DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER….
6th June 2021
Precious and rare, forged deep within the Earth, a diamond is a fragment of eternity – a fitting symbol of enduring love and something that most people know little about – except to say that they can be an expensive gift to buy!
What makes the diamond so intriguing is its rarity in its perfect form. Most natural diamonds are formed at high temperature and pressure at depths of over 100 miles beneath the earth’s surface. Carbon-containing minerals provide the carbon source, and the growth of the stone occurs over periods from 1 billion to 3.3 billion years – nearly 75% of the age of the Earth.
That makes diamonds hard to find and the bigger they get the more likely they are to contain impurities (inclusions) that devalue the stone.
Cutting and polishing a diamond brings it to life. In the hands of master craftsmen, known as diamantaires, rough diamonds are transformed into beautiful gems sparkling with brilliance, fire and light.
However a diamond does not have to cost the earth. Buying a pre-owned diamond is exceptionally better value that buying a new one. Christopher Brown at Brown and Gold jewellers is a 6th generation jeweller and pawnbroker that specialises in pre-owned and bespoke new jewellery.
“Buying a diamond is almost like buying a luxury car, you should only buy from someone you can trust and from a place that you know you can return to if things are not quite right” states Chris, who personally sources and buys every individual stone for his 6 shops,
“The other similarity is that if you are able to buy a pre-owned stone, you will automatically be paying around 40% less than the new replacement value”.
“A diamond is already over 1 billion years old, whether it’s come straight from the earth or been lovingly owned before does not change the qualities of the stone, only its price!”
It’s this area that Chris feels he can add most value. With years of experience and contacts in the trade, Chris boasts that he can source almost any stone a customer dreams of and at a really competitive price.
“Customers come to us because we offer great value and quality. When it comes to making big rings, we chose not to make a big margin. Many jewellers have very large overheads to cover and you can feel it in their prices, we like to pass on the same pricing structure with our new diamonds as with our pre-owned and that way our prices are exceptional and the customer gets what they want at a fraction of the price”
Something must be going right as Chris relates to 3 big diamond rings he has designed for customers in the last few months.
“The latest ring I designed was a stunner. The customer had a design in mind and I sourced a 2.21ct Flawless Emerald Cut Diamond and set it with 1.2 carats of Fancy intense yellow diamonds on either side in a handmade platinum setting. The ring is absolutely stunning and I am proud to have created a piece of jewellery that will be owned for generations. It was worth over £35,000 but cost the customer less than £20,000. Needless to say they were delighted!”
You do not have to buy a new stone to make a new piece of jewellery though. Brown & Gold will also reset your existing jewellery into new and personally designed pieces. They can even use the old gold if you wish and turn something you haven’t worn for years into a piece you will cherish forever.
“I recently set an antique diamond bar brooch that had been left to two grandchildren with two beautiful Aquamarines to make a very sentimental pendant that both of them will cherish forever. Jewellery is a very personal thing and the main thing to remember is that absolutely anything is possible!”
That’s the message from Brown and Gold so if you have a piece of unworn jewellery lying around or fancy treating yourself, why not visit Christopher Brown and make something special to surprise your loved one this Christmas.
If you are interested, please search Brown and Gold and visit us on Instagram to view our extensive range of jewellery products.
- Selecting the stones
- CAD design of the Yellow and emerald cut diamond ring worth over £35,000
- Stunning Aqumarine and diamond pendant
- Christopher Brown jewellers in Shipley.
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