| Carat
- is the measurement of a diamond's weight. The word
'carat' is derived from the carob seeds that were used
to balance scales in ancient times. For jewelry
purposes, carats are further divided into points, a
one-carat stone equals 100 points. Therefore, a
half-carat stone can be referred to as "50-points," a
quarter-carat, "25-points," etc.
Clarity
- A diamond's clarity is determined by any external
irregularities and the number of internal "inclusions".
Most diamonds contain some inclusions, but many are
microscopic in nature and can be seen only under
powerful magnification. Spots, bubbles, or lines
are marks that make each stone unique, but generally,
the fewer the inclusions, the more valuable the stone.
Clarity is graded on a scale ranging from "flawless" to
"imperfect". To be graded "flawless," a diamond
can have no inclusions visible to the trained eye using
a 10-power magnification in good light.
Color
-
Diamonds can be found in every color of the spectrum,
but in "white" diamonds, the most valuable gemstones are
those with the least color, allowing them to reflect and
refract light. White diamonds are graded on a
scale beginning with "D," indicating a total
colorlessness, progressing down the alphabet for lower
qualities.
Cut
- is what gives a diamond its fiery sparkle. Each
diamond, regardless of shape, is cut according to an
exact mathematical formula. For example, a round,
brilliant-cut diamond has 58 "facets," or small, flat,
polished planes that are designed to yield the maximum
amount of light. This reflection, known as
brilliance, is an extremely important factor in
evaluating the quality of a diamond. |
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