DIAMONDS
the laing diamond guide
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DIAMONDS
BY
laing
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the laing diamond guide
the laing diamond guide
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Why So Desirable?
everlasting: Diamonds are the hardest natural
rare: Gem quality diamonds are very rare and
substance on earth and can only be scratched by
another diamond. It is a timeless purchase and
at 3 billion years old will be your oldest and most
precious possession. Your diamond will pass on
value and an emotional connection to future
generations. Unlike us, our diamonds are
unaffected by age.
expensive to mine. Over 250 tons of ore are
extracted and processed to find a single 1 carat
diamond. Of all gem quality diamonds mined
and cut, only 3% are of a sufficient quality to
become a ‘LAING DIAMOND’.
Diamonds really are forever.
beauty: The hardness of a diamond allows it to
take a magnificent polish with dazzling reflections.
It displays ‘Fire’ which breaks light into glimpses
of rainbow colours and is beautiful to behold,
even by candlelight.
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the laing diamond guide
symbolic: 1477 was the year the first diamond
engagement ring was given as a symbol of love.
Today, it still has all the virtues which makes
it the ultimate symbol of love, appreciation
and commitment.
All LAING diamonds are purchased through
reputable cutters in Antwerp and we remain
committed to the Kimberley Process to ensure
all our diamonds are ethically sourced.
the laing diamond guide
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How Do We Buy Our Diamonds?
As a 6th generation family jeweller, we’ve learnt
A LAING diamond is chosen for its brilliance, fire
a lot about diamonds over these 170 years.
and above all its sparkle. We search for diamonds
that are much more than just their
Each and every diamond is hand
certificate and in doing so we only accept
selected by Michael Laing obe and his
the top 3% of those we select from.
son Richard. Rather than relying on
Our in-store diamond specialists have
a diamond broker in the UK, we cut
years of training and experience and
out the middle man and select our
can talk you through the buying process.
diamonds in Antwerp, The Diamond
ESME
Above all, buying a diamond should
Capital of the World, buying from
AN EXCLUSIVE
be fun. Because we’ve put as much care
the best cutters and then setting the
LAING DESIGN
and attention into choosing our stones
diamonds into our bespoke settings.
as
you
have
into choosing your partner, you can
As we buy directly and manufacture most of our
be completely confident in the quality of your
rings ourselves, we guarantee the best diamond
diamond and enjoy the experience of finding the
for your budget.
one that’s perfect for you.
LAING diamonds are handpicked
in Antwerp by our ceo,
diamantaire Michael Laing obe.
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the laing diamond guide
the laing diamond guide
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It’s a Family Thing…
designed with personality.
Our signature ring settings were designed in house and are
named after the younger members of the LAING family.
Michael’s daughters and grand-daughters, with their
distinct personalities, have influenced a range of very unique
designs of ring collections.
THE
THE
THE
THE
SUZANNE
ESME
ANNA
SIENNA
COLLECTION
COLLECTION
COLLECTION
COLLECTION
sophisticated,
stylish, sensitive
and loving
graceful,
elegant, artistic
and perfectionist
unique, a dreamer,
thoughtful and
caring
playful, spirited,
fun-loving and
adventurous
excitable,
creative, humorous,
and kindhearted
These stunning and unique family collections are all
available in different carat weights, metals and prices.
LAING Edinburgh is also proud to present D-Colour rings
within all of our collections. D-Colour is the world’s finest
colour of diamond. They are vivacious, pure and cut to burst
with colour and sparkle. They are available in a variety of
mounts and in all LAING family settings.
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the laing diamond guide
the laing diamond guide
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the 5 c’s
cut clarity colour carat certification
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the laing diamond guide
the laing diamond guide
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the 5 c’s: cut clarity colour carat certification
the 5 c’s: cut clarity colour carat certification
Cut…
Using a Proportion Scope
cut... to perfection or rejection
Cut is not only the shape of different diamond
cuts; it is the attention to detail and expertise
in cutting the diamond to the best proportions
and polish.
cut is without doubt the most
important factor in releasing
the beauty of a diamond.
An expertly cut diamond of perfect proportions,
symmetry and polish will communicate across a
room where the same diamond, poorly cut will
not! In effect, the difference in brightness between
a 100 watt and a 40 watt light.
The greatest defining quality of a LAING diamond is
that it is selected for having ‘charisma’ – that extra
life and sparkle that stands out from other similar
quality diamonds.
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A poorly cut diamond needs more light to
stand out where a perfectly cut diamond will
show ‘fire’ and ‘brilliance’ and communicate even
in a candle-lit restaurant.
Hearts
Arrows
When a diamond is viewed from the bottom, the image
of 8 perfectly formed hearts can be seen in a perfectly
cut diamond:
When a diamond is viewed from the top, the image
of 8 perfectly formed arrows can be seen in a perfectly
cut diamond:
top tip: As all jewellers have bright lights,
always look at your diamond away from direct
light. E.g. Under the table or in shadow.
top tip: When selecting your diamond,
always look at it through a Jeweller’s Loupe
(magnifying glass) and through a Proportion
Scope which reveals the quality of cut and
proportion of your diamond.
We will show you how to use a Loupe and
Proportion Scope. We also give a complimentary
Proportion Scope with every LAING diamond.
the laing diamond guide
perfect
very good
good
poor
perfect
very good
good
poor
absolute
symmetrical
hearts
asymmetrical
hearts,
unequal
intervals
irregular
hearts,
equal
spacing
broken
hearts,
irregular
spacing
thoroughly
uniform
arrows
incomplete
arrows,
irregular
facets
broken
arrows,
malformed
shapes
unrecognizable
arrows
These patterns are only visible when a diamond is perfectly proportioned. This is because all the facets align
perfectly to create this pattern. When Michael Laing is hand selecting our diamonds he ensures that every single
LAING diamond shows the hearts and arrows pattern. This means our diamonds have the greatest fire and brilliance.
When a diamond does not show this hearts and arrows pattern it means more of the light entering the
diamond is lost out the sides and bottom of the diamond.
the laing diamond guide
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the 5 c’s: cut clarity colour carat certification
the 5 c’s: cut clarity colour carat certification
Diamonds are often cut to maximise the carat weight resulting in a loss of beauty. A LAING diamond is cut for
beauty displaying obvious ‘fire’ which breaks light to the colours of the rainbow. This ensures a LAING diamond
radiates great life and brilliance and appears larger.
Deep–Cut
Reject ✘
light
lost
light
Perfect–Cut
LAING DIAMOND
f ire
light
1 carat
‘Fancy Cut’ diamonds are very elegant
and to achieve beauty and brilliance
require the same consideration to the
quality of the cut.
round
emerald marquise radiant
asscher
light
girdle
too thin
girdle
too thick
1 carat
Shallow–Cut
Reject ✘
dare to be different…
oval
lost
light
1 carat
too thin
perfect shape
pear
too squat
princess
heart
cushion
not all pears are the same…
It is surprisingly difficult to find
fancy-cut stones that are just the right
proportions. Some square Princess
Cut stones are far off square and
Ovals come in all shapes and sizes.
diameter 6mm
too deep often shows dull
‘nailhead effect’ appears smaller
than 1 carat (0.77cts)
poor light return
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diameter 6.4mm
excellent proportion
maximises fire and brilliance
maximum light returned
We only pick those that meet the
‘perfect’ criteria.
diameter 6.8mm
too shallow often shows ugly
‘f ish eye effect’
appears larger than 1 carat
poor light return
the laing diamond guide
the laing diamond guide
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the 5 c’s: cut clarity colour carat certification
the 5 c’s: cut clarity colour carat certification
Clarity
surface inclusions
clarity… f law-less is more
All diamonds have minor inclusions (internal)
or blemishes (surface) except the very rare ‘flawless’
diamonds in which the expert eye can find no
markings under 10 times magnification.
so what is the clarity of a laing diamond?
A LAING diamond could be from ‘Flawless to VS2’.
We do select some exceptional SI1 and SI2 diamonds
which have unobtrusive markings and great brilliance,
representing fabulous value for money.
Flawless diamonds are much more expensive and it
is important to understand that a diamond does
not have to be flawless to be beautiful! It’s all about
the type of inclusion, its size and most importantly
its location.
No diamond below an SI2 would ever be considered
as a LAING diamond.
As a general guide, diamonds are graded according to the scale below:
i3
i2
slightly
included
i1
si2
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si1
vs2
vs1
vvs2
vvs1
flawless
very very
very
slightly slightly
included included
No LAING diamond will have obvious
black inclusions.
Up to 1 in 3 diamonds are believed to have
had Laser Treatment or Fracture-Filling, which
artificially improve the clarity to increase the price.
A future repair to a ring with such stones could
cause your diamond to lose clarity or even shatter.
We will reject every diamond offered to us with
obvious inclusions visible in the ‘table’ facet or at
the girdle edge that weakens the stone and could
chip in the future.
included
the laing diamond guide
have…
We reject any diamond where the natural inclusion
‘breaks the surface.’ This interferes with reflection
and creates weakness in the diamond which could
become a bigger crack or chip in the future.
We reject these stones and recommend that every
diamond over 0.30 cts has a certificate from a
respected laboratory.
laing diamonds
LAING DIAMONDS never
Reject ✘
Reject ✘
obvious inclusions
in the table facet
inclusions at the girdle
edge risk of future chip
Reject ✘
Surface Inclusions
Potential Future Chip
the laing diamond guide
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the 5 c’s: cut clarity colour carat certification
Colour
A ‘colourless’ diamond is the best white diamond
you can buy. It absorbs more light and releases more
‘fire’ and ‘brilliance.’
Diamonds above colour ‘I’ become increasingly
rare and, if well cut, they have greater beauty and
brilliance.
‘D’ colour diamonds are the rarest and the best
colour grade of diamond.
A LAING diamond is generally between ‘D’ and ‘H’
colour and the only ‘I’ colours we ever select must
have particularly good clarity, cut and value to make
the grade.
No diamond below ‘I’ colour would ever be considered
a LAING diamond.
colour grading scale
laing diamonds
def
ghij
colourless
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the laing diamond guide
nearly
colourless
klm
nopqr
faint
yellow
very light
yellow
the laing diamond guide
D C OLOU R
THE WORLDS RAREST
WHITE DIAMOND
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the 5 c’s: cut clarity colour carat certification
Carat…
carat... the weight, not the size, of a diamond
0.25
cts
0.50
cts
0.75
cts
1.00
cts
1.50
cts
2.00
cts
2.50
cts
3.00
cts
3.50
cts
One carat is divided into 100 points.
¾ CARAT = 0.75cts (or 75 points).
½ CARAT = 0.50cts (or 50 points).
66%
58%
Carat weight alone does not determine a diamond’s
value. Value is a combination of all the 4 C’s. Larger
diamonds are much more rare and therefore much
more valuable.
6.20
6.60
We specialise in large investment diamonds directly
from the Antwerp Cutters. Ask our Diamond Team
for details.
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the above diagrams show two 1 ct. diamonds: the
diamond on the left has a deep cut and appears
smaller from above.
the laing diamond guide
the laing diamond guide
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the 5 c’s: cut clarity colour carat certification
Certification
the best advice we can give you
Every diamond over 0.30 cts should only be purchased
with an Independent Laboratory Certificate.
We strongly recommend the following certificates as
being reliable and trusted in the trade:
Small changes in the colour, clarity and cut makes
a big difference to the value of a diamond.
Today reputable jewellers will have their diamonds
independently tested to give you comfort that the
quality is correct and to help you compare prices.
• G.I.A – Gemmological Institute of America
• H.R.D – Diamond High Council (Antwerp)
• I.G.I – International Gemmological Institute
• A.G.S – American Gem Society
• AnchorCert – Gem Laboratory of Birmingham Assay Office
• B.G.I. – British Gemmological Institute
It is relatively inexpensive to certificate a diamond
and you should never just take the salesperson’s
word on the quality.
if you are offered a certif icate from a
laboratory not named above – be very
cautious.
are all certif icates the same? absolutely not.
Every LAING diamond ring with a diamond over
0.30 cts comes with an independent certificate
from a respected laboratory.
We see some certificates which grossly exaggerate
quality and therefore value.
We only use respected gem laboratories which have
the highest standards and who we know we can trust.
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A certificate will also refer to the fluorescence of the
diamond. “Strong” or “very strong” implies that the
diamond may look milky and they are less valuable.
No LAING diamond has strong fluorescence.
the laing diamond guide
the laing diamond guide
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Eternity Rings & Wedding Rings
Ancient cultures believed that the circle was a
symbol of perfection, representing peace, with
the hole in the middle of a ring, representing
a gateway to the future.
Traditional or contemporary, diamond set or
entirely bespoke, enjoy a glass of champagne in
store while you make that important decision.
Today eternity rings are often given to mark
a significant anniversary or the birth of a child.
We have a stunning selection of eternity rings
for you to mark that moment with.
“My love will run out
at the circle’s end”
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the laing diamond guide
the laing diamond guide
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Bespoke Design
All jewellery purchases have an emotional
significance to them. And that’s particularly true
if you go that little step further by commissioning
a unique item for yourself.
She also designs wedding rings to perfectly match
your engagement ring. Whatever your thoughts,
though, feel free to arrange an appointment so
that you can share them with Sarah.
If that’s something you’re considering, our Head
of Design Sarah Alexander ba (hons) would be
delighted to see you at one of her complimentary
design consultation appointments.
If you’d like to speak to someone about this
service or to make an appointment please call
0131 225 4513 or email
[email protected]
To give Sarah an idea of your personal taste, bring
along some of your existing jewellery, photographs,
images, designs you like, or even a link to your
Pinterest account. Sarah specialises in remodelling
older jewellery, keeping a connection with the past
while transforming it into something designed
especially for you.
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the laing diamond guide
the laing diamond guide
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laing edinburgh
29 Frederick Street
Edinburgh EH2 2ND
t 0131 225 4513
[email protected]
laingedinburgh.com
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LAING EDINBURGH
the laing diamond guide