JEWELLERY
Once every single diamond has been extensively examined and scrutinised to ensure it meets the four Cs criteria , Lizzie and her team negotiate hard with the diamond cutters to achieve the very best price .
Lizzie explained : “ Because we are cutting out the middle men it gives us a competitive advantage , allowing us to be even harder on our prices , as we can negotiate with the cutters directly for what we want .
“ When customers come to us we will always give them an eye glass and show them how to use it , so they can physically see what we are talking about . We will show them how to look for the clarity , how the colour effects the diamond , the cut and fluorescence . That ’ s always the fun part . It ’ s when the guys get interested , they ’ re intrigued by the science , as not all of them find buying diamonds as exciting as women .
“ It ’ s important to build that trust with the customer , so they ’ re assured they ’ re buying quality , can see what difference that quality makes and gives them the knowledge of precisely what they need to look for when diamond buying .”
Baker Brothers personally grade their diamonds before looking at its certification to see if they agree with it . Certification can cover inclusions , a natural part of a diamond created when they are formed in the earth . Depending on where the inclusions are , their size and colour , with grading denoted by letters , will dictate which category they are classified within for their clarity .
She explained while nearly every diamond will have some sort of inclusions its important there ’ s not too many and they are not over the middle of the diamond ’ s table , as the refraction of a diamond would cause this to appear multiple times .
Utilising illustrations , diagrams and an eye glass helps simplify the diamond buying process . Lizzie advocates sharing her extensive knowledge with customers so they can make an informed choice on such a significant purchase .
“ When choosing their diamond we advise our customers ideally they should ensure the cut and the clarity to be right but without paying a huge price for it . You don ’ t have to pay for an E colour diamond that is internally flawless when you could select a diamond for less money if you buy well across all four criteria . We encourage customers to select a style of ring they like and we will find a diamond tailored to their budget .”
64 The Art of Luxury Issue 47 2021