The Cost and the
Quality
One month's salary
is a good guide to the cost of a diamond engagement ring. It's a lot of
money to spend on a piece of jewelry. The
Cut, Clarity, Color and Carat Weight all have a significant impact on
the cost of diamonds because these factors are all used to value the
price and reflect the quality of diamonds. The Cut, Color, and Clarity are used to measure the
quality of the diamond and the Carat is used to measure the weight of a
diamond. The old saying "You get what you pay for" holds good for
purchasing a good quality diamond in relation to the cut, color and
clarity. Not true in respect of the carat weight.
Diamonds are Forever...
An Impartial Guide to Diamonds
The Carat Weight
and the Quality
The Carat Weight
defines the weight, not the size, of a Diamond. The price of a diamond
does not increase in proportion to the weight of a diamond! The demand for
a 1 carat diamond is very high and consequently, the price of a highest
quality 1 carat diamond will cost significantly more than an
equivalent diamond quality weighing 0.95 carats. For additional facts and
information about Carat Weight please click the following link:
Carat Weight
Grading Reports
and Certificates
Many diamond grading
reports provide facts and information relating to the quality of the
diamond you have purchased. A typical diamond grading report details the
quality elements of Carat Weight, Size, symmetry and proportions,
Clarity Grade, Color Grade and Fluorescence. If you are unsure of the
quality of a diamond. your own diamond knowledge or the jeweler you are
buying from then purchase a certified Diamond. The best known and
reliable certification is from GIA (Gemological Institute of America) or
EGL (European Gemological Laboratory). Some jewellers charge for
certificates which could cost you an extra $100-$200. But having
obtained a certificate would you understand the meaning of a grading
report and the quality of a diamond which stated that the diamond was
clarity VS2 and the color E with a faint level of fluorescence? For
additional facts and information about the charts used to assess the
quality of diamonds in respect of Clarity, Color and Fluorescence please
click the following link:
Diamond Grading
The Cut
and the Quality
The Cut of a
diamond is another important element in assessing diamond quality. The
Cut refers to two separate
factors. The first factor relates to the shape and style of the cut e.g.
Pear, Round, Marquise, Princess, Brilliant Heart shaped etc. The second
factor is the way the rough diamond is cut to produce a polished
diamond which has a dramatic effect on the quality of the finished
diamond. The effects of a good quality diamond cut result in the heightened
levels of brilliance, fire, sparkle and luster of a diamond. The quality is also dependent upon the cut
of the
Diamond Facets.
The Clarity and Quality
An important quality
factor is the Clarity of a diamond and relates to exactly how clear a diamond
is and describes the presence, or absence, of
Diamond Inclusions (flaws) within
the diamond and any blemishes on its surface. The numbers, sizes, colors, locations and visibility of any
inclusions or blemishes can effect the relative clarity of a diamond and
its quality. The majority of diamond inclusions cannot be seen
by the human eye so systems have been developed to grade diamond clarity
and therefore quality as detailed in the
Diamond Clarity
Chart.
Diamond quality on a Diamond Clarity Chart ranges from high
quality, rare and expensive flawless to imperfect and cheap diamonds.
Color, Fluorescence and Quality
The Color, another
important category in assessing the quality of diamonds, relates to
rarity, value and quality of a diamond. The traditional
color is white, or colorless, and is categorised into the following: Colorless, Nearly colorless, Faintly
tinted (usually yellow), Lightly tinted (usually yellow) and Tinted
(usually yellow but may progress to brownish). The color scale for
colorless diamonds goes from 'D' (colorless) to 'Z' (dark yellow) check
out the info contained in
Diamond Color. The
amount of yellowish color decreases the value of a "colorless"
stone. Fluorescence can mask yellowish diamonds so that they look white or colorless in the
lighting often used in jewelry shops. Extremely fluorescent diamonds are
a much lower quality and can
usually be purchased for 30% less than diamonds that possess no or
slight fluorescence.
Diamond Fluorescence
The Quality of Diamonds
The Quality of diamonds is
impacted by Cut, Clarity, Color, Fluorescence and Carat Weight. And
remember that "Power flows from he who knows" so check out all of the
facts and information to determine the quality of diamonds.
Diamonds - Precious - Stone -
Guide - Color - Facts - Information -Info - Jewelry - Jewellery
Cost - Settings - Shapes - Cut - Clarity - Fluorescence - Carat Weight
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