Diamonds
We understand that buying a diamond can at times be a difficult and intimidating task, but we are here to guide you through the process with a helping hand and a friendly smile. We have loose diamonds, various mountings, and new and original jewelry designs to fit any style. With such an expansive inventory, we are sure to be able to find your perfect match. Every piece of jewelry is hand-picked with you in mind so that you get the quality you deserve.
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Documented on the old, crumbling pages of time lie the centuries-old tale of a stone enriched with enchantment and riddled with magic. The diamond was believed to have supernatural powers. Powers that could banish any poison, eradicate any pestilence, and halt any enemy. Its sparkle and fire have inspired the imagination for thousands of years. Because of the paranormal abilities it was believed to possess, it became a symbol of trust and a token of the banishment of vain fears. Accounts of the diamond’s use in jewelry, specifically engagement and wedding rings, date back to the Middle Ages. Wearing one of these startlingly beautiful stones emblematized the sanctity of the marriage covenant it sealed.
The tradition carries on. While the ancient wearers of diamonds were mainly rich and wealthy royals, the privilege of owning a diamond today is enjoyed by any who seeks the rarity and allurement of a stone with so much history.
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Grading Diamonds
Cut. Clarity. Color. Carat.
No two diamonds are exactly alike. The worth and quality of each one differs, and today, we differentiate the quality of a diamond based on the international grading standard called "The 4c's": Color, Cut, Clarity, and Carat Weight.
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Just like we check for Blue Book value before we buy a car, the 4Cs are a way to compare diamond quality and value. That grade is made up of four factors: carat weight, clarity, color, and cut. Each "C" has its own grading scale for evaluating quality.
When it comes to diamonds, shape refers to the outline of the stone — round, oval, princess, etc. A diamond's cut, on the other hand, refers to the arrangement of a stone's facets. This means a diamond's shape can be faceted or cut, in many ways.
Combined, the 4Cs help diamond sellers set prices and compare diamonds, whether you’re shopping for diamond earrings, the perfect tennis bracelet, or your unique engagement ring. The more you understand about diamonds, the savvier you’ll be in choosing yours.
Cut
Diamond cutting is the art and science of creating a gem-quality diamond out of mined rough. The cut of a diamond describes the manner in which a diamond has been shaped and polished from its beginning form as a rough stone to its final gem proportions. The cut of a diamond describes the quality of workmanship and the angles to which a diamond is cut. Often diamond cut is confused with "shape".
There are mathematical guidelines for the angles and length ratios at which the diamond is supposed to be cut in order to reflect the maximum amount of light. Round brilliant diamonds, the most common, are guided by these specific guidelines, though fancy cut stones are not able to be as accurately guided by mathematical specifics.
Color
The finest quality as per color grading is totally colorless, which is graded as D color diamond across the globe, meaning it is absolutely free from any color. The next grade has a very slight trace of color, which can be observed by any expert diamond valuer/grading laboratory. However, when studded in jewelry these very light-colored diamonds do not show any color or it is not possible to make out color shades. These are graded as E-color or F-color diamonds.
Diamonds that show very little traces of color are graded as G or H color diamonds. Slightly colored diamonds are graded as I or J or K color. A diamond can be found in any color in addition to colorless. Some of the colored diamonds, such as pink, are very rare.
Clarity
Clarity is a measure of internal defects of a diamond called inclusions. Inclusions may be crystals of a foreign material or another diamond crystal, or structural imperfections such as tiny cracks that can appear whitish or cloudy. The number, size, color, relative location, orientation, and visibility of inclusions can all affect the relative clarity of a diamond. The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and other organizations have developed systems to grade clarity, which is based on those inclusions which are visible to a trained professional when a diamond is viewed under 10× magnification.
Diamonds become increasingly rare when considering higher clarity gradings. Only about 20% of all diamonds mined have a clarity rating high enough for the diamond to be considered appropriate for use as a gemstone; the other 80% are relegated to industrial use. Of that top 20%, a significant portion contains one or more visible inclusions. Those that do not have a visible inclusion are known as "eye-clean" and are preferred by most buyers, although visible inclusions can sometimes be hidden under the setting in a piece of jewelry.
Most inclusions present in gem-quality diamonds do not affect the diamonds' performance or structural integrity. When set in jewelry, it may also be possible to hide certain inclusion behind mounting hardware such as prongs in a way that renders the defect invisible. However, large clouds can affect a diamond's ability to transmit and scatter light. Large cracks close to or breaking the surface may increase the likelihood of a fracture.
Diamonds are graded by the major societies on a scale ranging from flawless to imperfect.
Carat.
The carat weight measures the mass of a diamond. One carat is defined as 200 milligrams (about 0.007 ounces avoirdupois). The point unit—equal to one one-hundredth of a carat (0.01 carat, or 2 mg)—is commonly used for diamonds of less than one carat. All else being equal, the price per carat increases with carat weight, since larger diamonds are both rarer and more desirable for use as gemstones. The price per carat does not increase linearly with increasing size. Instead, there are sharp jumps around milestone carat weights, as demand is much higher for diamonds weighing just more than a milestone than for those weighing just less. As an example, a 0.99-carat diamond may have a significantly lower price per carat than a comparable 1.01-carat diamond, because of differences in demand.
Come in and visit our friendly staff today and let us help you find the perfect diamond for you.
