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Diamond Education
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Before you start diamond
shopping, you want to have an understanding of what you're buying. This
guide simplifies the four Cs of diamonds — cut, color, clarity,
and carat weight, so you can select your diamond based on the same criteria
jewelers use to grade them.
After reading through this guide, you'll be ready to choose
the diamond that's right for you.
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Shape
 It's
fairly common to confuse a diamond's cut with its shape. The cut describes
a diamond's light performance, dimensions and finish. Shape refers to the
overall outline of the diamond when viewed from the top. Round is far and
away the most popular diamond shape, followed by squared shapes such as
princess, Asscher, and emerald. |
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Cut
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Color
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The
cut of a diamond has the most effect on its sparkle, or brilliance. Even
if the diamond has perfect color and clarity, a poor cut can make a diamond
look dull. We carry only the highest grades of diamond
cut, for the most sparkle.
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 Diamonds
with very little color are the most highly valued and are priced accordingly.
A little color can diminish a diamond's brilliance. To help you choose
the most brilliant diamond, we offer diamonds with
the highest grades of color.
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Clarity
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Carat Weight
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 Diamonds
with few flaws, or inclusions,
are very rare and highly valued. Clarity is graded based on the number,
location, size, and type of the inclusions found in a diamond. We
have some of the clearest diamonds available.
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 The
weight of a diamond is measured in carats. Since larger diamonds are
more
rare than smaller diamonds, diamond value tends to rise exponentially
with carat weight.
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Certification
The most important step in choosing a diamond is reviewing
the diamond certificate, referred to by diamond grading labs as a grading
report. A grading report documents the characteristics of a diamond,
like the four Cs. Before purchasing a diamond, review a copy of its
grading report, as this is proof that it has undergone an unbiased,
professional examination.
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Care
Many
people think diamonds are indestructible, but they do require care.
Diamonds are the hardest substance on earth. They are uniquely resistant
to damage by heat or scratching, and can be cut or polished only by
another diamond — but an extremely hard blow to the girdle can
cause a diamond to chip. By having your diamond set in a relatively
protective setting, and remaining conscious of it on your finger, you
can keep your diamond intact for a lifetime. Exposure during ordinary
wear to perspiration and household chemicals, like chlorine and hairspray,
can cause buildup that dulls the surface of a diamond. We suggest periodic
cleanings to keep the diamond brilliant and refractive.
A solution of one part ammonia and six parts water can
be used to clean diamond jewelry at home. If cleaning by hand, gentle
scrubbing with a soft brush should
loosen most dirt and greatly increase the brilliance of the diamond, but be
careful not to scratch the metal of your setting. Once a year, it is
a good idea to have
your diamond cleaned and have the security of the setting checked.
We recommend that all diamond jewelry is stored individually
in soft cloth pouches when not being worn to prevent the diamond or
diamonds from scratching
or dulling
other jewelry. |
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