The Diamond
Tutorial
Are you looking to buy a diamond?
We only stock and sell the best ideal cut round and fancy shaped diamonds.
The “4C’s” quick guide on the left side bar are good for most shoppers. The 12 page Diamond Buying Guide and videos have more detail. For serious diamond lovers and engineer types, open the Advanced tab.
Holloway Diamonds’ focus is on diamond look and sparkle. I am well known worldwide for helping to improve the cut quality and beauty of diamonds, together with the world’s leading research scientists in the field.
I have publicly asked the lab directors of the world’s major labs: “Would you buy a loved one a diamond based only on its grading certificate?” None would. Not even a top colour (D) Flawless diamond lab grading report or certificate tells them if it is a nice sparkly diamond!
When I opened Holloway Diamonds in 1976 (called Precious Metals until 2006), I was a geologist with little diamond and jewellery experience. At the time, I couldn’t understand why most diamonds were poorly cut and lifeless and often cost more than sparkling beauties. The reason I discovered is that grading cut and sparkle is very hard. Most diamonds are ‘Cut for Carats’ not for beauty; Cut is the Cinderella of the 4 C’s.
We hope you will come in, see the difference in our diamonds and buy. If not then please let me help you avoid some pitfalls, and buy a beautiful diamond.
Garry Holloway FGAA Dip DT JAA Appraiser
Graduate in gemology, diamond technology. GAA past national convener of the Diamond course and frequent jewellery trade lecturer. A ‘Cut Group’ international founder – changing the way diamonds are cut around the world.
Ideal-Scope
card
Learn what an Ideal-Scope is and how simple it is to use. Get your FREE Ideal-Scope card.
DIAMOND
Buying Guide
Diamonds have been treasured throughout history, but what makes a perfect diamond sparkle? Let’s help you navigate through the unfamiliar world of diamond grading and what to look out for.
About Garry Holloway –
Diamond Cut Expert
Founder, Owner and ‘CutNut’
I graduated as a geologist and backpacked overland to London. I bought gems in Asia and taught myself to make jewellery. In 1976 I opened Precious Metals on a shoe-string budget. I changed the name to Holloway Diamonds in 2006. I couldn’t afford diamonds back then.
In 1984 I did well at the Gemmological Association of Australia’s Diamond Technology course. During the course, I invented the Ideal-Scope. Later I taught the course and was a national convenor for several years. I became a passionate diamond ‘Cut Nut’ crusader to improve the cut quality of all diamonds.
In the year 2000, I launched the US-patented Holloway Cut Adviser (HCA) – an online cut grading system. HCA has been used to grade billions of dollars worth of diamonds. GIA’s cut grading system came several years later, it’s not as strict as HCA, about 80% of GIA XXX diamonds fail. HCA has been used by the public and trade to grade the cut quality of billions of dollars of diamonds.
About Holloway Diamonds
Our Canterbury and Brighton stores offer specialized expert service. Designers, jewellers, setters, gemmologists and valuers working as a team under one roof. Garry buys our diamonds directly from the best cutters overseas.
We sell only natural diamonds and gems. We offer a trade-up service and give you credit for what you paid for any diamonds we sell. That’s why we don’t sell Lab Grown Diamonds (LGD). They keep falling in value by about 20% a year.
We are committed to ethical, social and sustainable environmental practices. We sponsor the Diamond Development Initiative that works with artisanal mining communities. We were the first Australian business to pass the Responsible Jewellery Council audit. We introduced low energy LED lighting a decade ago.
We changed our name in 2006 from Precious Metals to Holloway Diamonds.