The Four C’s of Diamond Quality Wonder of Nature There is no other gemstone quite like a diamond. It is found in the most remote places on earth, and the fact that is forms at all is something of a miracle. It takes about one ton of rock to recover less than half a carat of rough, making diamond one of the rarest and most desired gemstones in the world. A diamond is a testament of endurance and strength – and not surprisingly, the ultimate symbol of love. Treasure of Time Every Diamond is unique. Each reflects the story of its arduous journey from deep inside the earth to a cherished object of adornment. Yet all diamonds share certain features that allow us to compare and evaluate them. These features are called the 4Cs. Color The GIA Color Scale extends from D (colorless) to Z (light yellow or brown). Although many people think of gem quality diamonds as colorless, truly colorless diamonds are actually very rare. Most diamonds used in jewelry are nearly colorless with tints of yellow or brown. Color grades are determined by comparing each diamond to a master set. Each letter grade represents a range of color and is a measure of how noticeable a color is. Fluorescence – Some diamonds can emit a visible light when exposed to ultraviolet radiation, but fluorescence is not a factor in determining color or clarity grades. However, a description of its strength and color is provided on GIA Reports as an additional identifying characteristic. Clarity The GIA Clarity Scale includes eleven clarity grades ranging from Flawless to I3. Because diamonds form under tremendous heat and pressure, it is extremely rare to find a diamond that lacks any internal and external characteristics. These characteristics are a by-product of its formation and help gemologists separate natural diamonds from synthetics and simulate, and identify individual stones. Cut The GIA cut Scale ranges from Excellent to Poor. GIA provided a cut quality grade for standard round brilliant diamonds that fall in the GIA D-to-Z color range. A polished diamond’s beauty lies in its complex relationship with light: how light strikes the surface, how much enters the diamond, and how, and in what form light returns to your eye. The result is a magnificent display of three attributes. Brightness – is the combination of all white light reflecting from the surface and interior of the diamond. Fire – describes the “flares” of color emited from a diamond. Scintillation – describes the flashes of light you see when the diamond, the light or the observer moves. A polished diamond’s proportions affect its light performance, which in turn affects its beauty and overall appeal. Diamonds with fine proportions, symmetry, and polish optimize their interaction with light, and have increased brightness, fire, and scintillation. Carat Weight One carat equals 200 milligrams in weight. For diamonds under on carat, each carat is divided into 100 points – similar to pennies in a dollar. .75 carat = 75 points, ½ carat = 50 points. Beauty and Its Beholder The 4Cs provide a way to objectively compare and evaluate diamonds, but numbers alone can’t describe a diamond’s mysterious and captivating beauty – for that, you’ll have to visit us. All of our diamonds are sold loose so that you can look at your diamond on our state of the art gem scope, that way you can look at color, cut, clarity and carat weight. Then you can select the mounting of your choice. We specialize in ideal cut diamonds. |
