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FACTS ABOUT DIAMONDS
What are diamonds?
Diamonds are pure, or nearly pure, carbon with three extraordinary characteristics:
- Diamonds possess unique abilities to reflect light. When cut, light is gathered within the diamond and then sent back in an array of fire and brilliance.
- The diamond is the only gemstone composed of a single element, making it the purest of all gemstones.
- The diamond is the hardest transparent material known to man. A diamond cannot be cut by steel. Only a diamond can cut another diamond.
How Diamonds Are Graded?
(The 4 C's - Cut, Clarity, Color, Carat weight)
Cut
Cut determines how well a diamond reflects light back to the eye. A diamond cutter must align each facet in mathematical accordance with one another to produce the most brilliance in a diamond. Cut is one of the most important factors in choosing a diamond. Even a flawless diamond isn't pretty if it's not cut correctly.
Clarity
The lesser the inclusions, the more the stone sparkles. Inclusions are obstructions such as minute crystals that block light reflected back to the eye. Fewer inclusions make a diamond more rare and valuable.
|
GIA GRADING SCALE FOR CLARITY |
| FL |
IF |
VVS1 VVS2 |
VS1 VS2 |
SI1 SI2 |
I1 I2 I3 |
| Flawless |
Internally Flawless |
Very, Very Slight Inclusions |
Very Slight Inclusions |
Slight Inclusions |
Imperfect (eye visible inclusions) |
(VVS1 to SI2 clarity diamonds require at least 10X magnification to locate inclusions. I1 to I3 are eye visible inclusions.)
Color
Color also plays a large part in the value of a diamond. The value of a diamond can increase hundreds to thousands of dollars by a single color grade depending on the carat weight of the stone.
| GIA GRADING SCALE FOR COLOR |
| D E F |
G H I J |
K L M |
N O P Q R |
S T U V W X Y Z |
| Colorless |
Near Colorless |
Faint Yellow |
Very Light Yellow |
Light Yellow - Fancy Yellow |
(Most stones sold for engagement rings are D to J in color)
Carat Weight
Carat weight is the unit of weight used by gemologists to measure a diamond's size. No two diamonds are the same. It is important to factor in cut, clarity, and color along with carat weight in determining the value of a stone. The weight of a diamond is meaningless if the color isn't white, the clarity has eye visible inclusions, and the cut is shallow and leaks light.
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