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Education

Diamonds have been a source of a fascination for centuries. The word ‘Diamond’ comes from the Greek word “ADAMAS” meaning “UNCONQUERABLE.” Diamond is a transparent gem made of carbon, which is one of the Earth’s most common elements.

The Diamond is the hardest known substance in the world. Diamond has become “The Symbol of Love” throughout the world. The diamond’s strength and pure transparent beauty have always represented the purest emotions of human heart – Commitment
and deep lasting Love.

When purchasing a diamond it is very important to understand what precisely makes a diamond more valuable. This Diamond Education guide will provide you all the information you will need to make an informed decision on your diamond purchase.

Every diamond is unique in its own way. All diamonds share certain features which allow us to compare and evaluate them. These features are called the 4C’s. The 4C’s were developed by the Gemological Institute of America, or the GIA, to create a unified system for grading diamonds which is acceptable all over the world. The guide about 4C’s can help you shop with confidence.

the 4c’s consist of :

Cut
Color
Clarity
Carat

Cut :

A diamond’s cut is the most important property to enhance its beauty because a well-cut diamond reflects light to maximize the stone’s brilliance. A diamond with perfect color and clarity could have poor brilliance if it is not well cut.

After proper cutting, the size of the stone may reduce by half, but its market value may increase more than four times for its brilliance and sparkle. Diamonds have a unique ability to manipulate light efficiently. This exceptional ability can be realized and maximized only by cutting and polishing the diamond with an extremely high level of accuracy.

It is very essential to know diamond anatomy before understanding cut.

  • Diameter: Width of a diamond measured through the Girdle.
  • Table: Largest facet of a gemstone.
  • Crown: Top portion of a diamond extending from the Girdle to the Table.
  • Girdle: Intersection of the Crown and Pavilion which defines the perimeter of the diamond.
  • Pavilion: Bottom portion of a diamond, extending from the Girdle to the Culet.
  • Culet: Facet at the tip of a gemstone. The preferred Culet is not visible with an unaided eye (graded "none" or "small").
  • Depth: Height of a gemstone measured from the Culet to the Table.

Color :

Diamonds are found in all colors of the rainbow, from colorless and transparent stones to ink black ones. Varying degrees of yellow or brown color is common in most of the diamonds and a slight difference in color can make a substantial difference in value. A truly colorless diamond is extremely rare and considered the most valuable. It allows the most light to pass through the stone and create the most brilliance.

During the formation of diamond from carbon, certain chemicals may have been drawn into the mix and result in added tinges of color in the transparent stone.

Most diamonds appear white to the naked eye, but they all include trace amounts of yellow or brown color. The color scale goes from D to Z (no diamond of color grade A, B or C has ever been found), with D being the most white and Z being the most yellow. The best way to see the true color of a diamond is by looking at it against a white surface.

Diamond Color Grade Table

Color Grade Description Unaided Eye Inspection
Colorless Stone looks absolutely clear and transparent, with no hint of color.
Near Colorless Stone looks clear and transparent. Color will be noticeable by experts only when compared to diamonds of better grades.
Faint yellow Color slightly detectable and will be noticeable by experts only.
Very Light yellow Stone shows an increasing yellow tint, even to an untrained eye.
Light yellow Stone appears yellow, even to an untrained eye.
Fancy Bright, remarkable color – usually blue, pink, yellow, Red etc.

Clarity :

Clarity is a term used to describe the absence or presence of flaws inside or on the surface of a diamond. In other words, the clarity of a diamond refers to a diamond’s clearness or purity.
When these flaws / marks occur internally, they are called inclusions. The most common types of inclusions include crystals, (tiny bubbles representing small minerals that were absorbed into the diamond while it was growing), internal graining, needles, knots, chips, cavities, cleavage, feathers, and clouds. On the contrary, when these flaws / marks occur on the surface, they are known as blemishes. The most common types of blemishes include polish lines, naturals, scratches, nicks, pits, transparent stress lines that appear on a diamond’s surface, surface graining, and extra facets. Blemishes are usually cut to remove a near-surface inclusion to raise the clarity grade of a stone. Most diamonds have these imperfections in them. Although many of these flaws are not visible to the naked eye, but under magnification, tiny featherlike shapes, crystals, bubbles and dark flecks become noticeable. These slight flaws make every diamond quite unique but they also affect the beauty and value of the diamond.
A diamond’s clarity is based on the number, size, nature, and location of imperfections on the finished stone. A diamond with higher clarity is more valuable in comparison to a diamond that contains numerous inclusions because it is less brilliant, as the inclusions interfere with light passing through it.

Diamond Clarity Grading Scale Table

Image Clarity Grade Scale Description On Inspection through 10x magnification
F Flawless Clear Stone, no inclusions or blemishes. Exceptional and beautiful diamonds.
IF Internally Flawless No inclusions and only insignificant surface blemishes. Rare and beautiful diamonds.
VVS1 – VVS2 Very, Very Slightly Included – 1 & 2 Tiny inclusions, which are extremely difficult to find, even under 10x magnifications. An excellent quality diamond.
VS1 – VS2 Very Slightly Included – 1 & 2 Minor inclusions, which are difficult to see under 10 x magnification. These stones are less expensive than the VVS1 or VVS2 grades.
SI1 – SI2 Slightly Included – 1 & 2 Inclusions, which are easy to see under 10 x magnification. A good diamond value.
I1 – I2 – I3 Included – 1, 2 & 3 Inclusions, which are easy to see under 10 x magnification and sometimes, may be visible with the unaided eye. A good diamond value. Generally I3 grade is not used for jewelry purposes and mostly used in industrial applications.

Carat :

The term “Carat” refers to the weight of a diamond. Each carat is divided into 100 points. Therefore, a ¼ carat diamond is 25 points and ½ carat diamond is 50 points and so on. This term ”Carat” is different from the term ”Karat” which is used to describe gold’s fineness or purity. When we consider all four Cs that determine the value of a diamond, we can find Carat weight most accurately and easily by using a delicately balanced scale capable of weighing extremely small stones.

Diamond's Carat Weight Scale

There is one significant fact about diamonds’ weight and price. When diamonds are mined, large diamonds are discovered rarely in comparison of small ones, which make large diamonds much more valuable. For that reason, the price of a diamond rises exponentially with its size. So, a 2 carat diamond of a given quality is always worth much more than two 1 carat diamonds of equal quality. Although larger stones are often more highly valued, size should not be the only consideration. High brilliance, which varies according to clarity, cut, and color grade, is highly desirable in a diamond.