Diamonds have become a symbol of commitment, of never ending promises and this is probably the reason why someone goes to such lengths when buying diamond jewelry as gifts. Expert jewelers have no problem spotting the one of a kind piece from the regular ones but for ordinary people it may pose a challenge. However, there only four things one has to consider when buying a diamond.
Cut
This is the one responsible for the sparkle and brilliance of any diamond. The amount of light being reflected on the diamond will depend on how well the cut is made and the facets polished.
There are four factors that will affect the cut and that is polish, proportion, symmetry and of course, the finish. Well cut diamonds are sold at a higher price as compared to those poorly cut diamonds.
The cut is more important because this determines the beauty of the stone. If the cut is poorly made, you cannot expect the end result to be beautiful. The facets should be arranged precisely because this will affect the amount of light being reflected which is otherwise known as brilliance. In cases wherein the cut is too shallow or too deep, less light is being reflected because the rest of it escapes through the stone’s bottom. So in the end, there is less brilliance.
Color
We have seen diamonds in red, blue, black and green. Indeed, diamonds come in various colors but authentic and naturally colored diamonds are very rare and very expensive. Due to this, some jewelers influence the color by radiating the stone. The disadvantage of this procedure is that the wearer can be exposed to radiation and the color has the tendency to change overtime.
If you want a fine and expensive diamond, then go for those diamond stones that have no color at all. Colorless diamonds are considered the most expensive diamond in town. To judge the color of the diamond is the job of an expert using their state of the art gem lab equipment that enables them to view even the faintest tint of color in a diamond. The color of a diamond is graded using a master set of grading stones.
Clarity
A diamond with less or no imperfections or blemishes falls under the flawless category while a diamond with lots of blemishes can fall under the category of imperfect. To view the blemishes, the diamond has to be magnified 10x.
The blemishes are also known as inclusions or diamond birthmarks. Most diamonds have birthmarks which is the reason why those stones with little or no birthmark at all are considered valuable. The inclusions or birthmark can affect the light that passes through the diamond. The absence or lesser number of inclusions will result to a more beautiful diamond.
Carat
This is the unit for the diamond’s weight. A carat is equal to .20 grams. The higher the carat weight, the more expensive the diamond is granting that the other characteristics are also above average. One carat is furthermore subdivided to 100 points; therefore a diamond with 90 points weighs around .90 carats.
