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NO BGM - ein wichtiger Qualitätsfaktor beim Diamanten! - BREEDIA

NO BGM - an important quality factor for diamonds!

in Diamonds

What does "No BGM" mean?

No Brown, No Green, no Milky ("No BGM")

Although most criteria such as color, clarity, weight and cut are specified by a gemmological laboratory when evaluating diamonds, we additionally ask our dealers whether the stone is also "No BGM". This means whether the requested stone has none of the following undesirable characteristics:

Brown (B) - Does the diamond appear brownish? or Green (G) - Is the stone greenish?

No-BMG-Abbildung-Brown

Image left: Brilliant with brownish tint, color I (= poor)
Image right: Brilliant without brownish tint, color I (good)

Diamonds are evaluated based on their color, among other things. However, even with the same color grade (e.g. as shown with I), the intensity of the color effect can be different or even deviate. This is not determined during the grading of the diamond. Only through the trained eye of a specialist jeweler can diamonds with this negative characteristic be sorted out.

Milky (M) - Is the stone milky?

Image left: Milky stone, color G = Top Wesselton
Image right: Clear stone, color G = Top Wesselton

Diamonds can have a cloudy or milky appearance. In this case, the facets are no longer clearly visible, and the brilliance is also reduced. Overall, the diamond appears inferior as a result, even though this is not noted in the certificate.

Facts about "No BGM"

⇒ Not considered by leading institutes (not even by GIA)

⇒ Must be requested separately from the dealer

⇒ Stones with BGM are worth less

⇒ "No BGM" is desired!

Stones with BGM are cheaper in direct comparison because they are of lower quality. There is no information about this on various trading platforms for loose diamonds. As a customer, you must trust that you will receive a beautiful diamond from your jeweler.

Our Promise:
All BREEDIA diamonds are guaranteed "No BGM"


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Konfliktfreie Diamanten - BREEDIA

Conflict-Free Diamonds

Contents What is the Kimberley Process? Where do conflict-free diamonds come from? What conflict-free diamonds are, and what they are not! Is there a certificate of origin when purchasing a diamond? Can you recognize conflict-free diamonds with the naked eye? Conflict-Free Diamonds and the Kimberley Process At BREEDIA, we are frequently asked where our diamonds come from and whether they are also not blood diamonds. Since we also consider this topic when purchasing diamonds, we explain below not only why our diamonds are conflict-free, but also what other ethical standards we adhere to. The Kimberley Process and the System of Warranties After it was discovered in the 1990s that illegally mined diamonds in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Angola were being used to finance African civil wars, the U.N. decided in partnership with some African diamond-producing countries, as well as the EU and the USA, to ban trade with countries from conflict regions. In 2003, this agreement, which was decided in Kimberley (South Africa) in 2000, came into force. Since then, the so-called Kimberley Process has used the Kimberley Process Certification System (KPCS) to ensure that only fair diamonds are traded worldwide, which can demonstrate through certificates of origin that they do not come from any conflict region. Furthermore, export and import are only permitted between countries that have signed the Kimberley Agreement. To ensure that no conflict diamonds are mixed in, rough diamonds are transported together under seal. In the so-called System of Warranties, subsequent (intermediate) traders confirm the verification and compliance with the Kimberley Process of the previous stage. As a trader of a Kimberley participant country, it is therefore not permitted to acquire diamonds whose origin is unclear and has not been unambiguously certified as conflict-free. Compliance is continuously monitored by national and international control bodies. The conflict-free diamond is also referred to as a fair diamond. However, this has nothing to do with the Fair Trade label. What is a blood diamond? A blood diamond is a rough diamond or already cut stone, through the sale of which wars or civil wars are financed. Often, rebel groups smuggle these stones into other countries to buy weapons with them. Although the Kimberley Process is certainly not perfect: Overall, this step led to the fact that the sale of diamonds from dubious sources in the diamond trade has been largely curtailed. Only 0.02% of traded diamonds still come from conflict regions (in the 90s it was still 4%) Discover conflict-free diamond engagement rings Purchase classic, simple, and curved engagement rings with fair diamonds or without gemstones from your trusted jeweler! More transparency through BREEDIA's direct diamond trade At BREEDIA, you can only buy conflict-free diamonds. However, the System of Warranties is only as strong as its weakest link. There is a quick risk that despite strict controls, "black sheep" will sneak into the diamond sourcing cycle. Therefore, our diamonds are not only subject to strict control by the Kimberley Process. We also eliminate through our vertical value chain those intermediaries and non-transparent sourcing of traditional jewelers through the following measures: Direct diamond sourcing from cutting facilities or those dealers who cooperate directly with them, rather than from national wholesale In-house jewelry production instead of outsourcing BREEDIA compared to other jewelers. Traditional jeweler Few jewelers produce their own pieces; most purchase their jewelry from larger jewelry manufacturers at home and abroad. Traditional jewelers are therefore dependent on their suppliers' diamond dealers and intermediaries providing the guarantee that the diamonds are demonstrably of ethically unproblematic origin. You should therefore only shop at a jeweler you trust. At BREEDIA, this problem does not exist because we produce our engagement rings in Pforzheim in our own production facility and take care of sourcing all gemstones ourselves. By reducing the steps in the supply chain, we can significantly increase transparency compared to the competition of local jewelry retailers. Online retailers with huge diamond selection (+20,000 diamonds in stock) Caution is also advised with online retailers who display a large selection of diamonds on their website. In fact, these stones do not belong to the company itself. Instead, only an offer from a globally spanning diamond exchange is provided, on which other jewelers, diamond dealers, and intermediaries (mostly from India) offer their inventory. These online retailers therefore act only as intermediaries between you, the end customer, and the actual owner of the cut diamond, without really marking this on the website. Direct control over the actual dealer is not possible due to the large number of sellers on this platform. The System of Warranties is very difficult to enforce in this case. Where do conflict-free diamonds come from? Around 80% of all diamonds certified as conflict-free come from Russia, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Australia, USA, and Canada. In these countries, in addition to the obligations of the Kimberley Process with regard to diamond mining, great emphasis is placed on compliance with human rights, ecological sustainability, and workers' rights. At BREEDIA, we therefore always try to source diamonds exclusively from those regions. Furthermore, additional countries (54 of them, as well as all EU countries; as of 2018) have committed to complying with the Kimberley Process. Meanwhile, 99.8% of all diamonds produced in the world are of conflict-free origin. Top 80% of Kimberley mining countries What conflict-free diamonds are, and what they are not! The Kimberley Agreement ensures exclusively that international trade in blood diamonds and the resulting financing of wars (particularly in Africa) is prevented. This does not affect numerous ethical and ecological standards. While many countries are now trying to improve ecological sustainability in diamond mining and reduce worker exploitation, the Kimberley Agreement ultimately does not require this. As described in the last section, 80% of conflict-free diamonds are now mined in countries where standards are already very high. However, in Kimberley participant countries such as Angola, Ghana, or the Congo, working conditions and environmental impacts are still very poor. At BREEDIA, we therefore support those initiatives that value fair diamond mining. It is our concern that you can purchase sustainable and fair diamonds. There are efforts to expand the diamond trade to include additional points for participating members of the Kimberley Agreement in the near future. This is intended to enable fair trade in these precious gemstones for both the environment and people. Our promise: Diamonds from BREEDIA from fair regions Is there a certificate of origin when purchasing a diamond from a jeweler? No, a jeweler cannot determine exactly where a fair diamond comes from. Unfortunately, this is because immediately after diamonds are mined from the earth, they are auctioned to diamond cutters or intermediaries. At these auctions, it is not possible to bid on specific rough diamonds from a single mine, but only on an entire lot. This lot consists of stones of various sizes and qualities from different mines. This gives the diamond producer who owns the mines the assurance that all diamonds can be sold and not just the best and most frequently requested ones (due to the monopoly position of the two leading diamond mine owners, De Beers and Alrosa, this sales system is unfortunately difficult to break through). Since the origin of the diamonds is already mixed after the auction and before the stones are cut, it would be extremely unethical for a jeweler to claim to know the exact source of the diamond. An expertise on quality (e.g., from GIA or IGI) also does not include information about the origin of the gemstone - however, these certification institutes pay particular attention to origin. Engagement rings in all styles Classic rings Pavé rings All engagement rings Can you recognize conflict-free diamonds as a layperson? No. Even as a jewelry expert, it is not possible to determine the exact origin of the diamond. However, there are scientific methods, including infrared light, to analyze the light spectra or trace elements of the gemstone, which can be used to determine the place of origin relatively accurately. Due to the high effort and high costs, this is not implemented in practice. There is one exception: Certain pink or fancy-colored diamonds are so rare and so special in their color tone that they can be assigned to a specific mine at first glance, the Argyle diamond mine in Australia.

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Diamanten 4c

Diamonds 4C

When selecting a diamond, two factors must be considered! First, there is the stone shape and second, the stone quality: Initially, you should think about what shape the diamond should be cut into for your engagement ring. There are countless cut shapes, such as Brilliant (round) or Princess Cut (square), which we will discuss in more detail below. The actual diamond quality is determined by four quality criteria, the so-called 4C's (Carat, Color, Clarity, Cut). The 4 C's Carat (weight), Color (color), Clarity (purity) and Cut (cut quality). All these properties determine the value of a diamond. A large diamond in poor quality can be worth less than a small, yet flawless diamond. Therefore, it is important to ensure that the diamond is of good to very good quality. What to look for when buying a diamond! Only flawless diamonds (IF) are absolutely perfect. However, even for experts, it is not easy to detect small impurities with the naked eye, as long as they are at most very small (SI1). Only visible inclusions (I1–I3) disturb the overall appearance and also reduce brilliance. The same applies to color: An absolutely colorless diamond (D) would of course be desirable, but is very expensive. Nearly colorless and more affordable diamonds are a very good alternative for most occasions (e.g., color G or better). Yellowish-tinted diamonds (such as K) are not recommended and are therefore not offered by BREEDIA. Carat Color Cut Clarity 1. Carat – Weight Carat indicates the weight of the diamond, where 1 carat equals exactly 200 mg. At BREEDIA, you will find diamond jewelry from 0.05 to 1 ct. In rings with multiple stones, stones of 0.001 ct to a maximum of 0.05 ct are usually offered on the ring band. 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Diamonds from 0.30 ct are supplied exclusively with GIA or IGI expertise at BREEDIA. Here, the evaluation is in alphabetical order from D to Z. Therefore, from these stone sizes onwards, you will only find the American designation in our certificates. Not to be confused is the "color of a diamond" with "colored diamonds", the so-called Fancy Diamonds, including pink, yellow or black. These stones are evaluated according to their own standards. Fancy Diamonds are extremely rare and in most cases significantly more expensive than white diamonds (upon request, we also process colored untreated or colored treated diamonds). Diamond Colors Color G is a bright diamond with minimal color traces. DEFGHIJ Colorless Nearly colorless Slightly tinted 3. Cut – Cut Quality The Cut is the most important criterion for the actual brilliance of a diamond and has become increasingly important in purchasing decisions in recent years. Cut is often confused with the term cut shape (i.e., round brilliant or square princess cut, etc.). However, cut in the sense of diamond grading actually refers to cut quality. Before a diamond is cut, it must first be determined how many diamonds can be cut from a single rough diamond. Typically, a rough diamond (due to its octahedral shape) is split into at least two stones to maximize the remaining weight afterwards. While this maximizes the yield for diamond cutters, it often results in poorly proportioned diamonds. Only very well-cut diamonds, with the right ratio of height and width, reflect light back to the viewer and create that inner fire. Poorly cut stones scatter light in all directions and thus sparkle less. In addition to brilliance, the overall appearance of the facet arrangement is of great importance. When the facets on the top and bottom (viewed from above) are aligned with each other, a calm image is created for the viewer. If this is not the case, the stone appears very restless (this criterion is determined, for example, in GIA certificates by symmetry). Not quite as important, but still recognizable under magnification, is the quality of the polish. Ideally, no polish marks are visible. Poorly polished stones have recognizable white grinding marks under 10x magnification. BREEDIA therefore offers exclusively diamonds with very good to excellent quality, because the diamond (even if flawless and colorless) simply would not look beautiful otherwise. 4. Clarity – Purity Clarity defines the purity level of a diamond. Since diamonds are carbon compounds that form over millions of years under high pressure, other minerals can be trapped in the diamond during this process and disturb the crystal structure. Such inclusions and disturbances can limit brilliance. Absolutely flawless diamonds are therefore very rare and extremely valuable. 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Grading by other institutes (however reputable they may sound) is less strict and therefore has a negative impact on price. For diamonds of at least 0.3 ct (for the main stone), GIA or IGI certificates are included in our delivery – diamonds under 0.3 ct are subject to our own strict evaluation. With these tips to the perfect proposal Find ring size 10 Facts about engagement rings Engagement ring costs? Back to magazine

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Was bedeut die Steinqualität tw/si? - BREEDIA

What does the stone quality TW/SI mean?

The quality standard TW/SI is of great importance for use in engagement rings. TW/SI refers to the quality of the diamond. In diamond science, there are four different characteristics that classify the quality of a diamond, the so-called 4Cs. TW/SI covers two criteria: "Color" = color of the diamond and "Clarity" = purity of the diamond. The abbreviation "TW" stands for Top Wesselton and evaluates the color of the diamond. Diamonds with Top Wesselton are assigned the letters F or G in diamond science and are nearly colorless. The abbreviation "SI" stands for Small Inclusions. For experts, small inclusions are visible under 10x magnification. How does TW/SI differ from W/SI? With these diamond standards, the difference lies only in the color of the diamond. A diamond with TW/SI quality appears slightly more colorless than a diamond in W/SI. The purity of the diamond remains unaffected. Why is TW/SI a very good diamond quality? The diamond is nearly colorless. Only in direct comparison with stones of color E and D is a difference noticeable. Only experts see small inclusions under the 10x magnifying glass. With the naked eye, features in the diamond are only visible in exceptional cases. The inclusions are so small that the brilliance is only minimally reduced. The price-to-performance ratio of these stones is very good – which is why it is the most popular diamond quality for jewelry (especially engagement rings). For smaller diamonds up to 0.2 ct, the TW/SI diamond standard is ideal. Better qualities are difficult to detect at these stone sizes or only in direct comparison. What does the diamond quality TW/VS mean? The diamond quality TW/VS is better than TW/SI. The color is identical, but the clarity rating of the diamond is better. This means: A TW/VS stone has fewer inclusions than a TW/SI stone at the same color. How noticeable are the differences between TW/SI and TW/VS to the naked eye? Difficult – only in direct comparison can an expert with a 10x magnifying glass detect a difference. Buy engagement rings with diamond (TW/SI) online now Discover classic, simple and curved engagement rings with the recommended diamonds. Engagement rings with diamond In which cases is the diamond quality TW/SI not recommended? - Not optimal for diamonds with a large table, such as princess cut, emerald cut or oval diamonds. - Inclusions can reduce brilliance. - For angular diamonds, we recommend a better clarity grade than "Very Small Inclusions" (VSI). Back to the knowledge area for diamonds We help you with your engagementFAQ on diamonds Diamonds 4 C Diamond vs. Brilliant Diamonds ct converted to mm

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