The Special Four C’s of the Fancy Diamond
Diamonds are more commonly known as colorless stones that break out in brilliant fire when light strikes it. But there is a rare class of diamonds that come in different hues, called fancy diamonds or fancies. Natural diamonds can get their color from the following: trace elements in their crystalline structure, like nitrogen and boron, which can produce color; radiation present during a diamond’s creation which can generate a green color; and even inclusions that can produce unique tones and hues.
When learning about diamonds, a person typically finds out about the four important characteristics of a diamond, known as the four Cs. These are cut, color, clarity and carat. When it comes to fancy diamonds, a special kind of four Cs applies to it, in order to grade the diamond and estimate its price. Colored diamonds are graded in two ways – first by the stone’s basic hue, which can blue, pink, yellow, green, black, violet, orange and red. The second way is to ascertain the intensity of its color.
The Gemological Institute of America or GIA uses 9 different categories to grade a diamond’s color saturation, which range from Faint to Fancy Vivid. There are diamonds that form a secondary color undertone, which can either enhance or detract from its worth, depending on the color. For example, a blue diamond that is yellowish can be made less expensive because of the yellow undertone, whereas the same blue stone with a purple undertone can be worth more.
When it comes to a colored diamond’s cut, an expert cutter has to consider the inclusions in the stones, because these flaws might be the ones enhancing the diamond color. The more popular cut or shape for colored diamonds are round, oval, and radiant. As for grading clarity, a colorless diamond is usually graded according to the number of blemishes and inclusions found within the stone. But for colored diamonds, clarity is not so important, although those stones with greater clarity command a higher price since they are uncommon.
As for a fancy diamond’s carat weight, the bigger the stone, the higher the price tag, especially since large-sized fancy diamonds are rare. But a diamond’s value will also depend on its other characteristic, not just its size. It is important to compare gemstones that are of similar characteristics when determining price. The prince of a fancy diamond depends on several factors, like the rarity of its color, with red being the rarest diamond color. The intensity or vividness of its hue also determines price, as well as the purity of the stone, which can be bright and clear or clouded.
When purchasing and investing in a fancy colored diamond, it is best to ask for a lab report or grading report of the stone.
Designs for Fine Jewelry Pieces
Fine jewelry is created from the finest precious metals and the gems that are set in these metals could be what makes the jewelry so fine. Jewelry lovers can wear precious gems like sapphire, emeralds, diamonds, rubies, and birthstone gems in a variety of ways, but no matter what the designs are, the wearer will know that quality of workmanship is what makes wearing the fine jewelry so special. Colored gemstones could become the focal point of some fine jewelry designs. The designer could lavish three matching colored stones in a row and name it an anniversary ring. Other anniversary ring designs could place three diamonds in a row, and the semblance of wealth and happiness could shine through every time it is worn. Fine jewelry designs for children might use gemstones as a place mark to remember a birthday and parents might add smaller gems to signify later years.
Some fashion designers create fine jewelry to signify eternal love. The shaping used in their designs could be circular, or a simple diamond pendant that is going solo. A clever designer will be able to bring new life to older pieces of jewelry and turn fine jewelry that has seen better days into a work of art that will be a joy to wear. Some vintage jewelry settings can be invigorating to wear again by the simple introduction of a different colored gem. Many fine jewelry designers will use sapphires in place of rubies, or emeralds in place of diamonds for a totally different look in the exquisite piece that is produced. With a modification to a jewelry piece, what was once worn as a ring could become a pendant for wear around the neck. Designers can be very creative when molding platinum, gold, and sometimes silver or titanium. Some fashion jewelry designers will have new inspirations and choose to intertwine the two together to give fine jewelry pieces a refined and polished look that was not present before.