This is where it all
starts! Finding the right engagement ring is
the first and one of the most important parts
of the marriage process. Making the right choice
is not always an easy task.
Although your budget and personal taste will
have the most influence in determining your
final purchase, you must understand the 4 C's
before you buy your diamond...
All of the characteristics below have influence
on the value of the diamond. The combination
of these characteristics will affect and determine
the cost of your diamond. When you are ready
to make your purchase, see a reliable jeweler.
Make sure the jeweler you choose is established
with a good reputation.
The 4 C's - Cut - Colour - Clarity - Carat Weight
CUT
A properly cut diamond will explode with brilliance
and color. An improper cut will make the diamond
appear dark or glassy. The flat angled surfaces
are called facets. The polish and placement
of the facets will affect the fire, brilliance
and ultimate beauty of a diamond.
Shape
- Many people confuse cut with
the shapeof a diamond. The shape you select
is a matterof individual taste. Diamonds
can be cut intoseveral different shapes.
The most popularare brilliant-round, marquise,
pear, emerald,oval and heart-shaped. The
important issueis how well the diamond
is cut into thatparticular shape.
Table
and Depth - Table and Depth percentage
are two extremely important measurements
for diamonds. The angles of cut will affect
the diamond's ability to both reflect
and refract light. If a diamond is cut
too deep, light will leak out the sides.
In this case, brilliance will be lost
and the center of the diamond will appear
to be dark. If a diamond is cut too shallow,
light will leak out the bottom. In this
case, the diamond will appear to be watery,
glassy and dark. If a diamond has good
proportions, the sides and bottom of the
diamond will reflect light back to the
top of the diamond.
Scintillation
and Dispersion - Scintillation
is the alternating flash of white light
and dispersion is the break up of white
light into spectral colors.
Polish
and Symmetry - Polish measures
the quality of finish on the facets. Symmetry
refers to the proper alignment of the
diamond's sections, the proper shape for
the cut, and the uniformity in size and
angles of similar facets.
Girdle
and Culet - Girdle is the spacing
between the upper and lower portions of
the diamond. Girdles can be graded from
"extremely thin" to "extremely
thick". Extreme gradings should be
avoided. The girdle finish can be natural,
polished or faceted. The more expensive
diamonds will usually have faceted girdles.
The culet size refers to the smallest
polished facet at the very bottom of the
diamond. Chipped or large culets should
be avoided.
COLOUR
Diamonds vary in color from colorless to light
yellow. Colorless diamonds are the most rare
and the most valuable. The scale below represents
the GIA (Gemological Institute of America) color
rating system. The "D" to "J"
ratings are the most desirable.
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
Colourless
Near Colourless
Faint
Yellow
Very Light Yellow
Light
Yellow/Fancy Yellow
CLARITY
Almost all diamonds contain naturally occurring
internal characteristics called inclusions.
If a diamond is virtually free of inclusions
and surface markings, it will be graded as flawless.
These diamonds are extremely rare and very expensive.
The size, location and number of inclusions
will determine a diamond's clarity rating. Clarity
ratings are determined by an expert gemologist
under 10x magnification. The less inclusions
there are, the more expensive your diamond will
be. Inclusions that are visible to the naked
eye will normally be graded as an "I".
FL
IF
VVS1
VVS2
VS1
VS2
SI1
SI2
I1
I2
I3
Flawless
Internally Flawless
Very
Very Slightly Included
Very
Slightly Included
Slightly
Included
Imperfect
Fluorescence
- Fluorescence can also naturally occur in diamonds.
Cloudy fluorescence is undesirable. On the other
hand, medium to strong blue fluorescence can
be an asset to diamonds that are not in the
colorless range, as it will tend to enhance
the brilliance of the diamond and make it appear
whiter.
CARAT-WEIGHT
The weight (and size) of a diamond is expressed
in carats. One carat is divided into 100 points.
Therefore, 25 points would equal a quarter of
a carat or .25 carats. Many people think carat-weight
is the primary determination, however, it is
a combination of all the above characteristics
that will ultimately determine the value of
a diamond.
