OUR DIAMONDS
HIGHLY CURATED
DIAMONDS
Simply put, Hera’s lab grown diamonds are the best of the best. Our experts hand-select each diamond we use, and roughly 90% of lab diamonds on the market do not meet our standards. We’re this picky because it’s almost impossible to tell the quality of a diamond from the certificate alone, especially for the average person. That’s why we recommend working with experts like us instead of flying solo. When you work with Hera, you can make sure you’re getting the absolute best value for your money.
Diamond cut is ideal
When diamonds are being cut, they are cut to minimize waste, and sometimes to save time - not always to sparkle as beautifully as possible. The cut of your diamond is the single most important factor in ensuring beautiful sparkle and radiance. All of our diamonds receive excellent cutting grades. We also analyze the more technical measurements of the stone and view the diamond in person to make sure it's truly the best of the best cut.
Diamond color and clarity are accurate on the certificate
Diamond certificates are usually reliable when it comes to color and clarity, but not always. Diamonds are graded by humans, and that means there’s always a little subjectivity in the grading. We make sure that your diamond is as white and clear as it should be, so that you don’t overpay for a stone that’s graded as a G but really looks like an H, for instance.
Diamond was grown correctly
Lab-grown diamonds can have particular issues that aren’t present in mined diamonds because of the difference in the growth process. As more growers enter the market, some are prioritizing quantity over quality, and their diamonds are not ideal. Diamonds grown too quickly can take on a brown undertone instead of the natural yellow undertone, and can have growth strain lines. We check every diamond to make sure that there are no such issues with the growth process affecting the diamond’s beauty.
Diamond is eye clean
A diamond graded at VS clarity should be completely eye clean, which means it has no inclusions that are visible with the naked eye. This is rare, but it can happen that a diamond will be graded as a VS but have a visible inclusion. (This happens most frequently with larger emerald cuts, if you’re curious.) We double check to make sure you’re getting a completely eye clean stone.
Inclusions are “good” inclusions
Not all inclusions are created equal. Some, like clouds, can affect your diamond’s sparkle visibly. We screen all the inclusions your diamond does have to make sure that they are as minimal as possible, even under 10x magnification. Because we’re extra picky, we also make sure that your eye clean diamond has no dark inclusions on the table, even though they’re only visible with a jeweler’s loupe. We also make sure the inclusions present in your stone aren't near the surface or the girdle of the diamond where they could create a crack or a chip down the line.
Bow ties minimized
Elongated brilliant cuts, particularly oval and radiant, have a natural dark shadow across the center of the stone that is shaped like a bow tie. Bow ties are impossible to eliminate entirely - it’s just the nature of the cut - but we make sure they are as minimal as possible.
Antique cut diamonds
Our highly curated lab diamond selection extends to antique cuts like Old European Cut, Old Mine Cut, and rose cuts. These cuts are extremely rare, but we love them - so we work with skilled lapidaries to follow historical faceting patterns and bring you the same quality you expect from Hera’s standard diamond collection. We custom cut each of these diamonds and keep a small parcel on hand for our clients.
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