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Learn About Diamonds
Diamond - one of the oldest, rarest and most treasured minerals on earth. Formed deep in the earth's crust and brought to the surface through volcanic activity, diamonds have been a symbol of status and luxury for centuries.
Diamond value is basically dependant upon the rarity of the stone. The larger it is, the rare it is. There are 4 main categories to help us rate the rarity of the diamond by rating its size and quality. These 4 value factors are called "The Four C's"
Carat
Carat is a unit of weight. Not to be confused with Karat which is measurement of the fineness (or amount of gold in the alloy) of gold. For example a 1.00 ct. diamond ring in 14Kt gold described the diamond and weighing 1.00 carat and the gold having a fineness of 14 of 24 parts fine gold, or about 58.8% gold. The larger the diamond the more it weighs so the Carat weight is an indicator of its size. The larger is is the more rare it is. A 1.00ct diamond will have a much higher price per carat than 10 diamonds that equal 1.00ct total
Color
The color grade is a measure of how much, or how little color the diamond shows. Color in loose diamonds is graded by looking through the underside of the diamond on a white background in comparison with other diamonds that have been graded for color. It can be difficult to accurately grade color in a mounted diamond. The GIA color grading scale starts at D and goes through the alphabet to Z. The difference from one color grade to the next is so subtle that the grades are grouped into categories. D-F are colorless and show no color in proper grading conditions. G-I are near colorless and may not show noticeable color face up unless compared side by side with a colorless diamond. J-L is slightly tinted and will show noticeable color, usually yellow of brown. M-Z is the tinted group and these diamonds will show obvious color. The more color the diamond has the less value it will have. Until the diamond has so much color that it is a pleasing intensity of color and then we call it a fancy color diamond and the value jumps considerably. Diamonds with naturally occurring fancy color are even more rare than colorless diamonds.
Clarity
the clarity grade is a measure of the presence or absence of flaw, abnormalities in the crystal or even foreign minerals that can be seen inside the diamond. Virtually all diamonds have such features (known as inclusions) and the clarity grade reflects the number of, type, location of these inclusions and their effect on the beauty of the diamond.
The top grade is FL - flawless and IF - internally flawless. These will have absolutely no inclusions that can be seen by the trained eye in 10X magnification. The IF may have surface flaws. the next grades are VVS-1 and VVS2 these will have minute inclusions that will be difficult to very difficult for the trained eye to see in 10X magnification. Then VS-1 and VS-2, these have minor inclusions that are not too difficult for the trained eye to see in 10X magnification. Next is SI-1 and SI-2 these have noticeable inclusions that are obvious and easy to see to the trained eye in 10X magnification. Finally, we have the I-1, I-2 and I-3, these have inclusions that range from noticeable but not obvious to obvious but not a drastic impediment to the beauty or integrity of the stone, to having a drastic effect on beauty and/or integrity. The I grades will have inclusions that can be seen with the untrained naked eye.
Cut
Cut is our final "C" and is a measure of several characteristics. First, the shape of your diamond is important and then the proportions of the shape and also the polish and facet alignment that was achieved during the faceting and polishing of the diamond. The GIA has only recently developed a grading system for the cut. Previously diamonds were only rated for their finish (polishing and facet alignment) and their proportions. The new GIA grading system is a measure of light reflection and scintillation or sparkle. The GIA cut grade is only given for round diamonds. The GIA has been researching cut grades for fancy shaped (any shape other than a round) but has not yet developed a grading system for these diamonds. Fancy cut diamonds include oval, princess, marquise, emerald, radiant, pear, and several other shapes. The GIA cut grade scale is Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair and Poor.
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