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Quasar Diamond Buying Guide

We have put together a Diamond Buying Guide which is available at all leading New Zealand jewellers or you can view or download from our website, links to the right.

ABOUT NZ GEM

NZ Gem is proudly a New Zealand owned and operated family business (giving you protection under NZ consumer laws).

We have an extensive selection of high quality individual stones in round and fancy shapes. There is also a vast range of small parcel goods all of the highest quality in terms of symmetry, cut, colour and clarity. All our individual stones are checked by qualified diamond graders and provided a Quasar report. This report measures up to 15 different parameters which combined are unique to the diamond listed on the report. Small goods are individually hand measured on gauge to ensure consistency of sizing of product supplied.

NZ Gem is a loose diamond wholesaler, we do not deal directly with the public. All our wholesale customers are provided secure access to our online system for reviewing stock and pricing. We encourage our wholesale customers to have diamonds out on memo for 10 days to allow them to make selections with their clients.  All orders go out same day with delivery the following day throughout NZ.  Auckland based customers can also use our one hour express delivery service.

Our Quasar diamond buying guide is a popular way of educating the end customer about diamonds and what to look for when purchasing diamonds and diamond jewellery.

The Quasar Brand

Quasar Diamonds are owned by a New Zealand company who have been a leading supplier of diamonds to jewellers throughout New Zealand and Australia for over 30 years.

Because Quasar Diamonds are all hand selected by qualified experts we are able to guarantee their quality.

A Quasar Diamond always has a minimum “Excellent” or “Very Good” cut grade, therefore displaying maximum brilliance. Inferior diamonds sacrifice the quality of cut and beauty to save diamond weight.

Inferior diamonds are cut this way as it allows some sellers to catch out unwary buyers who frequently pay more for these stones than they are actually worth. For example a diamond that is 6.3mm, which should be sold as a .9ct, can be cut as a 1ct selling at 25-35% more than it's true value.

All Quasar Diamonds come with a “Quasar Report” which is your guarantee of quality. This report measures up to 15 different parameters which combined are unique to the diamond listed on the report.

Quasar Diamonds are available at all leading NZ jewellers.

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Quality Starts Here - Our 4 C's

The Quality and Value of a Diamond is determined by the 4 C's. Diamonds with the highest 4C ratios are the rarest and therefore the most valuable.

1. CUT

The Cut Grade measures how the individual proportions combine to affect the beauty of a diamond. Diamonds with a high cut grade will have a high degree of brightness, fire (rainbow colours) and scintillation (sparkle). High cut grades include "Excellent" and "Very Good" (Quasar Diamonds range), midrange includes "Good", and low end includes "Fair" and "Poor".

2. COLOUR

Quasar Diamonds are graded using the G.I.A and HRD colour grading scale (D-Z). Most diamonds are colourless to slightly yellow. The highest grade is "D" or colourless exceptional white +) and extends to "Z" or light yellow.

3. CLARITY

All diamonds contain imperfections. The very best, and rarest, clarity is Flawless (FL). Because many inclusions are not visible to the naked eye, diamonds are graded under 10x magnification.

4. CARAT WEIGHT

Diamond weight is measured in carats and 100pts = 1 ct..

Shapes

Diamonds can be cut in various shapes. Fancy shape is the term given to non round shapes. Rounds are by far the most popular shape. Princess cut is the most popular fancy shape. 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is a Quasar Diamond? What guarantee do I have when buying a Quasar Diamond?

A Quasar Diamond is a diamond which has a minimum "Excellent" or "Very Good" cut grade, therefore displaying maximum brilliance. Inferior diamonds sacrifice cut and beauty to save weight. This enables the seller to charge a higher price. Because Quasar diamonds are all hand selected we are able to guarantee the quality of all Quasar Diamonds. Quasar Diamonds are owned by a New Zealand company. The owners have been a leading supplier of diamonds to jewellers throughout New Zealand and Australia for over 30 years. Therefore, when buying a Quasar Diamond you will also be protected under New Zealand consumer laws.

What are the common pitfalls of buying diamonds on the internet?

Diamonds with the following characteristics frequently end up "stockpiled" on internet websites as they have been rejected by reputable dealers. Most genuine stones are bought by wholesalers "straight from the cutting wheel". It is difficult to gauge without seeing a diamond where in the grade the diamond lies. Customers need to be aware as this can greatly affect the price e.g high SI2 clarity can cost up to 75% more than very low SI2 (SI3). This is not made clear on the certificate. There are many of these "lower stones" listed on internet sites. Customers should be aware of the price decrease for smaller diameter stones even if they still get "Excellent" or "Very Good" cut grades. e.g A 6.3mm 1ct round diamond should sell for more than 20% less than a 6.4mm stone. This is because a 6.3mm stone is arguably a 0.9ct diamond with weight held on it. In our opinion, the correct diameters for round diamonds should be as follows: ● 2ct - 8.0mm+ ● 1.5ct - 7.35mm+ ● 1ct - 6.4mm+ ● 0.9ct - 6.2mm+ ● 0.8ct - 5.9mm+ ● 0.7ct - 5.7mm+ ● 0.6ct - 5.4mm+ ● 0.5ct - 5.1mm+ ● 0.4ct - 4.7mm+ There are some diamonds that emit light (fluorescence) when exposed to U.V radiation. The light lasts as long as the diamond is exposed to the U.V radiation. Fluorescence is described as None, Faint, Medium, Strong, and Very Strong. Nil to medium fluorescence has no noticeable negative affect on the appearance of a diamond. In some instances strong or very strong fluorescence will impact negatively on a diamonds appearance by making it appear oily or milky. There are a lot of these strongly fluorescent hard to sell stones listed on the internet. Some diamonds are "smoky". Smokiness is caused by sub microscopic particles and is usually not disclosed on diamond reports. Diamonds should be accompanied by a reputable suppliers report or independent certificate. The HRD and GIA (Gemmological Institute of America), are arguably the most respected international Diamond Grading Labs. There are many other international certificates such as IGL, EGL, AGS, CGL, etc. The standards of these other certificates vary, some being historically softer, some harder. In our opinion the main reason for a grading lab to give softer grades is to get more business from members of the diamond trade who want to increase their profits by selling lower quality diamonds given higher grades for higher prices. A lot of internet lists are virtual and the stones may no longer exist. Some certificates listed on the internet may be incorrect or fraudulent. Even with our knowledge, we wouldnt be brave enough to buy a diamond by observing a certificate, even a good certificate on the internet. In our experience, we would normally end up only buying 10% of stones actually viewed in person. In other words "buyer beware".

What is a Diamond?

Diamond is a naturally occuring form of carbon crystallised at extremely high temperature and pressure. In nature, diamonds were formed approximately 200 kilometres below the earths surface approximately 3500 million years ago just after the formation of the earth. Diamond is by far the hardest of all known natural substances.

How can my diamond be identified and are Quasar Diamonds conflict free?

All Quasar Diamonds are supplied with a diamond report. This report measures 15 different parameters. Because no two diamonds are alike, the parameters measured on this report can be used to identify an individual diamond. All Quasar Diamonds have been purchased from sources not involved in funding conflicts and in compliance with UN resolutions.

What is a round diamonds cut grade?

The "Cut Grade" measures how the individual proportions of a diamond combine to affect a diamonds beauty. All Quasar Diamonds have "Excellent" or "Very Good" cut grades. Diamonds with "Excellent" and "Very Good" will display more: ● Brightness - white light seen when viewing a diamond ● Fire - when white light is dispersed into the spectral "rainbow" colours ● Sparkle - the sparkling flashes that come from the facets of the gem when it is tilted are known as scintillation or sparkle Quasar uses GIA Facetware to estimate a round diamonds cut grade.

Proportions, Symmetry and Polish all make up the diamonds cut grade. What are these?

Proportions are by far the most important factor responsible for a diamonds beauty and cut grade. The proportions refers to the diamonds dimensions, facet angles and the relationships between them. Symmetry refers to the exactness of its outline, as well as the placement and how "identical" each of a facet type is to the other facets of the same type. Polish refers to the overall smoothness of the diamonds surface. Symmetry and polish combined are referred to as the "finish".

Why is there no international cut grade standard for fancy shape (non round diamonds)?

At the present time there are no universally accepted cut standards for fancy cut diamonds. Quasar fancy cut diamonds are bought for their high standard of cut. Quasar allocates cut grades using SARIN LASER and visual imaging.

What is SI3 clarity?

SI3 is a clarity grade universally accepted by most manufacturers and sellers of diamonds on the international market. It is not however recognised by the majority of gemmological labs including HRD and G.I.A. Because SI2 encompasses such a wide range of clarity (top SI2 is substantially higher in clarity than bottom SI2) the grade SI3 was given to diamonds at the very bottom end of SI2. These diamonds sell on the international market for SI3 price, are usually graded SI2 by the HRD or G.I.A but will occasionally be graded I1.

What is fluouresence and what impact does it have on the appearance of the diamonds?

Some diamonds emit light (fluorescence) when exposed to U.V radiation. The light lasts as long as the diamond is exposed to the U.V radiation. Fluorescence is described as None, Faint, Medium, Strong and Very Strong. Nil to medium fluorescence has no noticeable negative effect on the appearance of a diamond. In some instances strong or very strong fluorescence will impact negatively on a diamonds appearance by making it appear oily or milky.

What is hearts and arrows? Do hearts and arrows diamonds receive a better cut grade?

Some diamonds are branded "Hearts and Arrows". Hearts and Arrows refer to diamonds that have excellent symmetry. When viewed through a special machine "eight hearts" are displayed in the face down position, and "eight arrows" in the face up position. Sometimes Hearts and Arrows diamonds dont sparkle like they should. This is because some manufacturers do not cut the halves (halves are responsible for sparkle) deep enough into the diamond. The manufacturers do this to save weight and to produce a Hearts and Arrows pattern. Because different cut grades can display Hearts and Arrows patterns, we believe it is more important to buy diamonds with a high standard of cut rather than a diamond which gives a nice pattern viewed through a special machine.

There are so many diamond brands on the market. is there an advantage to buying a diamond brand?

In the past few years there has been a proliferation of diamond brands, many sold at a higher price than the same diamond without a brand name. In our opinion, if a high standard of cut is required we would recommend buying a diamond with a "Very Good" or better cut grade on G.I.A Facetware or similar recognised grading system.

How can my diamond be identified and are Quasar Diamonds conflict free?

All Quasar Diamonds are supplied with a diamond report. This report measures 15 different parameters. Because no two diamonds are alike, the parameters measured on this report can be used to identify an individual diamond. All Quasar Diamonds have been purchased from sources not involved in funding conflicts and in compliance with UN resolutions.