Do “Flaws” Matter?

Do they? Do flaws matter? I guess that depends on what I’m talking about and who I’m asking. If I’m talking about the human body, then I’m getting into a very subjective topic, because beauty is in the eye of the beholder right? Growing up with four sisters, I remember as a teenager standing in front of a mirror complaining and picking myself apart until my eyes bled. “Why out of ALL PLACES  do I have a birthmark HERE?!” Unfortunately, with the birth of social media, it hasn’t gotten any better. I can guarantee you one thing though, you know who isn’t complaining? PLASTIC SURGEONS! Physically tearing you apart and putting you back together is a multi-billion dollar industry! I do have to say.. I’ve seen some really good plastic surgery, but I’ve also seen some that makes you stare for uncomfortably long periods of time questioning reality. 

Speaking of birthmarks, I bet you didn’t know diamonds have those too. Let me explain. When I’m educating someone about the clarity of a diamond, which is just one of the 4C’S when determining value, I break it all down in an easy to understand platform, because all of this info can be overwhelming and make you beg for a shot of vodka. So listen up! Diamonds have inclusions which are imperfections that they’re “born” with. I call inclusions “ birthmarks”.  See where I’m going with this? Not yet… ok lets keep going. Not ALL inclusions or “birthmarks” are created equal. Some are not noticeable at all, while others are HORRIFIC. We don’t sell the horrific here, but we see it on occasion. Our diamond inventory consists of diamonds that are clean to the naked eye that are priced at a great value. But you may wonder, is there hope for a horrific diamond?  Is there something equivalent to a plastic surgeon to help with it’s ugly? Can it transform from an ugly duckling into a majestic swan? Technically, it can but there are risks involved. These treated stones are called laser drilled diamonds. A tiny laser hole is drilled to access the inclusion or “birthmark”. The stone is then boiled in acid or chemicals to bleach it. Or, they can burn it away with a laser. However, the tunnel created from the laser is detectable to a professional, so we always know when we see one which isn’t very often. With that said, these diamonds aren’t worth as much and most people don’t purchase them. They can also be more fragile due to the trauma of the laser. So diamonds, much like people can be fragile after they’ve experienced trauma! WHO KNEW? Another treatment for color NOT clarity is called HPHT or High Pressure High Temperature Process which enhances a natural diamond’s color. This can only be done to a very small percentage of brown diamonds. Let me break it down - you lovingly take the ugly duckling and pop it into a special pressurized oven where it reaches astronomical temperatures that mimic mother earth’s womb from whence it originated AND BAM! It turns a brownish diamond into a whiter, more beautiful stone. If these brown stones had stayed and partied underground for a million more years or so, they could have developed into colorless stones. It’s like taking cookies (diamonds)  prematurely out of the oven (earth) and throwing them back in to cook longer in a man made pressurized oven. With our professionally trained eyes, at Green Hills Diamond Brokers, 99.9% percent of the time, we can tell you what you have and it’s worth on the market today. We give FREE verbal APPRAISALS on fine jewelry and luxury watches and if you choose to sell to us, you have a few options. You can cash in or trade in whatever you have, even if you didn’t purchase it from us! You can upgrade that 25 year old marquise cut set in gold to whatever your heart desires! With our selection of GIA certified diamonds, you have PLENTY of stones  to choose from, and I can show you diamonds with or without ”birthmarks”. So do flaws matter? Unfortunately, in the diamond world they do, because they affect the value of the stone. But if you’re curious, come visit us at Green Hills Diamond Brokers and we’ll show you all different kinds of diamonds with their unique “birthmarks”. 

This also applies to the diamond world, but HOW? Well, it’s pretty black and white. In the diamond industry, we use a chart that tells us how flawless or included a diamond is. This is called clarity- the measure of being clear. The less flaws a diamond has, the more rare it is, therefore the more expensive it gets. I also refer to inclusions as birthmarks so people remember what they are. The” birthmarks “are not dirt or a different substance..it’s also carbon. So,  it’s carbon inside of carbon. But, back ro fla how many people actually buy flawless diamonds? In my experience, not many. I also have people walk in and ask for VVS diamonds and I always ask them why? Out of all the clarities why VVS? Sometimes they say they heard Beyonce sing  it in a song or sometimes they say it’s because a friend told them.

 I have people come in my store that demand VVS diamonds. flaws or inclusions are black and white. The more flaws or inclusions a diamond has, the less rare it is therefore directly effecting its value