When
shopping for a diamond, you'll soon learn that no two diamonds are exactly
alike. The diamond "Shape"
chosen is a matter of individual taste, but that's just the beginning.
You'll also need to consider the "Carat
Weight", "Cut",
"Color",
and "Clarity"
of your new diamond. These characteristics are know as the "4C's". See
our examples below.
Shape
Diamonds come in a number of shapes, not just the traditional
brilliant round. Some of the most popular shapes are: Round Brilliant,
Oval, Marquise, Pear, Emerald and Princess. Return
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| Brilliant |
Oval |
Marquise |
Pear |
Emerald |
Princess |
Carat
Weight
The
word "carat" originally referred to the unit if weight of the seed of the
carob tree. The seeds were used by the early gem traders who needed a consistent
measurement of weight for their diamonds. Today, the carat is a metric
weight of 0.2 grams. Return
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|
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| 1
ct. |
.75
ct. |
.50
ct. |
.25
ct. |
.10
ct. |
Color
Although diamonds come in many different colors, most sold
on the market range from near colorless to a very light yellow. In today's
market, the less color, the higher the diamond is graded, and thus the
more valuable it will be considered. Return
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Clarity
Almost all diamonds have tiny marks know as "inclusions".
The less inclusions, the rarer it will be graded, and thus the more valuable
it will be considered. (the diamonds below were magnified under a loop)Return
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| FL
- IF |
VVS1
- VVS2 |
VS1
- VS2 |
SI1
- SI2 |
I1 |
I2 |
I3 |
Cut
Often confused with "Shape", the "Cut" of a diamond refers
to the carefully cut flat surfaces called "facets". The precision of the
cut dictates the maximum amount of light that the diamond will reflect
and refract. The quality directly influences the brilliance and fire that
make diamonds uniquely beautiful. On average, a brilliant diamond will
have 58 facets. When done right, the light is reflected from one facet
to the next, creating a brilliant glow. Return
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chart
provided by LD |
