HIGH JEWELRY AUCTION

HIGH JEWELRY AUCTION

in recent days two sumptuous colored diamonds have been auctioned in Geneva in two competing houses: Christie's and Sotheby's.

Bright pink diamond

A gorgeous 15.38 carat pink or "Fancy vivid Pink" pear-shaped diamond was auctioned at Sotheby's on May 9, 2016. This color is highly sought after for a pink diamond. It was sold at a record $ 31.56 million by an Asian buyer. This "exceptional" ring-shaped diamond was originally discovered in a South African mine and subsequently cut by Cora International.

Oppenheimer Blue Diamond

This gorgeous 14.62-carat blue-colored or "Fancy vivid Blue" diamond was sold for a record $ 57.54 million on May 12, 2016 as part of the Christie's sale. This color tone is very rare and sought after for blue colored diamonds. This exceptional diamond was found in the prime mine in South Africa. He belonged to the famous London diamond dealer Sir Philip Oppenheimer who worked for De Beers

Colored diamonds as investment stones!

Colored diamonds become real luxury goods! More and more rare and therefore, more and more sought after, these diamonds have their market value reach astronomical sums. As a result, they are gradually becoming sources of investment in the same way as art. Indeed, these exceptional stones seem to be gaining value over the years, which interests more and more investors 

INVESTISSEMENT DIAMANT : LES PRÉCAUTIONS À PRENDRE

Before buying a diamond, it is important to learn about the criteria that make a diamond a good investment and learn the precautions to take to avoid being fooled!
Quality criteria of a diamond
First of all, you should know that the value of a diamond is measured on the basis of 4 criteria: the weight, in carats; the purity ; the color and finally the quality of size (proportions / polishing / symmetry). In addition to these fundamental characteristics, it is important to also consider fluorescence. It is all of these criteria that will establish the value of your diamond!

So that you can better understand each of these parameters and their importance, we will briefly detail them, to guide you in your investment project:

- Weight, in carat: The weight of a diamond is measured in carats. For information, a carat weighs 0.20g. The ideal weight for an investment diamond is 1 carat or more.

- Purity: The purity of a diamond depends on the number, position and size of the inclusions present in the stone. More inclusions are many and bulky and less valuable stone.
You will find below, the scale of measurement of the purity of a diamond

For an investment stone, we advise you to position yourself on a stone between IF and VVS2 included.

- Color: The color of a diamond varies from bluish white to yellowish. For an investment stone, it is best to choose a stone whose color is between D and F.

D: exceptional white +

E: Exceptional white

F: Extra white +

G: Extra white

H: White

I - J: nuanced white

K - L: Slightly tinted

M to Z: Tinted

- Shapes: The most sought after diamond shape for an investment diamond is the "brilliant" size. This size is more expensive than the so-called "fancy" sizes: pear, marquise, cushion, oval, emerald ...

- Size quality (proportions / polishing / symmetry): For these criteria, choose a diamond at least 3 times "very good" or ideally 3 times "excellent". It should be known that if a diamond has a quality of size "good" or "fair" then the diamond loses value and is worth 20 to 25% less.

- The fluorescence of a diamond: Regarding the degree of fluorescence, prefer a diamond with a fluo null (none) or light (slight / faint). For information, a diamond with a fluorescence "medium" or "strong" is worth 15% to 20% less.

If we take the example of a diamond of 1.20 carat E VVSI with Proportions, a Polishing, a Symmetry bad and a strong Fluorescence, this diamond can be worth up to 50% less than another diamond of 1.20 carat E VVS1, all characteristics of which are Excellent or Very Good and without fluorescence.

It is therefore important not to be fooled by the price of a diamond because its price is established according to the gradation of each quality criterion.

Buy a diamond safely

Before buying a diamond, the dealer must show you the certificate of authenticity of the stone in question so that you can view all the criteria mentioned above. Make sure the diamond is certified by one of the following three labs: GIA, HRD or IGI. In addition, to avoid any type of fraud, it is necessary to have the stone engraved and sealed by the laboratory. This ensures that your diamond conforms to the certificate that was previously shown! All this information will help you buy safely!

You can also see the diamond price by consulting the Rapaport index which averages the prices on the Diamond Stock Exchanges and thus determines the price of the diamond in tax-free dollars. This course allows you to know the exact value of your diamond.