Wildflower Diamond Guide
At TW McClelland, we emphasize beauty and artistry over commerce. That being said, the economics and other concerns related to purchasing a diamond are real. There are many ways for an individual to purchase a natural diamond, and there is also the more recent influence of laboratory diamonds on the market. It can be complicated.
With over forty years of experience, sourcing, cutting, and working with diamonds, we are experts and can be helpful in the process. To get you up to speed here is a short outline.
Virtually all retail jewelers will emphasize the diamond as being the major aspect of an engagement ring purchase. This goes for online purchases as well as the finest retailers. The diamond industry has commoditized diamonds to upsell and increase profits.
The scale of diamond grades and qualities has been used to micro-determine value and cost, even though there is often very little visual difference between two similar stones. No diamond jeweler will ever tell you that, but it’s true.
Years ago there were more general categories of diamond grades; colorless, near colorless, eye-clean, etc. As diamonds became more commoditized, it was an advantage to the dealers to make the differences more detailed. Now, there are the Four Cs of Cut, Color, Clarity, and Carat Weight that we have been told matter most. While these details are important, they are not as important to most people as, “Is it beautiful and in my budget?”
There are many ways to find a beautiful diamond for a Wildflower ring.
Purchase a natural diamond from us
All the diamonds we sell are perfect for Wildflower ring mountings. We encourage selecting the mounting first, and then finding the perfect diamond for that mounting. All our mountings accommodate modern round diamonds, but we do use cushion, oval and old European cut diamonds as well. Extra care must be used with these to assure the balance of the finished ring. Our diamond expert will be happy to walk through this process with you.
2. Use a family or inherited diamond
Often, we are asked if we can mount an existing family diamond in a Wildflower mounting. Very often we can provided the diamond falls within our quality standards. The round diamond should be the minimum size (or larger) for the desired mounting, should be well cut, and of at least I color and SI1 clarity. Often inherited diamonds are an older cut version of a modern brilliant-cut diamond. They are known as Old European Cut diamonds. These can be very beautiful and work well in Wildflower mountings. Sometimes they do not work or are of a lower grade that is acceptable for these mountings. It is necessary to have a certificate and report describing the individual diamond. This will help determine the value of the diamond, and whether it is right for a Wildflower ring. Please reach out and we can help you understand the diamond you are hoping to use.
3. Purchase a Lab Grown Diamond from us
Lab-grown diamonds are increasingly popular and a fraction of the cost of a naturally occurring diamond. The quality is identical, and it appears there is less environmental impact, although there is a significant amount of energy needed to create these diamonds. The question becomes then whether they are valuable. Being created by man, they are far from scarce. The prices and resale value reflect this. At the present time, naturally occurring diamonds are far more valuable and hold their value as an investment. For the purpose of creating a beautiful engagement ring, we would be happy to use a lab-grown diamond. The choice is yours. We use the best verifiable and laboratory-graded stones.
4. Purchase a natural diamond
from another source
Some customers prefer to purchase their diamond elsewhere. There are many ways for consumers to do this including local retail jewelers or online platforms. If the diamond fits the parameters of quality we require, we will gladly set a diamond from another source. We require round diamonds to be of the correct minimum size, to be very well cut, and of minimum I color and SI1 quality. There are other factors that will determine whether the stone is appropriate, but that is a general guide. Always contact us in advance of making a diamond purchase for a Wildflower ring.