How To Buy Diamonds
For first-time buyers, shopping for diamond engagement
rings or other diamond jewelry can get over-whelming. Before you begin, learn
the basics with the 4Cs: color, clarity, cut and carat weight.
Carat, abbreviated "ct." is a measure of weight used for diamonds.
One carat is equal to 1/5 of a gram (200 milligrams). Stones are
measured to the nearest hundredth of a carat. A hundredth of a carat
is also called a point. Thus a .10 carat stone can be called either
10 points, or 1/10 of a carat. Small stones like .05, and .10ct are
most often referred to by point designations.
The carat, as a unit of weight, is
derived from the carob seed which was used by early gem traders to weigh
diamonds. Since a carat is a unit of measure and not size, two
diamonds of the same carat weight may appear to be different sizes
depending on how the diamond is cut.
 Diamond Cut Education
 Diamonds
can have cut grades of Ideal, Very Good, Good, Fair, and Poor. The
cut, or proportions and angles of a diamond determine how it reflects
light. A diamond's reflective properties are referred to as "fire"
or "brilliance." Too shallow a cut will let light escape through the
sides of the diamond before it has a chance to reflect, making it
appear watery or dull, while too deep a cut will allow light to be
lost through the bottom of the diamond, making it appear dark,
especially in the center.
The cut of a Diamond is a key to its magical brilliant glow. The
Diamond is cut to maximize its natural sparkle. A Diamond may have a
perfect color and clarity but a poor cut dramatically worsens the
Diamond’s brilliant appearance. A Diamond may be cut in many
different shapes: round, princess, baguette etc, but any shape it may
be turned into must be of perfect proportions.
The Diamond shines and sparkles the most when it is ideally cut,
allowing the light to travel through the Diamond and exit in a
heirloom radiance of a colorful rainbow. If a Diamond is improperly
cut, the light is lost and the Diamond appears dark and dull and
doesn’t sparkle.
Diamond Clarity Education The Clarity Grading Scale developed by the Gemological Institute of
America (GIA), outlined below is the most widely accepted grading
system in the world.
Grade |
Description |
F
|
Flawless. The diamond
shows no inclusions or blemishes of any sort under 10X
magnification when observed by an experienced grader. |
IF
|
Internally Flawless.
The diamond has no inclusions when examined by an experienced
grader using 10X magnification, but will have some minor blemishes. |
VVS1, VVS2
|
Very, Very slightly
included. The diamond contains very small inclusions that are
difficult even for experienced graders to see under 10X
magnification. |
VS1, VS2
|
Very slightly
included. The diamond contains small inclusions such as small
crystals, clouds or feathers when observed with effort under 10X
magnification. |
SI1, SI2 |
Slightly included. The
diamond contains inclusions (clouds, included crystals, knots
cavities and feathers) that are noticeable under 10x magnification. |
SI3
|
Slightly included. The
diamond contains inclusions (possible large feathers or large
crystals) That are obvious under 10x magnification but not to the
visible eye. |
I1, I2, I3
|
Included. The diamond
contains inclusions (possible large feathers or large crystals)
That are obvious under 10x magnification and visible to the naked
eye. |
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Now you will ask "Which clarity grade should I choose"? |
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Fl and IF are very rare diamonds and very expensive for the average person's pocket. |
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VVS and VS are very good clarity diamonds but are still quite expensive. |
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More affordable and very
good choices are SI1, SI2, and called also "eye-clean" because they
have no inclusions visible to the naked eye. |
|
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Every diamond is unique and possesses its own individual natural characteristics referred to as inclusions and described as "nature's fingerprints".
These inclusions, such as minerals or fractures, appear while
diamonds are formed in the earth. They may look like tiny crystals,
clouds or feathers. The number, size, color, nature and position of
the inclusions determine the clarity of the diamond. | |
Diamond Color Education
 Color
refers to the presence or absence of color in white diamonds. Acting
as a prism, a diamond can divide light into a spectrum of colors and
reflect this light as colorful flashes called fire. Just as when
looking through colored glass, color in a diamond will act as a
filter, and will diminish the spectrum of color emitted. The less
color in a diamond, the more colorful the fire and the better the color
grade. Diamonds are assigned color grades by comparing them to
diamonds with color grades which have been certified by the GIA as
master color comparison diamonds. The GIA grades color alphabetically
from D (totally colorless) to Z (yellow). See chart below:
Color differences are very subtle and it is very difficult to see the
difference between say, an E and an F. Therefore, colors are graded
under controlled lighting conditions and are compared to a master set
for accuracy. When determining the color of a diamond, it is crucial
to see the diamond unmounted.
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So How should I choose? |
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Color ultimately comes down to personal taste. |
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Diamonds graded D through F are
naturally the rarest and most expensive but you can purchase very
attractive diamonds that are graded slightly less than colorless. |
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Diamonds graded J through M
might have a very very faint hint of yellow but this color can often be
minimized by selecting the right jewelry in which to mount the
diamond. |
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If you prefer a warmer glow, a lower grade of color could also be the right choice for you. |
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