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