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