Making decisions about diamond choices can be confusing for consumers new to jewelry shopping. A helpful way to learn is this guide to the basics of diamond quality.
Another source that can assist with this is the diamond education page of an online jewelry store. Good retailers will have a good quality page of this type, and it's a good idea to check it out to learn all about the 4 Cs, just to brush up on the differences between diamond clarity grades, and see what diamond-related knowledge they bring to the table.
In addition to their unusual beauty, diamonds are the hardest naturally-occurring material on Earth. Diamonds have many particular characteristics that make them special, and how well these naturally occur or are carried out my the artisans in charge of them are grouped into a list generally called the 4 Cs.
The most important of these is the cut of the diamond. This is what makes or breaks a diamond's beauty and worth. Diamond cut is not the same as the shape of the diamond (people often cofuse this, as in "princess cut" which is actually a shape.) Rather, cut is the precise way of angling facets of the right size to align and reflect light optimally.
Color is the next step, and this one can be easy to see. Diamond color grades range from D-Z but you won't find much fine jewelry set with anything beyond K color. Diamonds beyond this color grade steadily decline in rarity and value as they have noticeable yellow or brownish tints. Of course, diamonds with very pronounced natural colors including bright yellows, pinks, and blues are the rarest of all and actually more valuable many types of white diamond.
Clarity is the evaluation of a diamond's internal and external flaws. Generally speaking, flaws inside a stone are called inclusions while flaws on the surface are known as blemishes. However, for the purposes of grading, gemological labs refer to all diamond flaws as inclusions. It takes several clarity grades to reach diamonds that have inclusions the naked eye can detect, so diamonds with good cut and color and these more or less undetectable moderate inclusions can be a good buy.
Carat weight is the trait most people can see and understand easily-- it's the unit of measure for the weight of a precious stone, and differences are visually detected simply by the size and/or number of diamonds. Diamonds of larger carat weights don't get proportionally expensive with increased carat weight-- they jump a lot in price from one carat to the next because finding large, good quality diamonds is less likely than finding small diamonds.
Another source that can assist with this is the diamond education page of an online jewelry store. Good retailers will have a good quality page of this type, and it's a good idea to check it out to learn all about the 4 Cs, just to brush up on the differences between diamond clarity grades, and see what diamond-related knowledge they bring to the table.
In addition to their unusual beauty, diamonds are the hardest naturally-occurring material on Earth. Diamonds have many particular characteristics that make them special, and how well these naturally occur or are carried out my the artisans in charge of them are grouped into a list generally called the 4 Cs.
The most important of these is the cut of the diamond. This is what makes or breaks a diamond's beauty and worth. Diamond cut is not the same as the shape of the diamond (people often cofuse this, as in "princess cut" which is actually a shape.) Rather, cut is the precise way of angling facets of the right size to align and reflect light optimally.
Color is the next step, and this one can be easy to see. Diamond color grades range from D-Z but you won't find much fine jewelry set with anything beyond K color. Diamonds beyond this color grade steadily decline in rarity and value as they have noticeable yellow or brownish tints. Of course, diamonds with very pronounced natural colors including bright yellows, pinks, and blues are the rarest of all and actually more valuable many types of white diamond.
Clarity is the evaluation of a diamond's internal and external flaws. Generally speaking, flaws inside a stone are called inclusions while flaws on the surface are known as blemishes. However, for the purposes of grading, gemological labs refer to all diamond flaws as inclusions. It takes several clarity grades to reach diamonds that have inclusions the naked eye can detect, so diamonds with good cut and color and these more or less undetectable moderate inclusions can be a good buy.
Carat weight is the trait most people can see and understand easily-- it's the unit of measure for the weight of a precious stone, and differences are visually detected simply by the size and/or number of diamonds. Diamonds of larger carat weights don't get proportionally expensive with increased carat weight-- they jump a lot in price from one carat to the next because finding large, good quality diamonds is less likely than finding small diamonds.
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What is a diamond? Learn this at ERB! Their website offers gorgeous rings & an info page with a diamond clarity chart& many other helpful resources.. This article, Demystifying Diamonds Information : The 4 Cs Explained is available for free reprint.