What You Need to Know About Diamonds
H. Lebow Diamond Brokers knows that an informed buyer will become a satisfied customer. Fortunately, for the informed buyer, diamond quality is easy to judge. Diamonds are independently rated for four key characteristics: Cut, Color, Clarity, and Carat.
Cut
Cut refers to the way that the Diamond is carved and how the facets are angled to give maximum brilliance and fire, otherwise known as “life”. A fully cut Diamond has 57-58 facets, which are small, flat, polished surfaces that enable the diamond to maximize brilliance.
Proportion refers to the angles and relative measurements of a polished Diamond. More than any other feature, proportions determine a Diamond’s optical properties. Studies have shown that table size, crown angle, and pavilion depth have a dramatic effect on a Diamond’s appearance. In other words- Brilliance is mainly a function of cut The Better the Cut-The Brighter the Diamond and Display of Fire.
Color
| Color Grade | Description |
|---|---|
| D,E,F | Colorless |
| G,H,I | Near Colorless |
| J,K,L,M | Faint Yellow |
| N,O,P,Q,R | Very Light Yellow |
| S-Z | Light Yellow |
Diamond is the only gemstone in which the absence of color, (or Colorless) makes the stone more valuable. Diamond Colors can range from Whites, Yellows, Browns, Pinks and Blues.
Diamond color is ranked by the letters of the Alphabet, starting at D (the highest) through Z (the lowest). D through F colors are colorless to the eye and allow light to pass unfiltered and easily letting it disperse into brilliance & fire. Colorless stones allow the light to pass through unfiltered and easily, letting it disperse into brilliance and fire. The G through H range, at the high end of the Near Colorless, are also considered to be fine color stones and give off a nice white look. I through J diamonds may have an off white cast and border on yellow. From K on down Diamonds will have a yellow color.
Most people can see color much better than they can any microscopic inclusions.
Clarity
| Clarity Rating | Description |
|---|---|
| F | Flawless |
| IF | Internally Flawless |
| V V S 1, V V S 2 | Very, Very Slight Inclusions |
| VS1, VS2 | Very Slight Inclusions |
| SL1, SL2 | Slight Inclusions |
| I1, I2, I3 | Inclusion |
Clarity is the amount of imperfections or inclusions that were born in the Diamond when it was created a million years ago. (Natures very own fingerprints!) Taking into consideration the number of inclusions, size, type, and location in the stone by a trained eye is how each Diamond is graded.
The natural birthmarks, or lack of, determine how clean a Diamond is. These small, sometimes unnoticed, characteristics give the stone identifying traits so they can be graded properly using 10 power magnification. A Heavily included stains will block light and many are visible to the naked eye.
Common flaws can be tiny crystals, clouds, feathers or carbon spots. The fewer inclusions, the more rare and valuable the Diamond becomes.
Carat
Diamonds can be found in all shapes and sizes. The size of a Diamond is determined by its weight in carats. A carat is divided into 100 points, so one carat is 100 points. A diamond having 75 points is .75 carats or 3/4 of a carat. 50 points is a 1/2 carat, and so on. Larger diamonds are rarer, and command a higher price.
Two diamonds of equal weight can have large price differences, depending on Cut, Color, and Clarity. Size doesn’t necessarily mean quality or value.
