About Diamonds

As we were saying, diamonds are among the most prized substances on earth. When buying a diamond jewellery, it's very important to understand the elements behind the quality and cost of a stone, so you can make an informed buying decision.

The value of a stone is determined by the "4 Cs" of cut, color, clarity and carat weight.

Cut

The cut is the execution of the diamond's design, the skill with which it was cut, the quality of its polish, and the overall symmetry of the stone.

Diamond cuts are broadly graded as Ideal, Excellent, Very Good, Fair or Poor. A well-cut diamond releases the inner brilliance of the stone and projects its maximum amount of fire and sparkle. A poorly cut diamond allows light to leak out the sides or bottom rather than reflecting back to the eye, resulting in a "dull" diamond that may even have some "dead" spots inside.

Color

Most diamonds, although appearing colourless, actually have slight tones of yellow or brown. As these tones become more easily apparent, the rarity and the cost decrease. The whiter the stone, the greater its value.

Most diamonds are graded on the GIA color scale that begins with "D" for colorless and continues all the way down to "Z", with the color becoming more visible as you move down the alphabet. Stones in the D-F color ranges are considered the most valuable because they are the rarest.

Clarity

Clarity is the presence of surface or internal flaws within a diamond caused during its formation. External marks are blemishes, while internal ones are inclusions. Diamonds are graded for clarity on a scale ranging from "F" for flawless (no blemishes or inclusions visible under 10x magnification) to "I" for imperfect (inclusions visible to the naked eye), with numerous grades and subgrades in between. The best diamonds, of course, are flawless, but these stones are exceptionally rare and therefore very costly.

Carat weight

This is the size of the stone. The carat is the measure of weight for diamonds. One carat is approximately 200 milligrams, or 100 "points". A stone weighing a half-carat would be a 50 pointer etc. In general, larger diamonds are rarer and have a higher value per carat. However, other factors such as cut, color and clarity come into play as well in determining a stone's value. It's entirely possible for a smaller stone of exceptional cut, color and clarity to be worth more than a larger stone of only average quality in these areas.¹

It's also necessary that you buy a diamond with confidence and care for it greatly.

Diamond care

Since only diamonds can scratch other diamonds, it's important to wrap and store your diamond jewellery pieces separately so they aren't touching one another. Also, diamond jewelry should never be worn during heavy work, since points are vulnerable to chipping and the setting can be loosened. Visit a jewellery retailer every six months to have your diamonds, mountings and settings checked.

Diamond Cleaning

As for cleaning your diamond, it's always best to have this done by a professional. To clean jewellery at home, you can soak your diamonds in warm, sudsy water made with any mild liquid detergent, brush with a soft toothbrush, then rinse and pat dry with a soft, lint-free cloth. Other effective cleaning methods include soaking diamonds in household ammonia, brand-name liquid jewelry cleaners and even a glass of vodka.

¹To fully understand “The Four C’s” and for more educational information, visit http://www.jewelry.com/education.shtml.