Jewelry: Choosing the Right Diamond
Whether you’re planning to become engaged, or you’re just
buying a gift for that special someone, diamonds are a
lovely, traditional choice. You’ve heard that “Diamonds are
forever,” but how do you choose a diamond that your beloved
will want to keep forever?
There are several factors affecting diamond quality, often
called the four Cs: cut, carat, color, and clarity.
A diamond’s cut is not the same thing as its shape. A
diamond can be cut into any shape so that the maximum
amount of light is reflected back from the diamond.
By polishing and grinding flat panes, known as facets, the
diamond’s brilliance, sparkle, and fire are partially
determined. These three aspects of the diamond decide how
well and how much the diamond shimmers and reflects light.
Carat is a word that we are probably all familiar with;
however, most people don’t understand what it means. Carat
is actually a measure of weight, NOT size. It does,
however, relate to size.
One carat is divided into 100 points and a 1.00-carat
diamond weighs .20 grams. Thus, a half-carat diamond is
equal to 50 points. Although we hear this term most often,
this is not necessarily the most important; a diamond cut
for beauty may weigh less instead of more.
Color is a concept about diamonds that many people are not
familiar with; every diamond has a color and that color is
a partial determinant of shimmer and shine. The majority of
diamonds range in color from near colorless to very light
yellow or brown. However, they can also range in color from
pink to blue or green.
The more color a diamond has, the less it will seem to
shine because the color blocks some of the light from
passing through the stone. Colorless diamonds allow the
most light to pass through the stone creating a maximum
brilliance; however, these diamonds are very rare and very
valuable.
Clarity is probably the least-heard term before you begin
shopping for a diamond. Most diamonds contain inclusions,
tiny natural birthmarks, which are not usually visible to
the eye but can be seen with magnification.
Inclusions affect the dispersion of light and affect a
diamond’s brilliance. Less expensive stones often have more
and/or larger inclusions.
When choosing your diamond, remember to ask about all
these four aspects of the stones. They work together to
create either dull diamonds or those with extraordinary
brilliance and sparkle - diamonds that will be cherished
forever.
Rene Beckett’s articles on topics related to weddings are
published at First Class
Wedding, a premier resource on-line for information
about weddings. For addtional articles by Rene, visit Feliz Jewelry.