The question buyers ask me most often is whether lab grown diamonds are real. It is the wrong question. They are real diamonds, the same crystallised carbon, the same hardness, the same fire. After 20 years around the Hatton Garden trade I can tell you the honest decision is not about authenticity at all. The […]
An oval diamond looks larger than a round one of the same weight and flatters the hand, but two things decide whether it is beautiful: its proportions and its bow tie. Neither appears as a grade on the certificate, so both have to be judged by eye.
The certificate in the seller’s hand is not proof of anything. That sentence is the whole article, and almost nobody buying a pre-owned engagement ring understands it before they hand over the money. A grading report is a description of a stone. It is not a chain of custody, it is not attached to the […]
Two quotes. Same brief, same budget, same saved screenshots. One is 40% higher than the other. Both jewellers seemed competent, both produced certificates, and neither did anything you could point at. This is where most buyers make their worst decision, because only 2 moves appear to be available and both are bad. Take the cheaper […]
There is a specific moment at the consultation desks at 9 Hatton Garden when a buyer’s eyes travel down a grading report, past everything they have researched, and stop on a line nobody warned them about. Carat, they know. Colour and clarity they have read about for weeks. Cut, they have opinions on. Then, near […]
Ask a jeweller whether their diamonds are ethical and most of them will say yes. They will say it quickly, with confidence, and with very little supporting detail. This is worth paying attention to, because “ethical” is not a standardised term in the jewellery trade and it does not mean the same thing from one […]
Pick up a diamond grading certificate in a Hatton Garden consultation room, and you are holding something considerably more specific than a piece of reassurance. You are holding a scientific assessment: a record of how one diamond compares to every other diamond ever graded, produced by one of the two laboratories most buyers will encounter. […]
London’s relationship with fine jewellery has always balanced heritage with change. In Hatton Garden, where generations of cutters, setters and dealers built a global reputation for expertise, that balance is now being tested by a decisive shift in how diamonds are chosen. By 2026, lab-grown diamonds in Hatton Garden will no longer be a curiosity […]
Commissioning a bespoke engagement ring or fine piece in Hatton Garden gives you complete control over design, materials, and budget while providing access to some of the most experienced jewellers in the country. Instead of compromising on a ready-made style, you work directly with specialists who shape every detail around your taste, lifestyle and spending […]
The centre of gravity in fine jewellery has moved. Pieces for Winter Jewellery 2025 trends serve as tools of expression, completing an outfit and projecting intent. The emphasis is not price for its own sake. It is precision styling. A brooch placed on a blazer pocket transforms the line of the jacket. A pair of […]
