|
|
|
I. Introduction
Diamond is the birthstone of April & anniversary gemstone for the 10th and 60th years of marriage.
Diamond was discovered in 500 B.C. in India. The name "diamond" comes from the Greek word "adamas" which means unconquerable-suggesting the eternity of love. Since ancient Greece diamonds have been the traditional symbol of love. The ancients believed they were hardened dew drops, splinters from the stars or crystallized lightening. A diamond - the hardest substance known to man is a crystallized carbon which has unique powers of light reflection. Because it is composed of a single element - a diamond is the purest of all gemstones. Diamond is a colorless stone. Some other occasional colors are, blue, yellow, amber, red, green, pink.
II. The value of a diamond, 4 C's: Cut - Clarity - Color - Carat Weight
Cut
| Cut is the factor that determines the brilliance of a diamond. A classic round brilliant cut diamond has 58 facets - 33 on the top, 24 on the bottom and the culet ( 1 point at the bottom - another tiny facet ). Each of the stone's facets must be placed by the diamond cutter in exact geometric relation to one another. Quality diamonds must be properly cut and not "spread", which means that the proper proportions are compromised to make the stone weigh more. |
 |
| Classic Shape |
|
 |
Clarity
The fewer the inclusions, the clearer, more brilliant and more expensive the diamond. "Flawless" diamond means that no inclusions can be seen under a 10x jeweler's loupe. Flawless diamonds are extremely rare.
| Clarity Grades: |
|
 |
 |
 |
Internally Flawless
No internal blemishes are visible under 10x magnification |
Very very slightly included
No internal blemishes are visible under 10x magnification |
Very slightly included
Blemishes and inclusions difficult to locate under 10x magnification |
|
 |
 |
 |
Slightly included
Blemishes and inclusions easy to locate under 10x magnification |
Imperfect
Blemishes and inclusions easy to locate under 10x magnification and naked eye |
Imperfect
Blemishes and inclusions easy to locate with naked eye |
|
Color
The more colorless the diamond, the more valuable it is. Though most diamonds may appear colorless to the eye, the majority contain slight traces of yellow or light brown. Depending on the stone's size, a single increase in color grade can boost a value of a diamond by thousands per carat. A traditional engagement diamond is colorless or near colorless.
In nature diamonds can also occur in shades of red, pink, blue, green and deep yellow. They are called "Fancy diamonds".
In the United States and around the world colorless diamonds are graded on an alphabetical scale, introduced by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). D, E and F color grade diamonds may be referred to as "colorless" or "rare white", D color is the most expensive and very rare.
Weight:
Standard measure of a diamond's size is carat(ct) weight.
Size alone is almost meaningless unless you consider cut, clarity and color. A large stone is not very valuable if it lacks brilliance, purity and high-grade color . For the reason that large stones are harder to find than small ones, size does increase the value of a good diamond.
No two diamonds are exactly alike, and a reputable jeweler can help you weigh all of the factors - color, cut, clarity and carat weight. |
|
|
