What Makes a Diamond Special?

Beauty - Each stone's characteristics cannot be duplicated, and not two diamonds can ever be alike. The beauty of a diamond has made this precious gem prized for centuries.

Durability - Diamonds are the hardest substance known to man, making it difficult to deteriorate. When cared properly diamond jewelry can be worn everyday and passed down to future generations as an heirloom.

Rarity - The supply of diamonds remains limited, and not all rough diamonds are suitable for gem cutting.

Enduring Value - The value of diamonds often have increased. The more years diamonds have from being worn the increase in value.


How to Buy a Diamond

Carat - A metric carat is equal to 200 milligrams, or 1/5 of a gram. Carats are also divided into points. One carat is equal to 100 points. Because large diamonds are so rare, they generally have a greater value per carat.

Color - Diamonds come in every color in the spectrum. Colorless gems are the most popular. Truly colorless, pure white diamonds are the rarest to find and therefore the most expensive. Diamonds are graded by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and given designations based on howfar the deviate from the purest white. Colorless diamonds are graded D, E, or F. These grades are considered colorless but with slightly decreasinf transparency. Color grading goes down through the alphabet. Gems also come in many other colors, from red, blue, canary yellow, green, and purple. These diamonds are also known as fancies and are valued by the depth of color.

Clarity - A diamond's clarity is affected byt any external and internal characteristics crated by nature when the diamond was formed or as a result of the cutting process. According to the quality analysis system of the GIA, clarity is graded on a scale ranging from Flawless (FI) to Imperfect (I).

Cut - Each diamond is cut to very exacting standards. the most common cut is the round brilliant cut, which has 58 facets, or small, flat, polished planes to allow the maximum amount of light to be reflected back to the viewer. Cut is also used to describe the shaped of a diamond. In addition to the round brillant, other popular cuts include emerald, marquis, pear, and oval.

Luster - The quality and amount of light that is reflected off just the surface the diamond. Luster is directly related to the hardness of the stone and the quality of its polish.

Brilliance - Brilliance is determined by the quality of the diamond's proportion and polish and the number and size of inclusions inside of the gem.


Synthetic Diamonds - These are stones that are grown in a laboratory under controlled conditions. It is very difficult to spot these stones without special training and equipment. Your jeweler is required to inform buyer if the diamond is synthetic, and the diamond must be identified with a term as synthetic.

Enhanced Diamonds - Technology used to improve color and clarity of certain types of diamonds.


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