for
your stone
:
There are Four C's to consider when looking at a diamond:
CLARITY,
COLOR, CUT, CARAT WEIGHT
A note on CUT:
Almost all certified stones will be CUT with the correct dimensions, symmetry
etc., so rarely is CUT a consideration unless a diamond is cut extreme
ly deep or shallow. Most reputable
jewelers avoid such diamonds.
A note on CARAT WEIGHT and SIZE:
The price and value of a diamond is obviously determined by how big it is, so SIZE is a factor in price.
However, supply and demand come in to play a bit her
e. Most consumers like "round" numbers. Therefore,
stones that are close to, or weigh exactly a carat (100 points = 1 carat; 50 points = 1/2 carat; 25 points = 1/4
carat etc.) are in higher demand. It is often possible to save some money by considering a s
tone that is just out
of the popular range of sizes. For example, a 90
-
93 point diamond can cost several hundred dollars less than
a 95
-
100 point diamond, even though the size difference to the naked eye is negligible
-
a matter of millimeters
in diameter
difference.
A note on COLOR:
The color of the diamond is basically how "white" a diamond shines. The term "colorless" refers to the high end
of the color chart, which is simply organized alphabetically, starting with the letter D. So a D color is the
"wh
itest" or most "colorless" on the chart. The difference between a D or an E or an F is almost indiscernible to
most people; all three are bright white stones. Next on the color chart are G, H, and I colored stones. These
are considered "near
-
colorless" sto
nes. What this means is that they are not quite as white as the DEF stones
at the high end of the chart. However, these stones are much more affordable than DEF stones and thus a
large majority of the stones I have sold are in the GHI range. The next
groups of stones are
J and K color. At
this point in the color spectrum most people can begin to see a faint hue of yellow in the diamond. J color is
less noticeable than K or even L color, which definitely show color.
A note on J color stones (they can be a
bargain):
A J color diamond can be a real bargain if set in a yellow gold mounting. The hint of color in a J diamond is
only faint and can be noticed most clearly when placed beside a diamond of lets say D, E, or F color. Since
most people wearing a diamo
nd are not showing it on their hand next to another diamond, a J color diamond
by itself can be a very beautiful stone. And since the pricing of a J
-
color stone is much more affordable, if you
are looking to set the stone in a yellow
-
gold mounting, the col
or of the J stone is practically negated by the
shine and tone of the yellow gold it is set in. Setting a J
-
color stone in a white gold or platinum mounting makes
the faint yellow color of the diamond more noticeable.
A note on CLARITY:
When a laboratory
such as the GIA (Gemological Institute of America) grades a stone for certification, they are
doing so by viewing the stone through 10X power magnification. In other words, although imperfections in
CLARITY may be visible through the microscope, that doesn
't necessarily mean they are visible with the naked
eye.
The clarity of a diamond basically refers to how "clean" the diamond is from natural "imperfections" which
occur in the natural process of the diamond's formation in the earth. Diamonds are formed
from carbon and
pressure. As the diamond is formed, there are natural "inclusions" which occur in the process. The fewer of
these "inclusions" there are, the more valuable a diamond is. In other words, the more light that can shine on
and throughout the di
amond and its facets, the more brilliance, shine and fire the diamond will have. The
natural inclusions get in the way of the light shining in and lessen the diamond's brilliance.
There are basically two kinds of "flaws" or "imperfections" in a diamond:
carbon and natural inclusions. Carbon
is black in color and many diamonds still have this unformed carbon in them. Under magnification, these
imperfections look like buckshot or specks of black pepper. They are unsightly; I avoid selling diamonds with
carb
on in them. On larger diamonds, this carbon can be visi
ble to the naked eye. I suggest
avoiding a diamond
with carbon in it.
The other kinds of "imperfections" or "inclusions" take the form of what look like bubbles, clouds, or fissures
(lines). Too many of these simply "cloud up" the clarity of the diamond and make it look "foggy."
The CLARITY scale begins with "Flawless." Th
ese diamonds are perfect, rare and ridiculously expensive.
The scale then moves to "Very Very Slightly Included" with a "1" and a "2" differentiation. These stones are
near
-
perfect
and also very expensive, but readily available if you are willing to pay the price. Next is "VS1" and
"VS2": "Very Slightly Included."
These stones are also on the high end of the cost spectrum but getting close to
more affordable, but expensive. If you looked at any of these diamonds with the naked eye, I would guess that
you wo
uld not be able to see any noticeable flaw. These are very nice stones.
Next on the CLARITY
scale is "Slightly Included 1" (SI 1) and "Slightly Included 2" (SI 2). The "imperfections"
on these stones can be noticeable with the naked eye if they are present near the surface of the diamond or on
the diamond's TABLE, which is the flat, clear window
area on the center of the stone. On the other hand, some
SI 1 and even a few SI 2 stones can have imperfections around the edges where the facets of the stones are,
or near the bottom of the stone. In these stones, the imperfections can be "hidden" by the
natural sparkle of the
facets or even sometimes under a prong of the ring's setting. SI 2 stones tend to have more noticeable flaws,
but often a very good value can be found in an SI 1 CLARITY diamond.
In summary, when looking at a diamond price is an obvious consideration. Since most people buying a
stone are on some sort of budget or have a "max" price they are t
rying to stay under, here is what I tell
my customers:
Once you decide on the size you want, price is determined by a combination of COLOR and CLARITY.
To stay in an affordable mid
-
range of price (let's say for a 1 carat diamond the mid
-
range is $4,500
-
$5,500 dollars) you can go with a high color diamond (DEF) and lower CLARITY (SI 1 of SI 2)) or a high
CLARITY diamond (VS1 or VS2) and lower COLOR (J of K). If money is not object you can go high
CLARITY and high COLOR or if money is tight you can settle
for lower COLOR and lower CLARITY
stone
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