Diamonds
Selecting a Diamond
Diamonds are
graded on the four C's: Colour, Clarity, Cut and Carat
Weight |
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The four
C's are therefore main factors to note if you want to buy or
sell a diamond.
COLOUR
Colour
describes the amount of colour the diamond contains.
The less
colour in it, the more valuable it is, although personal preference
should not put you off buying a gem with a tiny edge of colour
in it. Colour can range from totally colourless to yellow with
slight tints of yellow, gray or brown. Colours can also range
from intense yellow to brown, blue, green, pink and red. These
are known as fancy colours, are rare and therefore more valuable
but be aware Diamonds can now be treated to give a wide range
of vibrant colours. Please note that the colours below do not
reflect the actual shade of the diamond graded.
CLARITY
Clarity describes the clearness or purity of a diamond. This
is determined by the number, size, nature, and location of
the external (flaws) and internal (inclusions) imperfections.
Blemishes: scratches and nicks on the surface
of the Diamond.
Inclusions: Any internal features of the
diamond (some might break out externally). The majority of
jewellers around the world will use the same letter coding
when grading the clarity of a Diamond:-.
(FL)
Flawless
Looks entirely perfect and shows no flaws of any sort
(IF) Internally
Flawless
May have minor blemishes on the outside of the stone
(VVS1 and VVS2) Very
Very
slightly included
Inclusions will be present but it will be extremely difficult
to see under 10x magnification
(VS1 and VS2) Very
Slightly included
Contains minute inclusions such as small crystals and clouds
under 10x magnification
(SI1 and SI2) Slightly
Included
Contains minute inclusions such as crystals and clouds which
will be noticeable under 10x magnification
(I1, I2 and I3) Included
Contains inclusions that are large and obvious under 10x magnification
and may affect transparency and brilliance, sometimes flaws
are also apparent to the naked eye.
Cut
refers to the proportions, finish, symmetry, and polish of the
diamond. These factors determine the fire and brilliance or
'lustre' of a Diamond. Well cut Diamonds sell at a premium and
poorly cut Diamonds sell at lower prices. There are some 20
standard shapes and cuts, see a selection of the most common
cuts below. Custom cuts are available and new cuts come onto
the market on a regular basis.
Brilliant
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Oval |
Cushion
cut square |
Cushion cut Emerald |
Octagon
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Emerald
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Princess |
Baguette |
Tapered Baguette |
Radiant Square
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Marquise |
Pear |
Heart |
Trilliant |
Triangle |
CARAT
Carat is the unit of weight for the diamond. A carat is further
subdivided in 100 points ( 0.01 carat = 1 point ). One carat
is equal to 0.20 grams. Value per carat increases with carat
size, this is because larger rough diamonds occur less frequently.
Therefore, 2 half-carat diamonds together will not cost as
much as 1 one-carat diamond, as the 1 one-carat stone is more
rare. The size of the stone, for many is often the most important
of the 4 C's!
Rings
Diamonds
Silverware
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