Cut:
Many people confuse cut with the shape of a diamond. The shape
you select is a matter of individual taste, and today your choice
is only limited by the skill and imagination of the craftsman.
It is their efforts during every stage of the fashioning process
that reflects the maximum amount of light back to the eye. Most
round, brilliant-cut or fancy-chaped diamonds possess 58 carefully
angled flat surfaces, called facets. It is the precision of each
facet's placement that will affect the amount of fire, brilliance
and ultimate beauty of your diamond.
1. When a diamond is cut to good proportions, light is reflected
from one facet to another and then dispersed through the crown,
or the top of the stone.
2. If the cut of the diamond is too deep, some light escapes through the opposite
side of the pavilion, or bottom.
3. If the cut is too shallow, light escapes through the pavilion before it
can be reflected.
 
Color:
The
most prized diamonds are colorless diamonds, because their beauty
depends entirely upon their remarkable optical properties. In
such diamonds, all the colors of the rainbow are reflected back
to your eye. While the majority of gem diamonds appear to be
colorless, others can contain incresing shades of yellow to
brown, some of which are referred to as champagne diamonds.
Other diamonds of exceptional color, red, blue, green, pink,
and amber, are known as "Fancies."
The color grading scale varies from totally colorless to light color or tinted.
The difference between one grade and its neighbor is very subtle. Experts never
try to remember color; they use master diamonds of known color for comparison.
Clarity:
Because
of their unique optical properties, diamonds, more than any
other gemstone, are capable of producing the maximum amount
of brilliance. While minute crystals of diamond or other minerals
are contained in almost all diamonds, a diamond that is virtually
free of inclusions and surface markings will be judged as flawless.
In these diamonds, nothing interferes with the passage of light
or spoils the beauty. But these diamonds are extremely rare
and will command a high price.
To determine a diamond's clarity grading, it must be examined under a 10x magnification
by a trained, skilled eye. What minute inclusions there may be make every diamond
unique. These are, in fact, nature's fingerprints and do not mar the diamond's
beauty nor endanger its durability. Without high magnification, you may never
see these inclusions. However, the fewer there are, the rarer your diamond
will be.
Carat-Weight:
As
with all precious stones, the weight, and therefore the size,
of a diamond is expressed in carats.
One carat
is divided into 100 "points" so that a diamond
of 25 points is described as a quarter of a carat or 0.25 carats.
Size is the most obvious factor in determining the value of a
diamond, but now you know that two diamonds of equal size can
have very unequal prices depending on their quality. However,
remember that diamonds of high quality can be found in all size
ranges. Here are some other examples that show the approximate
size of diamonds of varying carat weights.
Confidence
in your jeweler:
When you are ready to choose your diamond, see a reliable jeweler.
Jewelers are the experts who will be happy to explain the 4C's
to you in more detail. They will also be able to show you beautiful
diamonds in many sizes and can tell you the difference between
various qualities of diamonds and how these differences affect
the price you pay. Established jewelers prize their good reputation,
and know you are making one of your most important purchases.
They can help you select the very best your money can buy.
A diamond is forever.
Diagrams courtesy of the Gemological Institute
of America |
