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About the term 'growth brilliant'
Let's eliminate all confusion first. Though in the beginning this was mainly done with brilliant cut diamonds, the term 'growth brilliant' is not right. The correct term is actually 'growth diamond'. A brilliant is a round diamond with 57 facets. But a cut diamond can be every shape imaginable. The principle of what many people refer to as the growth brilliant does therefore not only apply to brilliant cut diamonds, but also to all diamond cuts. That's something to keep in mind while I explain how it works.
What is a growth diamond?
The value of a diamond depends on the 4 C’s. These are Carat, Color, Clarity, and Cut. With the same color, clarity, and cut, a bigger diamond (with a higher carat) is more valuable than a smaller one. Many people want to buy a big diamond for their loved one, but simply don’t have the budget for it (yet). In these cases, a growing diamond is perfect. The idea is that you start off with a nicely priced ring with a relatively small diamond in it. After some saving, you replace the diamond with a bigger one. The beauty of it is that the value of the diamond that was already in the ring is taken into account.
How does it work?
An example: let's say the original ring contains a €500,- diamond. After a couple of years, you decide to upgrade the diamond. At the diamond jeweler, you pick a, €800,- diamond. Normally, you’d pay 800 euros plus the costs of a ring setting. But with a growing diamond, the smaller 500 euro diamond is simply swapped for the bigger 800 euro one. Thus you only need to pay the difference between the two diamonds, in this case, €300,-. With every update, the diamond gets bigger and bigger. This way, you don’t need to spend a whole lot of money at once but eventually end up with a big beautiful diamond. A win-win situation. Of course, you can do the growth brilliant principle with a brilliant cut diamond. But if you opted for a different cut in the first place, that's not a problem either. You can also upgrade your emerald cut diamond ring or solitaire princess cut diamond earrings for example.
An engagement or a wedding ring with a growth brilliant
So you found your true love and are ready to get married. However, you have a small budget. Many couples face this situation. Because a wedding is already expensive enough, some couples decide to split the costs of the engagement ring. But most people like to keep the proposal a surprise. In this case, an engagement ring with a growing brilliant may be the perfect solution. After all, in the upcoming years, there is enough time to let the diamond grow and grow.
The possibilities for a growing brilliant?
At many jewelers, you’ll encounter a couple of ifs, and buts when it comes to growth diamonds. Some won't give you the full refund you paid in the first place, claiming your diamond "decreased in value". Others demand you upgrade every two years – otherwise, the warranty expires. A third one requires a ridiculous amount of money as a minimum upgrade amount between the first and second diamond. They say, for example, the second diamond needs to be at least 100% more expensive than the first one. At Royal Coster Diamonds, we don’t believe in such crazy demands. We have many attractive ways to let your diamond grow and you always get 100% of the price back you paid for the (growth) diamond. For more information about growth diamonds, please contact a diamond consultant.