I.
Introduction
Diamond is the birthstone
of April & anniversary gemstone for the
10th and 60th years of marriage.
Diamond was discovered in 500 B.C. in India. The
name "diamond"
comes from the Greek word "adamas" which
means unconquerable-
suggesting the eternity of love. Since ancient Greece
diamonds
have been the traditional symbol of love.
The ancients believed they were hardened dew drops,
splinters
from the stars or crystallized lightening. A diamond
- the hardest
substance known to man is a crystallized carbon
which has unique
powers of light reflection. Because it is composed
of a single
element - a diamond is the purest of all gemstones.
Diamond is a colorless stone. Some other occasional
colors are,
blue, yellow, amber, red, green, pink.
II. The value
of a diamond, 4 C's: Cut -
Clarity - Color -
Carat Weight Cut
Cut
is the factor that determines the brilliance
of a diamond. A classic round brilliant cut
diamond has 58 facets - 33 on the top, 24
on
the bottom and the culet ( 1 point at the
bottom
- another tiny facet ). Each of the stone's
facets
must be placed by the diamond cutter in exact
geometric relation to one another. Quality
diamonds must be properly cut and not
"spread", which means that the proper
proportions are compromised to make the
stone weigh more.
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Clarity
The fewer the inclusions,
the clearer, more brilliant and more expensive the
diamond. "Flawless" diamond means that
no inclusions can be seen under a 10x jeweler's
loupe. Flawless diamonds are extremely rare.
Color
The more colorless
the diamond, the more valuable it is .Though most
diamonds may appear colorless to the eye, the majority
contain slight traces of yellow or light brown.
Depending on the stone's size, a single increase
in color grade can boost a value of a diamond by
thousands per carat. A traditional engagement diamond
is colorless or near colorless.
In nature diamonds
can also occur in shades of red, pink, blue, green
and deep yellow. They are called "Fancy diamonds".
In the United States and around the world colorless
diamonds are graded on an alphabetical scale, introduced
by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). D,
E and F color grade diamonds may be referred to
as "colorless" or "rare white",
D color is the most expensive and very rare.
Weight:
Standard
measure of a diamond's size is carat(ct) weight.
Size alone is almost meaningless unless you consider
cut, clarity and color. A large stone is not very
valuable if it lacks brilliance, purity and high-grade
color . For the reason that large stones are harder
to find than small ones, size does increase the
value of a good diamond.
No two diamonds are exactly alike, and a reputable
jeweler can help you weigh all of the factors -
color, cut, clarity and carat weight. |
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