Learn The Facts About Diamonds

Most people at some point in their life will purchase a diamond, and it represents not only a huge financial commitment, but an emotional one as well. If the diamond is for an engagement ring, there's concern about over paying, or not picking the right stone. Welling's Jewelers gives the facts about diamonds, the 4C's, which is the jewelry industry standard for diamond quality. If you have a particular jewelry question, you can ask Bill Welling. The purchase of diamond is a special occasion, so do your research and shop around.
Diamond Buying Tips

1. Find a diamond that makes a strong first impression and is within your budget.


2. Shop around and look at a variety of diamonds with different quality/price combinations.


3. Beware of jewelers that offer to reduce the asking price drastically. High quality diamonds in the 1.00-3.00 carat range are in demand and the prices reflect that.


4. Buy from an established jeweler that has been recommended to you by friends or family.

The 4C's Explained

Diamonds are like fingerprints, in that no two are alike. The four C's - Cut, Color, Clarity and Carat Weight, identify unique characteristics that give diamonds their individuality. Each plays an important part in the quality and cost of your diamond.

Carat Weight:
A diamond's weight is the simplest of the 4 C's to measure. A carat is equal to 0.2 grams. Each carat is divided into 100 points. A quarter carat has 25 points or written as 0.25 carats. Carat weight has no bearing on a diamond's cut, color, or clarity.

Clarity:
Due to minute traces of minerals trapped in a diamond during the crystallization process, every diamond is unique. These natural characteristics, called inclusions or blemishes give the diamond its own individuality. Clarity refers to the number, color, size, and position of inclusions. To determine a diamond's clarity grade, it is viewed under 10-power magnification by a trained diamond grader. The closer to flawless a diamond is, everything else being equal, the greater the value of that stone. Under the GIA rating scale, most diamonds sold in jewelry stores are between SI1, and I1 in clarity.

• FL and IF: Flawless and internally flawless. Diamonds that are flawless and internally flawless contain no flaws and are very rare and expensive.


• VVS1 and VVS2: Very, very slightly included. Diamonds that are VVS quality contain very, very small inclusions that are barely visible with magnification.


• VS1 and VS2: Very slightly included. Diamonds that are VS quality have small inclusions that are visible under magnification.


• SI1 and SI2: Slightly included. Diamonds that are SI quality have larger inclusions that are easy to see under magnification, but invisible to the naked eye.


• I1 or I2: Included. Diamonds that are I quality have large inclusions that are visible to the naked eye.

Color:
The color grade of a diamond refers to the degree of color present in the diamond. Most diamonds have at least a trace of yellow, brown or gray body color. With the exception of a few fancy colored diamonds in deep shades of blue, red, purple and pink, the colorless grade of diamonds is the most rare. Everything else being equal, other than the fancy colors, the closer a diamond is to colorless, the more valuable it is. The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) created an alphabetic color grading scale for diamonds. Diamonds with the least amount of color are classified as D. Going down the scale, the diamonds with the most color given a Z rating. Most of us cannot tell the difference between an F color diamond and a G color diamond-until you see the difference in price. Small changes in color can result in large changes in the price. Most jewelry stores sell diamonds in the F to L color range. If you purchase diamonds graded D to G in color, you may want to set the stone in white gold or platinum to enhance the stone's beauty. If you purchase a diamond in the H to L in color, set the stone in yellow gold to give the stone a more colorless feel.

Diamonds are graded by color, starting with D and continuing through the alphabet. Each letter grade represents a range of color.

• D: Colorless, the highest color grade.


• E-F: These stones appear virtually colorless. Only experienced professionals can distinguish between them consistently.


• G-H-I: These stones appear near colorless. Most trained diamond graders and experienced professionals can see color in these stones, but most consumers cannot.


• J-K-L: These stones look very nearly colorless, but consumers can usually see color in larger stones.

M-Z: These stones show color and most consumers can see it very easily.

Cut:
Many people confuse the cut with the shape. Cut refers to the placement and proportion of the facets, or surfaces. The facets reflect light and contribute to the diamond's sparkle. Cut gives your diamond its fire and brilliance. When a diamond is cut to good proportions, light reflects from one facet to another then radiates through the top of the stone. If the cut of a diamond is too deep, some light escapes through the opposite side of the pavilion. If the cut is too shallow, light escapes through the pavilion before it can be reflected, thus reducing brilliancy. Whichever shape you choose, you want the cut to maximize the diamond's brilliance. You'll be happy to know, you don't have to be an expert to judge the quality of the cut. Hold two diamonds side by side under a bright light. In general the one with the most fire has the better cut.