How we select and set our diamonds

We’ve been adding extra sparkle to our collections for over two decades.

Diamond jewellery is a beautiful thing to have and pass down to future generations as family keepsakes.

Unfortunately, diamonds have been known to cause controversy, should the stone come from unethical sources or fall into the wrong hands.

Thankfully we’ve worked hard to ensure all of our diamonds come from reputable sources to ensure quality and legitimacy, as Sheila explains:

“We work with a trusted diamond dealer in London. He’s a lovely chap who worked as a diamond cutter when he was younger and as such, instantly knows how good a diamond is. He only works with the best stones which all come from honest, trustworthy people.

“At the workshop we have a small group of craftsmen who set our diamonds, Leonard (pictured below)is our diamond setting specialist and is responsible for setting the diamonds into the each piece by hand.”

Real diamonds are completely natural – the result of a unique geological phenomenon where a pressurised rush of molten lava reaches the Earth’s surface and cools. Diamonds are trapped in these rock formations and most commonly found in Australia, Russia, South Africa and Canada.

As well as coming in natural colours such blues and pinks, diamonds can also be treated to create a variety of additional colours such as yellows, purples and greens.

White diamonds are still by far the most popular – bright with lots of sparkle!

Trying to spot whether a diamond is really a diamond? Here’s some advice from Sheila:

“Diamonds are the hardest material known to man and woman! They should never fade or discolour.

“Even rubbing sandpaper over a diamond won’t damage it; if it’s a real diamond that is! Cubic zirconia or cut glass scratches with sandpaper so unless you’re determined to identify whether your jewellery really does contain diamonds you may wish to consult a specialist, like Leonard, before getting out the sandpaper!

“To cut our diamonds to shape we have to use special diamond tip blades and diamond discs which spins at 10,000 RPM. It sounds strange but you really do need diamonds to cut diamonds.”

Sheila Fleet Jewellery is proud to offer a free valuation service on any of our diamond set jewellery and is careful to keep a record of all valuations on file; should you need a copy in the future for insurance purposes.

We can also adapt our jewellery and rings with a diamond of specific colour and clarity of your choosing.  In some cases designs can be adapted to accommodate a bigger diamond.

Sheila had a ring from her own collection adapted to house a 1.03ct diamond to celebrate her OBE. Sheila wore the ring to the Honours ceremony which took place at Buckingham Palace.

Contact us today to chat through your ideas where we can also set other precious stones such as rubies, sapphires, and aquamarine in most of our designs.