Diamonds are not only beautiful but also have an unmatched strength, making them ideal to represent forever. Lets break down some of the most important asspects of these amazing stones with the 4 Cs- Clarity, Carat, Cut and Color.
Diamond Clarity
Most diamonds have little imperfections within the crystal. Sometimes there are little pieces of carbon, small fractures or imperfections called "inclusions". In the diamond world there is a grading scale that ranges from included to flawless.
The worst grading is I3 where one can see many imperfections with a naked eye. It's easy to remember this by thinking I see 3 things in this diamond, the greater the number the worse the diamond's clarity is.
The next section on the grading scale is SI or slightly included. In the SI range most people cannot see any inclusions unless using 10x magnification. Moving on in the grading scale we have VS or Very Slightly included diamonds which one can only see very small inclusions with a 10x magnification. VVS is very, very slightly included and slightly better than VS. IF means internally flawless, meaning no inclusions on the inside but there could be blemishes on the surface. F stands for flawless in the diamond grading scale, this means one cannot see any inclusions under 10x magnification in or on the surface of the diamond.
Diamond Cut
The diamond's cut is what determines how brilliant or beautiful it will look. A diamond cutter works to cut the stone with symmetary and precision to insure the maxium light passing through the stone. If a diamond is cut too deep or too shallow light will not pass through the stone correctly to give it the desired sparkle.
Diamond Color
Most diamonds appear colorless when in reality many have a slight tinge of brown or yellow. The color scale ranges from D-Z (Remember it starts with "D" as in Diamond). D color is colorless or clean and the further down the alphabet, the more obviouse color becomes. On the color scale everthying from D-J will look clear or near colorless. The yellow or brown tinge is noticable from K-Z.
Diamond Carat Weight
Carat is the way we measure the weight of a diamond and is often abbreviated "CT". One carat is divided into 100 pieces called "points" ; 1 CT = 100 points & 1/2 carat = 50 points.
If a diamond is cut properly the carat weight will also give you an idea of how big the diamond will look on your hand.
Here we have an example of carat weight from .50 Ct - 2.5 Ct for a size reference.
Diamond Shape
Round
The most popular are the round shape diamonds which are a circle shape. Round shapes appear in the most classic engagement setting. The perfect shape for a traditional bride & these shapes are known to retain the most value.
Princess
The princess shape, otherwise known as square cut is another more popular diamond shape. Taking popularity within the last 20 years princess cuts have become another diamond staple in jewelry stores around the world. Its sharp edges entice the modern woman with a classical bridal feel.
Pear shapes have becoming increasingly popular in recent times. They have an elongated shape and great for longer fingers. The pear shapes are more shallow of a cut than a typical round-shape meaning you see more of the surface area. This makes a 1 carat pear appear bigger than a 1 carat round. They usually have 58 facets making them appearing brilliantly dazzling like a round.
Emerald
The emerald shape gets its name from the gemstone, emerald as it is cut this way to best display color. Emerald shapes are not as "sparkly" as a round or a princess shape but provide a stunning elegance. They are ideal for the modern woman. Simple. Beautiful. Elegant.
Marquise
The Marquise shape diamond is one of the oldest diamond cut made in the 1700s. It was first designed by King Louis XV of France who asked to have a diamond in the shape of his mistress's lips! A beautiful shape for the vintage-loving woman. Its elongated shape give the visual effect of extending your finger's length. When cut properly, the marquise cut expels a delicate brilliance.
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Cushion
The cushion shape looks like a mix between a round and a princess. The overall shape is a square-shape with rounded edges. Cushion shapes have lots of brilliance and is one of our favorite shapes.
