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Diamond InfoToday, diamonds are graded according to an international grading system, founded some 70 years ago by the GIA (see our diamond grading reports page for more info on this). The equates the characteristics of a diamond to the "4Cs" of;
- CUT
- CARAT SIZE - COLOR - CLARITY At www.dejoria.com, we also believe it is important to consider the 3 further factors of; - CERTIFICATION - CONFIDENCE - NON-CONFLICT When researching diamonds, you might also want to familiarize yourself with common terms used in the industry. For more information, please visit our diamond terms page. CUT The cut of a diamond is most commonly also referred to as the shape of the diamond. Traditionally, diamonds are round in shape (round brilliant cut diamonds), although 'fancy shaped' diamonds are becoming increasingly popular. Fancy shapes refers to any shape of diamond other than round brilliant cut diamonds - therefore, princess cut diamond (square), emerald cut diamonds (rectangular), oval cut diamonds, marquise cut diamonds, radiant cut diamonds and heart cut diamonds, for example, would all fall into this category. ROUND BRILLIANT CUT DIAMONDS - Round brilliant cut diamonds are the most popular of all the diamond shapes. With fantastic sparkle due to their 58 facets, round brilliant cut diamonds are perfect for diamond engagement rings and other fine jewelry. PRINCESS CUT DIAMONDS - Princess cut diamonds are relatively new and have quickly become one of the most popular fancy shape diamonds. They are square in shape and have pointed corners, with much of the sparkle of round brilliant cut diamonds through their 50 facets. EMERALD CUT DIAMONDS - Emerald cut diamonds use a series of flat, rectangular facets stepping down off the table to give them a unique brilliance which is different to that of round brilliant cut or princess cut diamonds. MARQUISE CUT DIAMONDS - Marquise cut diamonds have 58 facets and are a striking cut if well proportioned, which are popular for upmarket pieces of diamond jewelry. They have a line of beauty that can be used running up and down the finger, often appearing larger than their actual carat weight. PEAR CUT DIAMONDS - Pear cut diamonds are growing in popularity all the time. The standard number of facets is 58 so they are bright and sparkling, and this cut of diamond works particularly well for hands with small or average length fingers. OVAL CUT DIAMONDS - As with all fancy shaped diamonds, the principal characteristic and main consideration when buying oval cut diamonds is the shape itself. Well shaped oval cut diamonds can be almost as bright as round brilliant cut diamonds due to their 56 facets. HEART CUT DIAMONDS - Heart cut diamonds represent the ultimate symbol of love and are a special cut which follows human and emotional values. With 59 facets, well cut heart shaped diamonds can drive the sparkle and scintillation back out of the diamond to produce a wonderful overall effect. CUT ALSO DETERMINES BRILLIANCE.... The cut also relates to the way the diamond is proportioned. With round brilliant cut diamonds, there are commonly-accepted parameters. With fancy shaped diamonds, these parameters are less established. However, there are aways certain factors to look for when purchasing any shape of diamond, which are outlined below. CARAT SIZE The carat size relates to the actual weight of the diamond, not simply the physical size. Of course, the larger the physical size of the diamond, the greater the likelihood that it will be heavier, but this is not always the case. Diamonds are rare. The larger the diamond, the rarer it is - larger diamonds, therefore, have a greater value per carat. For that reason, the price of a diamond rises exponentially with its size. That is not always to say, however, that the larger the diamond the more valuable it is compared with a smaller diamond. That is dependent upon other factors as well. The followng table provides a general guideline to show the relationship between carat size and physical size.
COLOR The most valuable diamonds are colorless. Diamond color begins at D for rare white diamonds, and goes through to Z. Around color I / J, diamonds start to get a slight yellow tint to them. Any diamonds of color less than J would be deemed as being below the minimum standards here at www.dejoria.com . D - "Exceptionally White" (the best) - A diamond of this color grade is highly prized, as a diamond with less color has never been found. The grade of this diamond is absolutely colorless. E - "Exceptionally White" - This grade diamond is colorless to the naked eye. Only a trained gemologist using special equipment can determine any color difference between a D and E color diamond. F - "Rare White" - In a color F diamond, no color is visible to the naked eye. F color diamonds display minimal color difference from D or E color diamonds, but offer a lower price. G - "White" - A diamond with G color has an extremely faint tint that is only noticeable to a trained gemologist. G color diamonds make for beautiful diamond jewelry and they offer outstanding value, since they are less expensive as the colorless grades, but appear to the eye to be colorless when mounted. H - "White" - This diamond offers an exceptional balance of color and cost. If you choose a color H diamond, you can buy a larger diamond for the same price as a higher color grade. The very slight tint is generally not noticeable. I - "Slightly Tinted White" - This diamond, when cut to ideal proportions, produces a warm brilliancy not found in the higher color grades. I color diamonds are less expensive than other diamonds, so you can buy a larger diamond for the same price as a higher color grade. J - "Slightly Tinted White" - This diamond, when cut to ideal proportions, produces a warm brilliancy not found in the higher color grades. As the least expensive diamonds in the near-colorless range, J color diamonds present the best value in diamond color, so you can buy a larger diamond for the price. DIAMONDS BELOW COLOR J FALL BELOW DEJORIA'S QUALITY THRESHOLDS. CLARITY The clearer the diamond, the greater the brilliance of the diamond and, therefore, the greater its value. All diamonds - except internally flawless diamonds - have inclusions. Commonly referred to as 'nature's birthmark' of the diamond, inclusions can be anything from tiny black pinpoints in the diamond, through to white feather or crystal effects. The key to diamond purchasing is to minimise the number and size of inclusions in your diamond. The following chart displays the relevant grades. Any diamonds of clarity less than SI2 would be deemed as being below the minimum standards here at www.dejoria.com. IF - "Flawless" or "Internally Flawless" (the best) - This diamond has no internal identifying characteristics, even when viewed under a microscope at extreme magnification. Diamonds of this grade of clarity are extremely rare. VVS1 - "Very, Very Slightly Included" - This grade of diamond has very few, very tiny inclusions. The inclusions in this diamond are virtually unidentifiable even when viewed under a microscope at 60x power magnification. Diamonds of this grade are extremely rare. VVS2 - "Very, Very Slightly Included" - This diamond has very few, very tiny inclusions. The inclusions in this diamond are virtually unidentifiable even when viewed under a microscope at 60x power magnification. Diamonds of this grade of clarity are extremely rare. VS1 - "Very Slightly Included" - This diamond has few, very small inclusions. The inclusions are very difficult to see under a 30x power magnification, and are almost never visible to the naked eye. VS1 grade diamonds present an excellent value in clarity because they are typically free of visible blemishes, and they are less expensive than higher clarity grades. VS2 - "Very Slightly Included" - This diamond has few, very small inclusions. The inclusions are very difficult to see under a 30x power magnification and are almost never visible to the naked eye. VS2 grade diamonds present an excellent value in clarity because they are typically free of visible blemishes, and they are less expensive than higher clarity grades. SI1 - "Slightly Included" - The inclusions in this diamond can be visible at 10x power magnification. Inclusions in diamonds with SI grade clarity might be visible to the naked eye. SI1 grade diamonds are not as rare as VS1 and VS2 grade diamonds, so they are less expensive and present great value. SI2 - "Slightly Included" - The inclusions in this diamond can be visible at 10x power magnification. Inclusions in diamonds with SI grade clarity might be visible to the naked eye. SI2 grade diamonds are not as rare as SI1 and VS2 grade diamonds, so they are less expensive and present great value. DIAMONDS BELOW CLARITY SI2 FALL BELOW DEJORIA's QUALITY THRESHOLDS. CERTIFICATION At www.dejoria.com, we believe it is important - especially with single stone diamond engagement rings, for example - to ensure that your diamond is accompanied by a diamond grading report. At www.dejoria.com, we work with GIA, IGI, AGS & EGL USA laboratories, which are the world's leading independent gemological laboratories. For more information, please visit our diamond grading reports page. CONFIDENCE At www.dejoria.com, we realize that you will only be pleased with your purchase if you are 100% confident in both the quality AND integrity of it. Therefore, we provide independent jewelry appraisals with our finished diamond engagement rings and fine diamond jewelry. For more information, please visit our jewelry appraisals page. NON-CONFLICT www.dejoria.com is an ethical organization and we support every effort to ensure that diamonds traded across the world are sourced from suitable origins. We therefore strive to ensure that all our diamonds are non-conflict - after all, diamonds embody love, and love must never be tarnished. For more information, please visit our non-conflict diamonds page.
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