Whether it’s your engagement, a special piece of jewelery you want to buy or an investment you want to make, picking the right diamond is a decision not to be taken lightly. You need to make sure you walk into the store knowing at least the basics of choosing the right diamond that should, indeed, last forever.

To help you make this decision, we met with Raul Bajocchi, Diamond Grader and 5th generation of the Italian Bajocchi Jewelery that originally started in Italy in 1839 by Wenceslao Bajocchi and was established in Egypt in 1900. After 113 years of heritage and expertise, Bajocchi took us through the main factors that determine the pricing of diamonds, the four basic C’s to look for when picking your diamond, the distinction to make when wanting to invest and how to care for your jewelry on the long run.

Certification is key

One crucial thing to always keep in mind is to never buy a diamond that is not certified. Your stone’s certificate is the proof that it is indeed a real diamond (watch out for synthetic man-made diamonds) even when graded by a jeweler you do not have a relationship with. Bajocchi explains that building a relationship with your jeweler is very important; it always needs to be one based on mutual trust. If however you don’t have a strong relationship with one jeweler per se, then that certificate would at least guarantee the specifications of your stone that would not otherwise have to depend on the jeweler’s feedback.

Picking the right diamond and making the best out of your budget

There are four main C’s to study when choosing your diamond, in this video, Bajocchi takes us through the carat, clarity, color and cut of the perfect diamond.

Understanding the pricing factors

Just like almost any industry, the economy, chain of supply and demand as well as currency fluctuation play a big factor in the diamond industry’s pricing. Bajocchi also notes that Egypt is one of the countries that has the best prices for diamonds due to the lower markup that jewelers add to the original price.

Investment vs. design

When it comes to the investment choice, Bajocchi explains that there will need to be a few important compromises especially in the design aspect so as to maintain the value of your stone. Wearing a design you choose but also wish to keep as an investment on the long run means you will have to accept some decrease in value. This is important to keep at the back of your mind when deciding on the amount of craftsmanship to go in your piece, here’s why:

Caring for your jewelery; don’t let them break

Caring for your jewelry and especially those diamonds you’ve invested in so much, is something you do not want to take for granted. We’re sure you don’t want to witness your precious diamond shattered into little pieces one day, yes, it turns out they can indeed break.

There are a few important factors to bear in mind when storing, wearing and caring for your different kinds of jewelery. Bajocchi takes us through a quick guide on how to maintain the value of gold, pearls and of course, diamonds.

Bajocchi Jewelry • 45 Abdel Khalek Sarwat Street, Downtown • Tel. +2 (02) 23900030 / 23919160

Working hours: 10am – 3pm and 5pm – 8:30pm • Sundays are off