Rare and fascinating, mysterious and magical, the diamond has ignited romantic passion throughout history. The word alone conjures up a thousand images: rare, precious, desirable, beautiful, sparkling and symbolic tokens of love. Created deep within the core of the earth more then 3 billion years ago and brought to the surface by volcanic eruption, most of the diamonds sparkling on fingers today are more than 100 million years old.
Even before these magnificent creations of nature were mined in profusion toward the end of the 19th century, they were a source of fascination and value to early man. The Romans thought diamonds were splinters from falling stars, while the Greeks regarded the sparkling gems as tears of the gods. The diamond gets its name from the Greek word “adamas”, meaning unconquerable.
The diamond claimed its place as the primary token of love toward the end of the 15th century, when Austrian Archduke Maximilian gave the first diamond engagement ring to his love. It was placed on the fourth finger of her left hand, because that finger was believed to course with the vein of love that passed directly to the heart. Five centuries later, the diamond remains one of the most luxurious and desirable gifts for any romantic and celebratory occasion, a gem whose purity and brilliance symbolizes lasting love.
Beauty- The colorless beauty and inner fire of a diamond has made this precious gem prized for centuries. Each stone’s complex characteristics cannot be duplicated, and no two diamonds can ever be the same. Each stone, like its owner, is endowed with a personality and character uniquely its own.
Durability – A diamond is the hardest substance known to man, making it resistant to deterioration. When cared for properly, diamond jewelry can be worn every day and passed on as an heirloom to the next generation.
Purity – Although new resources for diamonds are being explored and discovered, the supply of these gems remains limited. This is understandable once you learn that more than 250 tons of ore need to be blasted, crushed and processed to yield just one carat of rough diamond. Further, only 20 percent of all rough diamonds are suitable for gem cutting.
Enduring Value – Like many precious products, diamond prices fluctuate. But it is important to know that these sparkling gemstones still retain value after years of being worn and enjoyed.
There are four factors that determine the value of a diamond, collectively known as the four C’s. The combination of the four C’s determines each diamond's value. Master these important factors and you will be prepared to make your purchase.
Carat
A carat is a unit of measurement that refers to the weight of the diamond. The word carat is derived from the carob seeds that were once used to balance scales in ancient times. A carat is equal to 200 milligrams, and there are 142 carats to an ounce. Carats are further divided into points. There are 100 points in a carat. A half-carat diamond may be referred to as a 50-point stone (about 100 milligrams). Because large diamonds are rare, they generally have a greater value per carat.
Color
Diamonds come in every color of the spectrum, but the most popular gems are colorless. Truly colorless, or white diamonds, are extremely rare and therefore the most costly. Stones are graded by color and given designations dependent on how far they deviate from the purest white. Colorless stones are graded D. Color grading continues down through the alphabet, with each letter designating a yellower tint. Most people can notice an off color in a white diamond, or yellowish hue, in stones graded J or lower on the color scale. The best way to see the true color of a diamond is by viewing it against a white surface. Although a great majority of diamonds come in shades of white, the gems also come in a spectrum of majestic colors, from red and canary yellow to blue, green and brown. These colorful diamonds, known as fancies, are valued for their depth of color, just as white diamonds are valued for their lack of color.
Clarity
Clarity refers to a diamond's imperfections. A diamond’s clarity is affected by any external irregularities and internal imperfections created by nature when the diamond is formed. Imperfections such as spots or lines are called inclusions. Although these marks make each stone unique, the fewer the inclusions, the more valuable the stone. Inclusions can interfere with the passage of light through the stone, diminishing the brilliance and value of the diamond. According to the clarity grading system established by the Gemological Institute of America ( GIA ), clarity is graded on a scale ranging from internally flawless ( IF ) to imperfect ( I ). To be graded flawless a diamond must have no inclusions visible to a trained eye under 10x magnification in good light.
Cut
Each diamond is cut according to an exact mathematical formula. The most common cut, the round brilliant, has 58 facets, or small, flat, polished planes designed to yield the maximum amount of light to be reflected back to the viewer. This reflection, known as brilliance, is an extremely important factor in evaluating the quality of a diamond. A poorly cut diamond will actually loose weight and appear dull. The widest circumference of a diamond is known as the girdle. Above the girdle of a brilliant cut diamond are 32 facets plus the table, the largest and topmost facet. Below the girdle are 24 facets plus the culet, or point at the bottom of the stone. Cut is also used to describe the shape of the diamond. In addition to the round brilliant, other popular cuts include square, emerald, pear and oval.
Prong – The small metal point on the top of a setting that physically holds the diamond in place. A round diamond is typically set using four platinum or gold prongs.
Baguette – This refers to a thin, rectangular shaped small diamond that is often used as an accent to enhance the setting of a larger stone.
Bezel setting – A diamond is completely surrounded by a precious metal border resembling a picture frame. Bezels are typically smooth and flat.
Channel setting – Popular for mounting rows of small, uniformly sized stones, this technique uses two strips of metal to hold the stones at the sides. Used for round, baguette and square cut stones the channel setting resembles a railroad track with diamonds down the center.
Fancy cut – A diamond cut in any shape other than round.
Pave setting – A setting technique for small diamonds in which the stones are set so closely together that little or no metal shows. A pave surface appears to be paved with diamonds.
Solitaire – A mounting for one single stone.
Shared prong - Popular for mounting rows of small stones, this technique uses the same pair of prongs to set diamonds on either side of the prong. By “sharing” prongs this popular setting minimizes the amount of metal used to secure the stones.
Colorless – Refers to a perfectly white diamond or the part of the GIA color scale that contains the grades that appear to be colorless, or the colorless range ( D,E and F ).
Ideal cut – Refers to a diamond that is cut to mathematically ideal proportions in order to maximize the light passage through a stone and its brilliance.