Diamonds
are nearly pure carbon. A diamond is the purest, hardest, transparent
substance known to
man with a powerful refractive index.
Nothing else compares to the dazzle of a Diamond.
These gems are highly prized for their brilliance and beauty and are
thus preferred for special occasions.
Do you find it intimidating
to purchase a diamond?
To make the right purchasing decision, it’s important to learn
about the "5 C's" of the diamond.
Cut: Describes the proportions of a diamond; the cut is considered the
most important Carat:
factor in its beauty and value.
The
round-shaped so-called “brilliant” cut, with its 58 facets,
has traditionally been
the most popular cut enhancing a diamond’s brilliance and beauty.
When a diamond
is cut well, it allows the most light to be reflected back up through
its top.
Besides the round-shaped
brilliant cuts, diamonds are cut into other shapes,
including oval, marquise, emerald-cut, pear-shaped, Princess cut and
trillion. There
are several ways to judge a diamond’s cut.
The
size of a diamond is expressed in carat weight. In general, the value
of a
diamond rises significantly with carat weight.
Carat is the standard measurement of a diamond's weight.
Size increases the value of a good quality diamond for the simple
reason that
large stones are rarer than small ones. A large stone holds little
value if it lacks
fire, brilliance, purity and high-grade color.
By
nature, almost all diamonds have tiny flaws. The fewer there are,
the more
valuable the diamond.
Clarity grades range from "I" (imperfect) to "FL"
(flawless). A diamond is said to be "flawless" if no inclusions
or superficial blemishes can be seen under a standard
10-power jeweler's loupe. Truly
flawless diamonds are extremely rare.
| Clarity | FL | IF | VVS1 | VVS2 | VS1 | VS2 | SI1 | SI2 | I1 | I2 | I3 |
| Scale | Flawless- Internally Flawless |
Very Very Slightly Imperfect | Very Slightly Imperfect | Slightly Imperfect | Imperfect | ||||||
Color:
The way a diamond reflects and refracts light; depends on the color.
The less color in a diamond, the more valuable it usually is.
Although many diamonds may appear colorless to the eye, the majority contains very slight traces of yellow, brown or gray.
The spectrum ranges from light yellow to totally colorless.
Cost:
Retail
prices vary from one region, country to another region or country.
But a
rough estimate of the cost of a diamond is as follows:
1/2
carat — $1,000 to $3,000
3/4 carat — $2,500 to $,5,000
1 carat — $3,500 to $10,000 and up
Thus,
the diamond must be chosen with great precision and care.
After all it is
the most cherish able thing one can have!!!