| ghtest part in a womanâs life, diamond, is | | | | equals 25 points and is written as 0.25 ct. It is |
| an allotropic form (different form) of darkest of | | | | hard that one can avail a diamond weighing a |
| the elements in the periodic table. The most | | | | carat or above these days. It is almost always in |
| fought for of all the gems, diamonds, have a long | | | | fractions of carats now. |
| romancing history. Welcome to the exciting world | | | | Clarity: Clearer the diamonds higher are the costs. |
| of diamonds. | | | | Tiny inclusions (impurities due to presence of |
| Origin and Diamond Market | | | | other minerals) mask the brilliance. While costing, |
| Diamond has a bloody history right from | | | | the numbers of inclusions, their colors, positions |
| Cleopatra to the famed Koh-I-Noor which at the | | | | are considered. Fewer the inclusions, greater is the |
| earliest recorded date, 1526 AD, weighed 793 | | | | reflection and higher is the value. Clarity is graded |
| carats before being reduced to 186 carats by the | | | | from I3 to VVS1, starting from Very Noticeable |
| lapidary Borgio. | | | | Inclusions to Very, Very Slightly Included, in |
| Today De Beers monopolizes diamond production | | | | decreasing order. |
| and trade which is around 130 million carats | | | | Color: The best color for diamond is having no |
| annually and in addition. A diamond is weighed in | | | | color. White light passed through it will come out in |
| units of carats and a carat originally meant the | | | | rainbow colors. Although most diamonds look |
| weight of one carob seed. The present standard | | | | colorless they are slightly yellow or brown with |
| carat is, however, metric and equals 0.2 gm or 1 | | | | subtle shades. Proximity to being colorless raises |
| 42 of an ounce. | | | | the value. |
| How to Buy Diamonds | | | | Cut: Cut is the dictator of a diamondâs |
| Diamonds mined out (mainly in South Africa and | | | | value. A best cut diamond reflects all the light |
| Botswana) canât be sold directly as | | | | without allowing it to pass through giving it the |
| these are raw. | | | | brightest of shines. The best cut diamond has 57 |
| The 4Cs which stand for carat, clarity, color and | | | | facets (cut and polished faces) with 33 of them |
| cut of diamonds, determine the quality and price | | | | being on the top half, crown, and the rest on the |
| of these gems. | | | | pavilion, bottom half. Mathematically this gives the |
| Carat: A carat equals 0.2 gm in weight and further | | | | total reflection. |
| divided into 100 points. This means a quarter carat | | | | |