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Diamond Guide
Before buying a diamond there are several things you need to know in order to decide what kind of stone you wish to buy.
4C's
There are four main criteria used to describe the quality of a diamond, and they are referred to as the Four C's: Carat, Color, Clarity and Cut. There is actually another C you should pay attention to and that is Certificate. Making sure that the diamond you buy carries a Certificate which was graded by an independent laboratory ensures that the diamond you get is the diamond you want. Below we provide a brief explanation of each C.
Carat
Diamonds are weighed using metric carats. Just as a dollar is divided into 100 pennies, a carat is divided into 100 points. This means that a diamond of 50 points weighs 0.50 carats. But two diamonds of equal weight can have very different values depending on their clarity, color and cut.
Color
A diamond s color is graded on an alphabetical scale from D-Z to describe how much or how little color a diamond possesses. With very few exceptions, diamonds that are graded as colorless are considered to be the most valuable. Truly colorless stones, graded D, are rare and valuable. D-F: Colorless, perfect or almost perfect color. G-J: Near colorless, good to very good color. This diamond may face up colorless when mounted. K-M: Light but noticeable yellow or brown tint. May face up near colorless when mounted, especially when mounted in yellow gold. Although generally the presence of color in a diamond makes it less rare and valuable, some diamonds come out of the ground in vivid "fancy" colors--well-defined reds, blues, pinks, greens, and bright yellows. These are highly prized and extremely rare.
Clarity
Clarity is an indication of a diamond's purity. It is the term used to describe the clarity or lack of imperfections in a diamond. All diamonds have some naturally occurring marks in them, which may or may not be visible to the naked eye. These are known as imperfections or inclusions. These imperfections are graded on a scale as follows:
IF (Internally Flawless)
VVS1, VVS2 (Very Very Slightly Included)
Internally Flawless or near flawless. Impossible to extremely difficult to find any inclusions, even under 10x magnification.
VS1, VS2 (Very Slightly Included)
100% clean to the naked eye, and moderately difficult to very difficult to find inclusions with 10x magnification.
SI1, SI2 (Slightly Included)
Should be completely to almost completely clear to the naked eye (eye clean) when viewed from the top. Fairly easy to find imperfections with 10x magnification.
I1, I2, I4 (Included)
Moderately to fairly easy to find imperfections with the naked eye. Very easy to find imperfections with 10x magnification.
Cut & Shape
This is one of the most important of all characteristics and among the hardest to judge. All other factors being equal, a poorly cut diamond can be worth less than half the value of a well-cut stone. The proportions of a stone as well as its polish and precision of faceting determine how much of the diamond s potential fire and beauty may be released. The way a diamond is cut will most certainly influence its sparkle, fire and brilliance, as well as its perceived size and even, to some degree its apparent color. In order to maximize the diamond s brilliance it must be cut in a geometrically precise manner. Cut also refers to the shape of a diamond. Diamonds come in many different shapes such as Round Brilliant, Marquise Brilliant, Emerald Cut, Princess Cut, Pear Shape, Heart Shape, Oval, Trillion and many others.
