About Diamonds

COLOR:

The less color in a diamond the more valuable is. Stones that are as clear as colorless water are the most expensive and have a D to E rating. D being the highest. The light is better reflected in Diamonds without color. It disperses as a rainbow of color. As letters descent towards Z, more color is present.   See color grading scale below.

D     E     F G    H    I     J    K     L     M N     to     Z Z   +

colorless    near colorless faint yellow   very light to fancy

(White) (top silver)   light yellow yellow

Diamonds with a body color other than light yellow, light brown or light gray are called fancy color diamonds. These colorless, especially if they are naturally red or blue. Some diamonds are colored artificially by irradiation or high-heat-high-temperature treatment.

CLARITY:

The fewer and smaller the flaws, the higher the price.    There are 11 GIA clarity grades. They are:

F1: Flawless - no inclusions (flaws inside the diamond) and no blemishes (flaws on the surface. Rarely used in jewelry.

IF: Internally Flawless - no inclusions and only significant blemishes.

VVS1 & VVS2: Very, very slightly included - minute inclusions difficult to see under 10-power magnification. Jewelers seldom keep these stones in stock. Rare and Expensive.

VS1 & VS2: Very slightly included - minor inclusions ranging from difficult to somewhat easy to see under 10-power magnification. VS diamonds are available in jewelry stores.

SI1 & SI2: Slightly included, noticeable inclusions easy (SI1) or very easy (SI2) to see under 10-power magnification, but that normally are not eye-visible.   Formerly SI3 was called  I1 a split between SI2 and I1 clarity grade.

I1, I2, & I3: Imperfect - eye-visible inclusions face up that range from just visible (I1) to extremely visible to the naked eye (I3). Some I2 and I3 diamonds may be damaged by ultra-sonic cleaning. They may be less resistant to knocks.

CARAT WEIGHT:

In most cases, the higher the carat weight category, the greater the per-carat price. A carat is a unit of weight equaling a fifth of a gram. The weight of small diamonds is often expressed in points. One point equals 0.01 carats. There is a difference between the labels 1 ct TW (one carat total weight) and 1 ct (the weight of one stone).   If a piece of jewelry has more than one diamond in it, the combined total weight of all the stones is called "carat total weight" (ctw).   Diamonds are cut to a uniform ideal for maximum Brilliance, Sparkle and Fire. With this uniform cutting and proportions, we can very conveniently and accurately equate Diamond Carat Size with their millimeter weight.

Round Brilliant Cut Diamond

1 mm 2 mm 3 mm 4 mm 5 mm 6 mm 6.5 mm 7 mm 7.5 mm

0.01 Ct 0.03 Ct 0.10 Ct 0.25 Ct 0.50 Ct 0.75 Ct 1.00 Ct 1.25 Ct 1.65 Ct

SHAPE & CUTTING STYLE:

The effect of shape on price depends on the stone size, demand and available supply. The eight most popular Diamond cuts are Emerald Cut, Heart Cut, Marquise Cut, Oval Cut, Round Brilliant Cut, Pear Cut, Princess Cut and Radiant Cut. Some shapes such as Round Brilliant Cut cost more than Pear Cut. Radiants may cost slightly more than Emerald Cut depending on size. They have the same shape but different faceting styles.

CARE TIPS:

Untreated diamonds without cracks and large inclusions can be cleaned by any method. You can soak them in soapy water, alcohol or an ammonia solution and then rub them clean with a lint free cloth. Ultrasonic cleaning is usually the easiest and most effective method. Most jewelers will clean your jewelry and check your diamond settings free of charge.