Diamond Education
Treasures of Time and wonders of nature
Every diamond is unique. Each reflects the story of its arduous journey from deep inside the earth to a cherished object of adornment. Yet all diamonds share certain features that allow us to compare and evaluate them. These features are called the 4Cs.
There is no other gemstone quite like a diamond. It is found in the most remote places on earth, and the fact that it forms at all is something of a miracle. It takes about one ton of rock to recover less than half a carat of rough to be cut, making diamond one of the rarest and most desired gemstones in the world. A diamond is a testament of endurance and strength - and not surprisingly the ultimate symbol of love.
DIAMOND DUE DILIGENCE
When buying a diamond, it is vitally important to know about the 4 C’s. They are cut, color, clarity, and carat weight. Together, the 4 C’s determine a diamond’s value. It is essential to learn about each of the 4 C’s before purchasing a diamond because each C speaks differently to each individual differently. These 4 C's provide a way to objectively compare and evaluate diamonds, but numbers alone can't describe a diamond's mysterious and captivating beauty - for that, you'll have to visit our store to see for yourself!
Courtesy of the Gemological Institute of America
CUT
The GIA Scale ranges from Excellent to Poor.
A polished diamond's beauty lies in its complex relationship with light. The magnificent display you see is made up of three attributes: Brightness is the combination of all white light reflecting from the surface and interior of diamond. Fire describes the "flares" of color emitted from a diamond. Scintillation describes the pattern of light and dark areas and the sparkle you see when the diamond, the light, or the observer moves.
A diamond's proportions affect its light performance, which in turns affects its beauty and overall appeal. Diamonds with fine proportions, symmetry, and polish optimize their interactions with light and have increased brightness, fire, and scintillation.
COLOR
The Color Scale extends from D (colorless) to Z (light yellow or brown)
Although many people think of gem quality as colorless, truly colorless diamonds are actually very rare. Most diamonds used in jewelry are nearly colorless with tints of yellow or brown. Color grades are determined by comparing each diamond to a master set. Each letter grade is a measure of how noticeable a color is.
Fluorescence Some diamonds can emit a visible light when exposed to ultraviolet radiation, but fluorescence is not a factor in determining color or clarity grades. However, a description of its strength and color is provided on GIA Reports as an additional identifying characteristic
CARAT WEIGHT
Some people believe that carat refers to the size of a diamond while in actuality; carat is the term used to measure a diamond’s weight. One carat is made up of one hundred points. The larger the diamond, the greater its rarity. Because larger diamonds are more rare, they generally have a greater value per carat.
CLARITY
The GIA Clarity Scale includes elven clarity grades ranging from Flawless to I3.
Because diamonds form under tremendous heat and pressure, it is extremely rare to find a diamond that lacks any internal and external characteristics. These characteristics are a by-product of its formation and help gemologists separate natural diamonds from synthetics and stimulants, and identify individual stones.
