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Diamonds are unique, and as a roman naturalist once said “ … the most valuable, not only of precious stones, but of all the things in the world.” What makes them special is their association with love and beauty.
Diamonds are formed under extreme temperature and pressure under the earth’s surface, and it takes many millions of years for them to be found, the youngest diamond found today is about 20 million years old. Diamond is the only gem that is made of a single element: carbon.
The value of a diamond is based on its unique combination of the 4 C’s – clarity, color, cut and carat weight. The value is directly related to its rarity.
They help establish a gems identity since no two diamonds have the exact same clarity characteristics. Diamonds have internal features called inclusions and surface irregularities called blemishes. Inclusions normally have more impact on a diamonds beauty and value then blemishes. Diamonds are examined under 10x power magnification by skilled and experienced graders and its clarity grade is based on the size, number, position, nature and relief of its inclusions.
The following is the GIA clarity grade along with its description as to what gives it that grade
- FL: Flawless: shows no inclusions or blemishes under 10x magnification.
- IF: Internally Flawless: no inclusions visible at 10x but minor blemishes.
- VVS1 and VVS2: very very slightly included: contain minute inclusions that are difficult even for experienced graders to see under 10 x
- VS1 and VS2: very slightly included: contains minor inclusions such as small crystals, feathers and clouds
- SI1 and SI2: contains noticeable inclusions, which are easy to see at 10x
- I1, I2 and I3: contains inclusions that are obvious under 10x.
Truly colorless diamonds are quiet rare. Most diamonds appear colorless with slight tones of yellow or brown. The color in a diamond is caused due to the presence of trace elements such as nitrogen or boron and also due to some irregularities that occur while their formation in nature. Diamonds are graded on a color scale from D (colorless) to Z (Light yellow or brown). Each letter in the D-Z range represents a range of color based on the combination of its tone and saturation. G, H and I colors might look colorless when set in jewelry. J, K and L have a very slight tone of yellow. Beyond M the color can be seen pretty easily in the diamond.
How the diamond is set can make a difference, too; you might not want to put a truly colorless diamond in a yellow gold setting since the yellow color will reflect in the stone. On the other hand, a slightly yellow stone will appear whiter in a yellow gold setting.
Diamonds also come in a wide variety of other colors, including red, blue, green and even black. These are graded as Z+ and are known as "fancy" diamonds. they are evaluated with a different set of color standards. Ones with good color are very rare and can sell for much more per carat than white diamonds.
A well-cut diamond can make light perform in breath taking ways resulting in a magnificent display of brilliance and fire. The way a diamond is cut can affect its clarity and even its color. The standard round brilliant cut is by far the most popular diamond cut. It has 57 and 58 facets. The stones are cut to very exacting mathematically determined proportions so as much light as possible is reflected out the top of the diamond. Of the 4 C’s cut is the only factor that is controlled by man, all other are by nature.
Cuts in shapes other then rounds are called Fancy Cuts. The shapes available in the market are pears, ovals, marquise, heart, emeralds and princess cuts.
Baguettes are small rectangular or tapered stones often used as side or accent stones for a larger center stone.
Some fancy cuts are brilliant and some are step and some are the combination of the two known as mixed cuts.
Carat is the term used to describe the weight of any gemstone including diamond. One carat equals to 200 milligrams, 1/5 of a gram or 0.200 grams. The word carat comes from the word carob, which comes from carob seeds. They are small and fairly uniform in size and weight. The gem merchants and jewelers earlier used them as counterweights in hand held balances to weight diamonds.
When written carat is abbreviated as “ct”. Carat weights are usually expressed in decimal nos.: 1.00 ct, 0.27ct, 1.54 ct and so on. Diamonds below one carat are described in points. The metric carat is divided into 100 points. A point (pt) is one hundredth of a carat.
Diamonds can range in size from a fraction of a carat to several carats. Given the rarity of large stones, however, the price increases rapidly with size; therefore, a single 2-carat diamond will cost much more than two 1-carat diamonds. Expect to pay a premium for stones that are above a full carat weight. For example, a .95 carat diamond will cost a bit more than a .90 carat stone, but a 1-carat stone will cost significantly more than a .95 carat stone.
While diamonds are the hardest minerals, they still require some care to keep them looking their best and to protect them from loss or damage.
A regular professional cleaning is recommended every six months. Diamonds have an affinity for grease and oils that’s why diamond jewelry can easily acquire a buildup of dirt, makeup and other materials that diminish its brightness, especially if it's worn every day. You can also clean your diamond jewelry at home. Most of the jewelry cleaning products are ammonia based which do a good job of cleaning metal and are perfectly safe for diamonds and most colored stones. Also a solution of warm water with liquid soap makes a good cleaning agent and a soft toothbrush can be used to remove the dirt from hard corners.
A diamond can easily scratch another diamond. To prevent such scratches, separate diamond jewelry in your jewelry box. Diamonds also can scratch other gems or jewelry, especially soft items like pearls. And even though diamonds are hard, they can be brittle, especially along thin edges. Try not to wear your diamond when it might be struck sharply, and if you have an especially thin cut, keep it protected.
Perhaps even more distressing than chipping a diamond is losing one. When you go in for cleaning, ask the jeweler to check the setting and make sure the stone is secure. If it seems loose, bring it in for repair immediately. Also avoid setting diamonds in very soft metals like 24k gold, which bends easily.
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