Have you ever looked at a diamond certificate and had no idea what all the numbers and percentages mean? Don’t worry, you are not alone. Starting out can be a bit daunting, not only do you have to find the ring that she likes but you need to make sure the rock you are putting your hard earned cash into is going to be worth it. The first thing that you are probably familiar with, if you have been paying attention to her subtle hints or done even just a little research is this thing called the 4C’s. They are Cut, Colour, Clarity and Cut Grade. The big question is which one is the most important? You can see my short video series here.
Here are the diamond 4 C’s in a nutshell in the order of their importance.
Diamond Cut
Is only talking about how well the diamond is cut – which ultimately means how much it is going to sparkle. It is that twinkle that her friends will see from across the room. Tip – Aim for an Excellent cut grade. Diamonds like a Passion8 diamond sit in the top 1% for diamond cut and will outsparkle normal excellent cut grade diamonds.
Diamond Colour
Is only talking about how white the diamond is. This is talking about the body colour of the stone and has nothing to do with the colour. The colour grade starts at D and goes down to Z. Tip – Aim for the top 3 colour grades – D, E, F. Any colour that is G in colour or lower will pull a lot of yellow.
Diamond Clarity
Is only talking about the natural inclusions you can see with a 10x magnifying lens. Tip – Aim for eye Clean SI clarity. As everyone’s eyesight is different make sure you look at the diamond with a lens before purchasing it. Looking at the plot on the diamond certificate will not tell you how good or bad the inclusion is.
Diamond Carat Weight
Is only talking about the physical size that you see. While this might seem like the most important to some ladies, it isn’t if it is coming at the expense of quality. Smaller more perfectly cut diamonds will actually have the same diameter as larger average cut diamond. Tip – Always go for a diamond that is slightly smaller of better quality. After all, do you want a diamond that looks better or one that weighs more? So now that we have that sorted, let’s look at what all the percentages mean. I wish it was as simple as looking at an excellent cut grade. The truth is the goal posts have widened significantly in the last 5 years. Today more and more diamonds are falling into the excellent category than ever before. In a recent price comparison on diamond certificates, I found as much as a 28% price difference between two identical diamonds (based on their paperwork). Both stones had been graded as a triple excellent cut grade. So it is vital to make sure you have a cut specialist look over your diamond. Just like going to a heart surgeon instead of a GP when you need specialist surgery, a diamond cut specialist will be able to show you where your diamond sits in the cut spectrum. Tip – Aim for a 57% table percentage – It will give the diamond more dispersion. (The blues, reds and yellows) If you want to make the best-informed decision on how to pick a stunning diamond and design a ring that will really blow her away – you can learn more about how to choose the perfect diamond by getting a free copy of the international award winning book and Amazon best seller – Rock Her World here.
HOW YOU’LL ROCK HER WORLD WITH THIS BOOK
What should I do before I look for a ring? Having decided to spend the rest of your life with your partner, what ground work do you need to do before venturing out
What is going to look the best on my partner’s hand? With so many different styles to choose from, having a ring that will compliment her hand is crucial.
How do I find the jeweller that’s right for me? There are many different niche jewellers out there, but which one is the right one?
Why buying a diamond on the internet is a mugs game Apart from the many internet scams out there, there are some real dangers associated with buying your diamond online.
Engagement ring design tips that will rock her world Expert style tips on how to really personalise your engagement ring and make it completely unique for your partner.
How much should I spend on the Rock? Is the 3-month rule still relevant? Should both partners contribute to the engagement ring?
Diamond 101: How to Master the 4Cs How to ensure that you are only paying for a difference that you can actually see with your own eyes.
How to pick a diamond that sparkles more than any other The benefits of choosing a high-performance diamond like a “hearts and arrows” diamond.
What the Independent Diamond Certificate is actually telling you An in-depth study on how to read a diamond certificate and what all the percentages mean.
Can diamonds be an investment? Should you buy a fancy coloured diamond to use in your engagement ring?
7 steps to the ultimate proposal How to make it a proposal that she will never forget.
How to make sure your engagement ring is protected Why you should insure your diamond engagement ring before you leave the store, and the insurance horror stories, when it all goes horribly wrong.
Billionaire investor Warren Buffett famously stated that “diversification is protection against ignorance.” At the moment it seems pretty hard to make money in most of the usual asset classes. Many of the most historically reliable investment vehicles, such as shares or property have failed to deliver spectacular results in the last few years. But you don’t have to be a billionaire like Warren Buffett to start investing in pink diamonds. The Pink diamonds have been increasing by 20%-30% every year for the last 5 years, which is a return that many fund managers would envy. What we have found is that the price of the investment pink diamonds has at least doubled over the last 5 years. Every year I go to buy pink diamonds I am always amazed at how much they have increased. Of course, it would be remiss of me if I did not mention that this is not legal or financial advice and you should seek your own advisor that can determine if this strategy is right for you. Clients today are looking to acquire Pink diamonds not just in their personal names, but in other investment vehicles such as a Self-Managed Super Fund (SMSF). Whatever your reason, whether it is diversifying your portfolio, saving for your own retirement or looking to acquire a family heirloom, The Pink Diamonds can be a solid investment.
Why are Pink Diamonds Increasing so rapidly?
There are 5 main reasons contributing to the year over year price increases.
1. In 2013 Argyle Transitioned from an above ground mine to an underground mine. The Argyle mine and processing plant operate 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year. All of these factors contribute to increasing running costs, which have an inflationary pressure on the rough cost of Pink diamonds. Furthermore, with underground mining, there is always the risk of a fatal accident which could see the mine close earlier than expected.
2. The kimberlite pipe where Argyle diamonds are found looks similar to a funnel. As they move further down the pipe, they are finding fewer and fewer diamonds. This leaves less rough to be cut into the desired round brilliant cut diamonds, which are in the highest demand.
3. Similar to the above point, as they find less and less diamonds the number of high quality deep pink diamonds they are finding is getting less and less. This is causing the deep pinks to increase at a faster rate than the mid – light pinks.
4. The demand for pinks is ever increasing. With this stunning Australian product attracting more and more attention, locally and internationally, more clients are seeking them out, not just for investment, but for personal use as well.
5. Projected end date. With the well-documented end date of 2020 predicted by Argyle, there is a finite timeframe in which to acquire them. While no one has a crystal ball, the prediction is that they could increase markedly after this end date, or when the mine is exhausted.
Grades of the Pink Diamond
There are 4 main colour grades when it comes to classifying Pink diamonds. Purplish Pink, Straight Pink, Pink Rose and Pink Champagne. The colour scale ranges from 1 -9, with one being the deepest pink diamond and 9 being like a decaf, skinny soy latte (or as I call it a ‘why bother’) Almost all pink diamonds have a primary colour and some have a secondary colour. Sometimes this secondary colour can give a little extra kick to the diamond. In the Purplish Pink scale, the purple hue can make a pink diamond look one shade deeper on the straight pink scale. So a 4PP pink diamond can sometimes look like a 3P. In the case of the Pink rose, it is often a brownish undertone that gives the diamond its stronger colour. A good tip when looking to buy a loose pink diamonds is to turn them upside down in a white sleeve to see the secondary colours.
Investing in Pinks
If you are looking for Investment Pink Diamonds the ideal range that I recommend is to aim for a 4P or 4PP to a 5P or 5PP. This allows for capital appreciation and can still be an affordable entry point, not just for you, but the purchaser you wish to sell the diamond to down the track. While deeper pink diamonds might be rarer and also appreciate in value at a greater rate, the number of potential buyers down the track will be less. Budget permitting, if a portfolio of pink diamonds is something that you would be interested in the minimum amount that I recommend would be $100,000. The aim here is to put together a selection of diamonds that will allow you to sell certain portions of the portfolio at a future point in time if you so wished. That way you can either neutralise the initial investment or greatly reduce it, while still leaving a portion of diamonds to further increase in value.
If you are ready to take the next step in your pink diamond investment journey, please feel free to contact me for complimentary 10 min pink diamond investment call or request our Investment Pink Diamond report. Alternatively, visit us in our Queen St Mall Diamond boutique to see a selection of pink diamonds for yourself. About Karl His international award-wining book, ” Rock Her World” is available now. If you would like help, in choosing the perfect diamond and would like an amazing experience around jewellery there is a lot of great information in “Rock Her World” Karl believes that choosing a piece of jewellery should be a phenomenal experience, and over the last 21 years has helped more than 5800 clients choose a special piece of jewellery that tells their story. Come and experience their brand new diamond boutique in the Queen St Mall.
Wear it, don’t warehouse it!
Do you have any unworn, old or broken pieces of jewellery lying around, unloved in your jewellery box? Maybe now is the right time to consider remodelling your jewellery?
Many people have inherited jewellery that while sentimental, is no longer their style. Or maybe you have a piece that has become damaged or is no longer wearable. Why not have these pieces transformed into something wonderful that you can and actually want to wear. Remodelling jewellery is a great way to give new life and new meaning to old precious pieces.
Apart from the fact that ‘up styling’ jewellery means you now have beautiful modern pieces that can be worn every day, you may also discover that your pieces are now worth a lot more than you think. Remodelling jewellery can add a lot of value to the piece, provided it has been done by a reputable jeweller. When a piece of jewellery is damaged, it loses any manufacturing value that it might once of had. When it is valued – damaged or unwearable jewellery is only given gold and base stone value.
What’s involved in remodelling jewellery?
First gather up any jewellery, whether you think it is valuable or not.
Sometimes the things that you think are worthless might have some partial gold in them. A qualified jeweller, will be able to quickly tell you what’s real or not, and whether there is any value there.
Have some idea of what you would like to remodel your jewellery into
Having a starting point will make it a lot easier for your designer to help you create something amazing from your old pieces. While it is the designers job to give you the ideas of what is possible, having an idea before you come in, will definitely cut down a lot of the design time.
Work our a budget
Whether you a remodelling a kitchen or a piece of jewellery it is always a great idea to work out how much you want to spend on the remodelling. Depending on what you have and what your new vision is, it could cost anywhere from $500 – $2000 or more. If you have expensive taste and would like to add more diamonds or other coloured gemstones to the piece, this would be an extra cost on top of the piece.
“Jewellery doesn’t belong in a drawer!”
Gather it up and visit us for a complimentary design consultation, and see how we can help you create something amazing from your unworn pieces. In your design consult, we will sit down with you and go through everything that you have and draw a 3D image of your new dream piece. You never know, you could discover thousands of dollars in value lying in your drawer!
In today’s world is there really still any justification for inequality between men and women in the workforce? I am constantly amazed when the subject comes up on TV or it is the punch line of a comedians joke. I think it is a sad reflection on our society, that in many industries women are paid less than their male counterparts for doing the exact same role.
Surely we have evolved as a civilisation, to see that in the workforce we deserve the same remuneration for the same job. Both genders are capable of significant contributions to the work force, and a person’s worth should be determined by what they contribute, not their gender. It is unfortunately not just their pay that they are sometimes missing out on, but also their future. As lower comparative wages, also means lower superannuation.
Here at Xennox Diamonds, we are always striving to find the most passionate and talented individuals, capable of delivering the most amazing experience to our clients. This is something that is not mutually exclusive to women or men. At the end of the day, I am looking for the X Factor, whoever it comes from, and I am looking for those that consider themselves professionals who are looking to achieve excellence. A thirst for knoweledge is also something that i think is vital not only for work specifically but life in general.
Regardless of their gender, the team that I am lucky enough to work with is rewarded based on the value they contribute to the business. While i understand that everyone has their different levels of things that motivate them, pay is not something that they are discriminated on.
That’s why, on International Women’s Day this year, I support the Pledge for Parity. It’s an important reminder that all of us in business can and must do so much more to promote equality, respect and fairness. It is for our wives, daughters, cousins and other extended family that we must do this.
Did you make a New Year’s Resolution last year that you didn’t keep or achieve?
By now you have probably recovered from your New Year’s festivities and made a few New Year’s resolutions. Ironically there are probably a number of them that you have recycled from last year. All those things that you want to change or improve, but never got around to doing. Whether it is something physical like losing a few kilos or business orientated like reaching more clients, having an incentive to achieve your New Year’s resolution is sure to increase your chances of success.
Goal Planning
When I sit down with clients we discover together what pieces are on their jewellery wish list and what major goals they would love to achieve for the coming year ahead. For some it might be a promotion or a number of successful client transactions, for others it is the completion of a project. Whatever your goal is, having a piece of jewellery to symbolise your achievement will not only give you the enjoyment of wearing it, but also spur you on to hit your next goal. One of the things that my clients often overlook is the power of goal setting – using diamonds as the carrot (pun intended). I always say that if a picture tells a thousand words, then your jewellery is a novel with a lifetime of memories. When I look at a piece of jewellery I am reminded of all the memories associated with it – how I designed it, where I sourced the diamonds from, how the jeweller made it etc…
Sally’s Story
One of my clients, Sally, had a goal of reaching 150 active recurring clients in her business. Sally’s incentive for working towards that goal was a new pair of gorgeous diamond studs. Throughout the year Sally worked tirelessly, putting in extra hours, sacrificing personal leisure time and even visited her diamond studs in the showroom as a motivator to stay on track. By the time the end of the year came around Sally actually ended up with 186 clients. Sally had been so motivated to achieving her goal that the extra momentum she had built up allowed her to blow her target out of the water. Now we use Sally’s earrings as a memory anchor to help her go after her next target of 250 clients. You see, every time Sally now looks in the mirror, she doesn’t just see her diamond studs, she sees everything those diamond studs represent. Sally is reminded of all the hard work she put in to achieve her goal, and ultimately how successful it makes her feel, which is a great sense of fulfilment for her. It also makes her excited about going after her next goal, which is a diamond bracelet. It doesn’t have to be a set of diamond studs for you; it might be a bracelet, a ring or a strand of pearls. Whatever your taste in jewellery is, link it to S.M.A.R.T. goal.
Set yourself one SMART goal
S – Specific, M – Measurable, A – Achievable, R – Relevant, T – Time sensitive.
I find limiting it to one main goal at a time works best, that is until you develop the skill set to handle multiple goals at once. That way you will avoid the vicious cycle of recycling your New Year’s resolutions. While the beginning of the year is a great time to set a goal, there is really no reason that you can’t do it at any time. Just follow the S.M.A.R.T acronym and link it with whatever is going to be your greatest currency, and you will be sure to achieve it. Accountability is also a great way to make sure that you stay on course to achieve your goal.
So what is your goal this year, and what is going to be on your jewellery wish list to motivate you to achieve it?
Like the old saying, “failing to plan, is planning to fail”. The time to set a new goal is now. So don’t wait another week or month to start putting your diamond S.M.A.R.T. goal together. I guarantee that when you look back in 12 months’ time, you will not only be amazed by the results, but you will have a lovely piece of jewellery to remember the journey.
About Karl
His recently released book, ” Rock Her World” is available now. If you would like help, in choosing the perfect diamond to help you achieve your goals for 2016, there is a lot of great information in “Rock Her World”or you can even listen to a sample chapter here. Karl believes that choosing a piece of jewellery should be a phenomenal experience, and over the last 21 years has helped more than 5800 clients choose a special piece of jewellery that tells their story.
Believe it or not Christmas and New Year’s Eve are the two biggest events on the calendar for proposals. Having helped over 5800 couples on their journey to finding their perfect engagement ring, it never ceases to amaze me how popular this time of year is.
I can’t really blame guys for choosing this time to propose. Everyone is normally taking time off with their partners to celebrate the holiday season, families are coming together, and lets be honest a fair amount of holiday cheer is involved. Whatever your reason for choosing this time of year to get engaged i have;
7 important tips that will help your proposal go off with a bang!
1. Find out how she would like to be proposed to.
While you might think that a public proposal in front of all of her family might be the romantic gesture she has been waiting for, the truth is most ladies would prefer a more personal intimate setting with just the two of you.
2. Propose with a ring.
While i am sure the answer would still be “YES”, proposing with a ring will DEFINITELY create a bigger WOW factor
3. Ask her father for his daughters hand in marriage.
I might be a romantic and a traditionalist, but i still think it is a nice gesture that most fiancée’s (and their dad’s) appreciate.
4. Rehearse what you are going to say
You might think you are a “wing it” kind of guy, but this is one of those special moments where you want to make sure everything is said just right. So spend a few minutes rehearsing what you are going to say before you get down on one knee. A lot of guys can get caught up in the moment, and if you haven’t practiced, all your best ideas may go out of the window.
5. Have a plan B.
Despite the best intentions and planning, sometimes things just don’t work out as well as you planned. So having a backup plan come sometimes calm the nerves. If you are planning an outdoor proposal, maybe have an indoor spot picked out, just in case Mother Nature tries to put a spanner in the works.
6. Take her out on a decoy date.
If this is the first time you have taken your partner out on a date in a long time, chances are she is going to suspect that something is up. So if a surprise proposal is high on your hit list, then makes sure you plan the lead in with a few extra outings.
7. Relax and have fun.
On many occasions a bride to be, has commented to me that their partner was acting really weird before the proposal. Just remember millions of guys have gone through what you are about to go through you, and millions will go through it after you. It really isn’t as scary as your mind might make it out to be.
Often the process of choosing an engagement ring can be all consuming, and it seems to take everything they have just to make this important decision. One of the great things i get to do is to coach guys through the process not just about buying an engagement ring, but all the things they need to do before and after the pick up the ring.
Just remember, it doesn’t need to be difficult. Choosing an engagement ring can not only be easy, but also a fun and enjoyable experience as well. So if you have been thinking of taking the plunge this Christmas time – Don’t put it of any longer. 🙂
If you would like help, in choosing the perfect engagement ring, there is a lot of great information in my recently published book,“Rock Her World” or you can listen to a sample chapter here
If you have ever planned a wedding or been involved in one, you will probably recall that terrible feeling in the pit of your stomach when you ask “how much is this going to cost.”
I know that there is a perception out there that the mere mention of the 7 letter word is going to push prices up 20% – 40%. But is this real or more of an urban myth?
At the end of the day, does it really cost any more to make something for a wedding than it does for a casual client? My belief is the answer is NO.
When we make a wedding ring, it doesn’t cost any more than someone who wondered in, looking to purchase the same thing to celebrate their one year anniversary. There are a number of elements that go together to make a wedding ring. You have the amount of gold or platinum used, the diamonds, the jeweller’s time to craft the ring and the setting cost of putting the diamonds into the ring. At the end of the day, if one ring costs more, then it is usually because there were more cost elements added into the equation.
The only exception that I can see in the wedding industry is that there may be some wedding business that needs to factor in some extra allowances because of the nature of their business. For example a wedding dress maker may need multiple consultations through the fitting process. Or a wedding florist may need to allow extra for the delivery of the flowers at a remote location or outside of normal business hours.
Of course you should always do your research. It is not always about the cheapest price, because there is always some willing to do it cheaper (even if it isn’t a better finished product). If you are paying more for one particular product, you want to make sure you are actually getting a better finished result. Look at reviews on Google to make sure that the business you are about to engage with has a good track record of happy clients.
There is really no reason that it should not cost more just because you mention the 7 letter word. Certainly if you find a wedding vendor that is trying to capitalise on the celebration of your wedding than you should definitely walk the other way.
If you would like help, in choosing the perfect engagement or wedding ring, there is a lot of great information in my recently published book, “Rock Her World”
If you’d like more tips like these about determining your ideal budget and choosing the perfect wedding rings, download a free copy of my book by clicking on this link here.
Alternatively, you can book a Discovery Session and come down to our luxury diamond showroom with a budget in mind and speak directly to our expert diamond consultants who can help you decide your maximum budget and find the right engagement ring for your needs.
Valentine’s day is one of the most romantic days of the year to propose. This Valentine’s day, to celebrate the launch of my newly published book “Rock Her World” – The Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Perfect Engagement Ring. I designed and created a beautiful Valentines Day engagement ring for one lucky couple to help them on their engagement journey.
After welcoming everyone, I wanted to give them a little overview on all the things that they needed to know about creating the perfect engagement ring. Expert tips on finding a diamond that sparkles unlike any other and some great options on how to protect your engagement ring once its made. Especially for the guys there were some great pointers on how to deliver the ultimate proposal.
You can watch the slide show of the Rock Her World presentation here. We were even fortunate enough to be able to raise $1000 for the MASKS Foundation (Make a sick kid smile)
Valentines Day Engagement Ring Finalists
To make sure we kept the guys on their toes, we drew 3 lucky finalists. The three lucky gentlemen then had to go to the back of the room, where I could give them some proposal advice, on how to make the proposal moment memorable. The ring was under safeguard of our dedicated security guard. Who not only held the magic ring box, but two additional boxes without a ring in it. The lucky grooms to be, then had to each select a box.
Valentines Day Proposal
With Nik finding himself the lucky winner, it was now time to propose. It was his turn to ask his special partner that question she had been waiting to hear. Nik did a fantastic job, and had many of the ladies (and some of the guys) in tears. Having told Joanne that win or lose, he was already a winner, he got down on one knee and proposed.
Valentines Day Engagement Ring
As the first one was created for Valentines day, I have decided to call this one VALENTINO. It also featured an Pink diamond set into the side of the setting, and a high performance 1 carat Passion8 “Hearts and Arrows” diamond in the centre.
If you would like to know more about this beautiful ring, please don’t hesitate to email me. We can make all our rings to suite any diamond size or quality.