All part of the story

“Inclusions are just one part of the much bigger story of selling a diamond,” says Erik Runyan, owner of Erik Runyan Jewelers in Vancouver, Washington. “My experience shows that people aren’t afraid of inclusions, but rather, their concern is how they affect the beauty of the diamond. As jewelers, we have to convey that inclusions are natural phenomena occurring in the creation of these unique and rare stones.”

Runyan notes that the diamond-purchasing public is becoming more knowledgeable. “In the past, customers had some idea of the 4Cs, but now they are familiar with the entire GIA grading scale. It is amazing that customers will ask for SI1 — except they don’t know what that means in real life. And that is why it is critical that the selling conversation transitions from looking at diamonds on paper to seeing and holding them in person,” he advises.

He prefers to sit down with the customer and let her select the diamond that she finds the most beautiful — without considering specific criteria such as clarity or color. “After the emotional connection is made is when I start talking about the quality characteristics that drew her to that diamond,” he says.

Runyan also talks about the origins of the diamond, emphasizing the “incredible journey” each of these rare stones has made over billions of years.

Only a handful of his customers have specifically requested synthetic diamonds, produced either through High Pressure-High Temperature (HPHT) or chemical vapor deposition (CVD) methods. And even in those cases, he says, “my impression is that these customers are not looking for a stone without any imperfections. They are interested in synthetic diamonds because of their low-carbon-footprint and/or no-conflict associations.”

While synthetic diamonds exhibit the same chemical, physical and optical properties as natural diamonds, there is an important element that cannot be replicated in a laboratory.

“There are two reasons people buy a diamond,” he says. “The first is that diamonds are simply beautiful. And secondly, they are rare. It is unusual for someone to own something so unique that comes from the earth. A diamond is given as a symbol of love. But a lab-grown diamond does not evoke any romance at all.”

Image: Erik Runyan Jewelers

Article from the Rapaport Magazine - Special Supplement Ancient Beauty, Bold Future. To subscribe click here.