| "A kiss on the hand may be quite continental but | | | | slightly imperfect (SI), and imperfect (I): |
| diamonds are a girl's best friend..." sings Nicole | | | | Clarity is very difficult to judge by an |
| Kidman in Moulin Rouge. Diamond rings and | | | | inexperienced consumer, so look at lots of |
| earrings are indeed an essential part of a woman's | | | | diamonds. A good jeweler will point out the flaws |
| diamond jewelry collection. They are elegant and | | | | in several stones until you can detect pinpoints |
| simple. And who wouldn't want dazzling diamond | | | | and other flaws by yourself. One pitfall to avoid |
| rings that sparkle with the promise of eternity? | | | | when shopping for clarity is the "clarity-enhanced" |
| It was in the 1870's when diamonds first became | | | | diamond. This is an artificial process used to "fix" |
| widely available to the public. Settings during that | | | | the flaws on an otherwise good stone. Although a |
| time did not always display the diamond in its | | | | clarity-enhanced diamond can look nearly flawless, |
| most beautiful light. Today, however, there is a | | | | it is intrinsically worth as much as a flawed stone. |
| wide range of settings to match one's personal | | | | 3. Color |
| taste and style - diamond pendants, princess cut | | | | This refers to the degree of "yellowness." The |
| diamond rings and earrings, diamond stud earrings, | | | | ideal is completely colorless, and therefore, the |
| emerald cut diamond rings and earrings, and a lot | | | | most expensive. The Gemological Institute of |
| more. | | | | America (G.I.A.) grades color alphabetically from D |
| Pretty and shiny diamond rings and earrings are | | | | (totally colorless) to Z (yellow). To be considered |
| considered a luxury. In many countries throughout | | | | "colorless," the G.I.A. requires that it be a D, E, or |
| the world, diamond rings are truly a wonderful | | | | F. Since the D-Z scale is continuous, so the |
| symbol of commitment and love. A diamond, with | | | | difference between an F and G is very small. The |
| the right care, will last a lifetime. But you certainly | | | | average color for engagement diamonds in the |
| don't need it to get engaged and you don't have | | | | United States is G to H. Jewelers have two tools |
| to be engaged to get one. You can always buy | | | | to judge the color of a given diamond. In the |
| your own! The quality of a diamond is determined | | | | "reference set" of stones, a jeweler will compare |
| by four factors known as the "4 Cs." They are | | | | the stone in question with a set of stones of |
| Carat weight, Clarity, Color and Cut. | | | | known color (the set is typically made of cubic |
| 1. Carat weight | | | | zirconium!) and make a qualitative determination as |
| "Carat Weight" is the weight of the diamond. One | | | | to the color grading of the stone in question. In |
| carat is exactly 200 milligrams. Most diamonds sold | | | | the second, more precise method, the |
| in the jewelry industry weigh less than 1 carat, so | | | | colorimeter, an electrical device, measures the |
| the carat is usually subdivided into "points." There | | | | optical characteristics of the stone and report the |
| are 100 points in 1 carat; therefore, | | | | color to within 1/3 of a grade. When judging the |
| 1 carat = 200 milligrams = 100 points | | | | color of a diamond, see the diamond unmounted. |
| The carats of a diamond are different with the | | | | Look at the printout from the colorimeter, or ask |
| carats of a different stone. Also, the karats used | | | | for a reference set of stones to make the |
| to measure the purity of gold are different from | | | | comparisons yourself. Place the diamond beside |
| the carats used to measure the weight of a | | | | the reference stones face down on a white piece |
| diamond. If you're unsure of a given stone's carat | | | | of paper, and compare the color of the stones |
| weight, ask the jeweler to weigh the stone in | | | | until you get the best match. |
| your presence. Make sure that the balance | | | | 4. Cut |
| reports "0" when there is nothing on it, place the | | | | Cut is the most confusing of the 4 Cs, since it |
| unmounted stone on the balance, take the | | | | can refer to the cutting style, the shape of the |
| number of milligrams reported by the instrument, | | | | stone, its proportions, or the workmanship of the |
| and divide by 200 to get the carat weight of the | | | | actual diamond-cutting process. The difference |
| stone. | | | | between a "great" cut, a "good" cut, and a "bad" |
| 2. Clarity | | | | cut can be subtle to the inexpert eye, but will |
| Clarity is a measure of the number and extent of | | | | make a huge difference in terms of the value and |
| the flaws in the diamond. The fewer the flaws, | | | | beauty of the stone. |
| the more valuable the diamond. Completely | | | | To assess how well a given diamond is cut to |
| flawless diamonds are extremely rare. There are | | | | ideal proportions, measure the diamond. If the |
| only a few hundred "FL" diamonds produced each | | | | stone has a G.I.A. certificate, the measurements |
| year worldwide. There are several grading | | | | will be on the certificate. If not, ask the jeweler |
| systems used to describe clarity, the most | | | | to perform the measurements in front of you. |
| popular of which is the Gemological Institute of | | | | ".....Men grow cold as girls grow old and we all loose |
| America's (G.I.A.) scale, which ranks diamonds as | | | | our charms in the end, but square cut or pear |
| Flawless (FL), Internally Flawless (IF), very very | | | | shaped these rocks don't lose their shape... |
| slightly included (VVS), very slightly included (VS), | | | | Diamonds are a girl's best friend. |