Diamond jewelry, as some would put it, is the royalty among all gems. As such, assessing the value and quality of this gemstone had been refined to almost an exact science and a very fine art for hundreds of years now.

Today, dealing in diamonds either as an ardent admirer (wearing one) or as an astute trader of the same, one would need to be familiar with the four Cs – color, cut, clarity and carat.

Color

With the naked eye, most diamonds would appear colorless, but they do have subtle shades of colors. Experts use the letter D (colorless) moving through all the letters all the way to Z (light yellow) in identifying them.

A colorless diamond is chemically pure and structurally perfect. It lets through most of the light (perfectly transparent) and produces the most amount of brilliance.

Most natural diamonds, however, are imperfect, and colorless diamonds are very rare.

It is, therefore, the most expensive of all.

The diamond color is produced by chemical impurities or structural defects in the stone’s crystal pattern. It causes a yellowish to brownish tint. However, blue or pink diamonds are also considered more desirable and command some very high prices as well.

Gemologists label diamonds with unusual or intense colors as “fancy” and they have their own rating systems, although it is not commonly used because of the relative rarity of such stones.

Cut

This is the most important of all the four Cs in assessing the stone’s beauty. Cut refers to the precise proportion and dimensions of a finished diamond. This is not to be confused with the stone’s shape (round, princess, marquise, pear, baguette, etc).

A diamond that had been cut properly allows light to enter and refract it, creating what is called brilliance. Cut too shallow or too deep, a stone will not properly refract the light and will look dull and lifeless.

A well-cut stone looks like it has greater carat weight, has more clarity and color. All in all, it appears to be of better grade than it actually is.

Clarity

Diamonds have natural imperfections called inclusions. These are minerals or crystals trapped inside the stone, and they determine the clarity of the stone.

Nearly all stones have characteristic inclusions (“birthmarks”) which make them unique and identifiable. These imperfections are graded accordingly and these also determine their value.

These are noted in the stone’s certificate from IF (internally flawless), VVS (very, very slight inclusions) all the way down to “visible inclusions”(I).

Carat

This is the measurement of a diamond’s weight. One carat is 200 milligrams. The point unit (0.01 carat or 2 milligrams) is used on stones lesser than one carat.

Normally, the price per carat increases with carat weight because larger diamonds are rarer and desired. However, carat weights are not the final arbiter of value.

A smaller stone with better color and clarity commands a better price than a bigger one with poor color and clarity. Total carat weight (TCW) is used when referring to the total mass of stones in a piece of jewelry (bracelets, necklaces, earrings, multiple-stoned rings, etc.)

Your choice

Choosing the diamond jewelry of your dreams actually boils down on your attraction to a particular stone, maybe because of its color, brilliance or its shape. Knowing the four Cs is important, whether you are a layman or want to be an expert.

Get more complete tips on choosing diamond jewelry, visit: www.diamondjewelry.getmytips.com

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Why do people, particularly women, love diamonds? Why do their eyes get rounded whenever they see one? What are they made of that everyone go gaga about them? What are diamonds, really?

They say diamonds are forever. Are they? Do you even have an idea why? Also, they say diamonds are a girl’s best friend. If this is true, again I ask why? Can you tell a real diamond from a fake one? Is it easy? What makes a diamond the best?

Really, there are things people have to become aware of when buying diamonds. What are these? Precisely, there are only four most important things one must know about diamonds: color (yes, diamonds have colors) carat (which is different from karat), clarity, and cut.

Color
A color scale determines the grades of a diamond. The grading starts from ‘D’, referring to colorless, and ends to ‘Z’, referring to highlighted yellow. The colors ‘D’, ‘E’, and ‘F’ are the best diamonds because they are colorless but expensive. So, if you are restricted with budget, you can go for colors ‘J’, ‘K’, ‘L’, and ‘M’. Anyway, if these diamond colors are looked at from a distance, they appear to be similar to the colorless diamonds. So, why worry about buying the ones that have lower prices?

Clarity
Diamonds are not perfect; they have inclusions. In fact, the quality of the clarity depends on the number of these ‘additions’ and how distinctive they are. Therefore, pricing is also based on clarity – the fewer amount of blemishes, the more probability of a diamond increasing its value. ‘IF’ clarity stands for flawless quality; however, your naked eye will not be able to differentiate it from ‘VSI’ clarity. A magnifying glass will also do. So, your financial capacity will again dictate which diamond you will prefer to buy. If you can afford it, then, buy the perfect diamond for you or for your girlfriend or wife.   

Carat
A carat is used to quantify the weight of diamonds. A carat is equal to the fifth part of a gram. It is separated in 100 points; therefore, a diamond with 50 points is equivalent to half a carat, which has an estimated width of 5.2mm.

Cut
The shapes of diamonds come in multiplicity. The most popular of them are the round brilliant, pear shaped, oval, emerald cut, princess cut, and heart shaped. The most brilliant of all is obviously the round brilliant.

Now, this information will at least give you more ideas about diamonds. This article will also help you a lot when buying – or scrutinizing – diamonds. More importantly, you are now aware of the four Cs in diamonds: color (you will be able to determine the flawless and the near colorless from tinted yellow), carat (you are now aware of its difference from karat), clarity (its varieties and how they influence the pricing of diamonds), and cut (the different shapes made by diamond cutters to diamonds).

Harrison Fray is an experienced and expert wedding planner who specializes in groomsmen gifts and wedding gifts buying. His advice can help you to buy bridesmaid gifts cheaply but with unique style. Harrison also gives great advice on groomsmen gifts. Drop by Go Wedding Gifts to see what Harrison recommends.

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Diamond engagement rings are symbol of romance, commitment and everlasting love. Engagement rings are worn on third finger of the left hand and it indicates that you are getting married soon. It represents a new beginning of your life and a future which is full of new hopes and dreams.

From many centuries diamonds are considered as a symbol of true love and you can find wide range of beautiful designs in diamond engagement rings and you can select according to your choice. But before buying your engagement ring you must review the main four factors which are color, carat, cut and clarity. These four factors help you in finding the ideal diamond engagement ring. Among all these four factors the cut of the diamond is the most important factor. The cut of diamond determines its brilliance and sparkle and also plays a very significant role in price of the ring. Another C which is the carat is the weight of diamond and is measured in carat. Color of diamond also plays a very significant role in the price of the ring. You can find diamond in fancy color but always remember that colored diamonds are expensive compare to colorless diamonds.

You can find diamond engagement rings in different settings, designs, shapes, colors and size. If you are looking for something different then you can buy traditional solitaire engagement ring which comes in heart shape also. Always remember that classic engagement ring is made of two parts one is diamond and the other is setting. If you want the best value of your money then make sure that you find the perfect setting for your ring.

It is very important to select engagement ring very carefully because it is worn by your lady for lifetime. You must be careful before selecting the material and size of the ring. Before purchasing the ring ask the size of her ring finger but if you are planning of giving her a surprise then you can know her size by asking her relatives, family or friends.

You can buy your beautiful engagement ring from online stores there are many stores which help you in selecting perfect engagement ring for your beloved. You can find three stone rings, vintage engagement rings, platinum engagement rings and gold engagement rings. All these rings help you to express your emotions in your own special way. The great advantage of purchasing from online stores is that you can find engagement rings at very reasonable prices. You can add sparkle and shine to your relationship with diamonds.

The author has spent many years in the jewelry business and industry and has done numerous articles to educate the customers. He advises them over right way of buying diamond engagement rings, engagement rings, gemstone engagement rings and other jewelries in wiser way. Please visit whitefleur.co.uk for the details.

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