| Who doesn't love a diamond? Known as the | | | | 2. Cut is the first C. Very well cut round diamonds |
| traditional gemstone for an engagement ring, | | | | are called ideals. Diamonds are cut for weight. |
| diamonds have steadily risen in popularity since | | | | They have no color and no nutrititional value. |
| the early 1940s, when Harry Openheimer the | | | | Diamond is all about sparkle. Fine cutting delivers |
| president of the De Beers cartel visited New | | | | the sparkle. |
| York to meet with Gerold M. Lauck the president | | | | 3. Never buy a clarity grade above VS2. |
| of N.W. Ayer, a leading advertising agency. | | | | Diamonds are graded using a 10x magnifier. A |
| The value of diamond sales had declined 50% by | | | | diamond graded Flawless and one graded SI1 |
| the end of World War I and Openheimer was | | | | (slightly included) are visually identical. The first and |
| determined to do something about it, Lauck's | | | | last time you will use magnification is the day you |
| suggestion; manufacture a tradition. So successful | | | | buy the stone. |
| was the campaign that in 1967 De Beers hired J. | | | | 4. Diamond color is based on tonal variations of |
| Walter Thompson to create a similar "tradition" in | | | | the color yellow on a scale of D-Z. There is no A, |
| Japan, a country with absolutely no history of | | | | B, or C. The more yellow the lower the grade. |
| diamond giving. As a result, today over 90% of all | | | | The first four colors D-G show no yellow when |
| Japanese women receive a diamond engagement | | | | viewed face-up. Want to save money? Think |
| ring. | | | | about a G. |
| Although everyone loves a diamond, few people | | | | 5. Look for moderate blue flourescence. About 1 |
| know how to wisely choose one when standing at | | | | 3 of all diamond flouresce blue in ultraviolet light. |
| the jewelry counter. Here are five tips on how to | | | | While we can't see unltraviolet we can see its |
| buy your perfect diamond: | | | | affects. Blue is the complement of yellow. Thus, |
| 1. Diamonds are graded using the 4 Cs. Color, Cut, | | | | blue flourescene will cancel out yellow and make |
| Clarity and Carat weight but they are not of equal | | | | the diamond appear whiter and more beautiful as |
| importance. | | | | well. A flourescent H may look like a D. |