it does not place a monetary value on the gem. An appraisal places a monetary value on your diamond, but does not certify the quality of the diamond.
STEP 7: LET US DO YOUR HOMEWORK
The De Beers Forever Engagement Ring collection are beautifully selected diamonds set in classically elegant settings at competitive prices. They come in 3 platinum settings – simple shank, pavé or tapered side stones in either Color G, Clarity VS+ or Color H, Clarity SI+. We have also selected the most popular sizes - .50, .75, 1.0 or 1.5 carats. As with all of our diamonds they are selected not only for their quality but for their beauty as well. Additionally, they come with all of the assurances of any of our engagement rings, but with the added ease of knowing we’ve done the homework. Please visit our Create Your Own Forever Engagement Ring page to begin your selection.
STEP 8: MAKING YOUR PURCHASE
Your love journey will truly begin when you look into the heart of your diamond, and know, beyond any glimmer of doubt, that you don’t ever want to take it off. Whether you purchase a ring from our online selection or in one of our boutiques, we hope to be there when your diamond chooses you. Please contact us at clientservices@debeers.com or call us at 1-888-376-9230 if we can be of any assistance through your process.
