JEWELLERY
A CUT ABOVE THE REST
Lizzie explained her approach to hand picking Baker Brothers collection of loose diamonds . Many of which are incorporated in precious pieces , hand crafted by experts , as part of the businesses ’ bespoke design service .
“ We always start with the four Cs - cut , colour , clarity and carat . Terms people are familiar with however they don ’ t always understand how those factors can impact the diamond ’ s performance .
“ By buying diamonds loose it enables you to really see the cut , any imperfections , how well the girdle has been cut and how it performs . Sometimes you have extra facets in the diamond or inclusions in a certain place . Often that ’ s fine or it can cause issues when you try to set the diamond or have repair work carried out at a later date , it can cause a crack or chip .
“ We want to be able to see them in their purest form and once we are happy with the cut we will then look at the colour , the clarity and then the carat weight . We conduct our grading of the diamond first then we will consider carat weight and decide whether it fits our profile .”
The fluorescence of the diamond is examined , which under ultra violet light will give it a very bright blue light . A fluorescent diamond ’ s undesirable because it can emit a strange hue and make it look milky .
“ We buy our diamonds loose , direct from the cutters because we want to be able to see the diamond in its purest form and ensure there ’ s nothing hidden . It means we know the source it has come from , which enables us to demonstrate an ethical , legitimate sourcing chain .”
Baker Brothers has long-standing relationships with diamond cutters , operating within long-established companies , who understand the stringent rules and regulations Lizzie and her team expect and adhere to .
“ We have a history and renowned reputation for diamond buying expertise ; however we would never buy from any of our cutters without seeing the diamonds ourselves .
“ The first thing we would look for is the cut because it accounts for 80 percent of the diamond ’ s performance . It is the cut that is responsible for how well the diamond will refract and sparkle .
Issue 47 2021 The Art of Luxury
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