Diamonds | Gems | Birthstones | Anniversary
Special occasions and jewelry go together hand in hand. Our jewelry gift guide will give you a better understanding of how to purchase a jewelry gift for any occasion.
Diamonds
4 C's of Diamonds | Diamond Buyers Guide | Diamond Cut Gallery
The 4Cs are used throughout the world to classify the rarity of diamonds.
Diamonds with the combination of the highest 4C ratings are more rare and,
consequently, more expensive. No one C is more important than another in
terms of beauty and it is important to note that each of the 4Cs will not
diminish in value over time.
CUT | COLOR | CARAT | CLARITY
The four most popular factors used to measure diamond quality are cut, color, carat and clarity. De Beers introduced this set of criteria to consumers in 1939 in order to provide consumers with a reference for evaluating diamonds.
Nature dictates the characteristics of color, clarity and carat, while cut is directly influenced by humans. Although the 4Cs provide scientific guidelines for evaluating diamond quality, they do not necessarily measure diamond beauty.
CUT
Cut, more than any other quality aspect, gives the diamond its sparkle. A diamond gets its brilliance and scintillation by cutting and polishing the diamond facets to allow the maximum amount of light that enters through its top to be reflected and dispersed back. When all the angles are correct, the light that enters is dispersed back through the diamonds top facets.
COLOR
Most diamonds appear icy white, but many have tiny hints of color. Diamonds are graded on a color scale established by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), ranging from D (colorless) to Z.
Colorless diamonds are extremely rare, and therefore very valuable. But there are no hard and fast rules for what color makes a diamond beautiful. The Incomparable, one of the world's most beautiful diamonds, contains hints of brown, smokey amber and champagne colors.
CARAT
One carat (not to be confused with Karat;the measure of purity of gold) is the equivalent of 200 milligrams. One carat can also be divided into 100 "points." A .75 carat diamond is the same as a 75-points or a 3/4 carat diamond.
The term carat is a derivative of the word carob. Carob seeds, which are surprisingly uniform in weight, were used as a reference for diamond weight in ancient civilizations. One carob seed equaled one carat.
It is often assumed that a 1-carat diamond costs exactly twice the price of a 1/2-carat diamond. This is not the case. Since larger diamonds are found less frequently in nature, a 1-carat diamond will cost much more than twice as much as a 1/2-carat diamond, assuming color, clarity and cut remain constant.
CLARITY
The position of inclusions can affect the value of a diamond. You may not notice a significant difference between an SI 1 and a SI 2. However, you should consider the number, size, brightness, nature and position of the inclusions.
Some inclusions can be hidden by a mounting, thus having little effect on the beauty of a diamond. An inclusion in the middle or top of a diamond, however, could impact the dispersion of light, sometimes making the diamond less brilliant.