What Clarity Should the Diamond Have?

When it comes to buying a diamond watch, you will often only come across high-priced companies like Rolex, Audemars Piguet or Patek Philippe. Some of these companies have made it their policy to only use diamonds of the categories FL (flawless) and VVS1 or VVS2 as a quality feature. With this one has arrived at the absolute top class of diamonds. Such diamonds have no imperfections or only those that can be seen by experts under 20x magnification (VVS2). If such a watch is on the shortlist, it must be clear that this is not only a piece of jewelry but also an investment since the mounting of FL and VVS diamonds on a watch is absolute master craftsmanship.

 

In my opinion, the clarity of the diamonds for a diamond watch is not the first criterion that should be decisive. As long as the diamond has no visible inclusions, such diamonds are called SI1 or SI2, all diamonds should be suitable for mounting on a watch. However, if the watch is also seen as an investment, then one should definitely at least choose VVS diamonds, as they have a very good reputation and will not lose value for the next decades. To find a wide range of VVS diamond watches the company Rolex is a good choice.

womens diamond gold watch

Where can diamonds be mounted?

The ways in which diamonds were mounted on watches have become fancier and fancier. Symbols or numbers on the dial are often replaced by diamonds. For example, the 12 numbers can be replaced by small 0.5-carat diamonds. Another possibility is to round the dial of 0.8-carat diamonds. A very expensive variant is to replace the entire watch strap with diamonds. This is usually a silver or platinum watch band as a base and then diamonds are mounted on the entire outer surface. If this is done in combination with the above-mentioned possibilities, practically the entire watch is made of diamonds, such as those made by Van Cleef & Arpels. How many and how the diamonds are mounted remains a matter of taste and ultimately also a question of money.

Diamond Watches

expensive diamond watchDiamonds on watches have long been a status symbol, as watches are on the one hand something elegant and diamonds on the other hand are expensive. Even though traditionally women wear diamond watches, in recent years, numerous diamond watches for men have come on the market and many celebrities men let themselves be photographed with diamond watches. Therefore I will explain in this article what is important when buying diamonds for a watch, regardless of whether the diamonds are bought for a men’s or women’s watch.

The most important characteristics of a diamond

Regardless of what the diamonds are used for, there are four important quality characteristics by which the value of a diamond is measured. These 4 characteristics are called 4C’s in the world of the diamond trade.

The first C stands for color and describes the color of a diamond. The color of a diamond is indicated on the official scale of the GIA from D to Z and is verified with certificates. D corresponds to a colorless, flawless diamond, while Z diamonds have a yellow tinge.

The second C stands for the clarity of a diamond and describes if and if so how many and how large irregularities the diamond has. Irregularities and small imperfections are normal, as diamonds are created under great pressure, but are usually not visible to the naked eye.

The third C stands for carat and describes the weight of the diamond. Here, 0.2 grams is a carat, which in turn is divided into 100 points. A diamond that weighs 100 grams has 50 points or half a carat.

The last of the four C’s stands for the cut, known cuts are emerald or Asscher-cut. None of the four characteristics should be seen separately as they are all interrelated. For example, the more carat a diamond has, the harder it becomes to get a diamond of color D. So if you want a large, heavy diamond and do not have endless money available, you will have to make concessions in the color.

Which of the characteristics is important if the diamonds are to be mounted on a watch?

If many diamonds are to be mounted around the dial of a watch, care should be taken to ensure that the diamonds are all the same color. An L diamond next to an E diamond would make both diamonds appear less radiant, thus reducing the value of both. It would be better to choose two G diamonds for example. If it is desired that the dial is surrounded by diamonds, a beautiful optical effect can be achieved by an alternating sequence of two diamond colors. For example, F diamonds can be alternated with K diamonds, giving the watch a special style. For more information on this you need to click on Your Diamond Teacher – diamond watches.

The choice of the right diamond, however, depends very much on how the diamond watch should look like in the end and which materials the watch itself is made of. For example, if there is a lot of gold in the watch, it makes little sense to choose a D, E or F diamond, because L, M or N diamonds will look just as beautiful. This can be explained by the fact that diamonds reflect the ambient light and thus absorb the yellow gold of the watch.

An F diamond can therefore quickly look like an L diamond, even though it costs twice as much. With a gold watch, it is better to save money on the color and invest the money in diamonds with 1 to 1.5 carat, for example, as these will enhance the watch’s appearance. The situation is different, however, if a silver or platinum-colored watch is chosen, as these materials are very bright. For light materials, D, E, F or G diamonds are the best choice. These cost considerably more, but they are practically colorless, which makes the silver or platinum shine.