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Things you
should consider when buying a diamond When
buying a diamond become familiar with the four C's, Carat, Color, Clarity and Cut. Diamonds of equal weight can have very
different monetary values dependent on these four things. Carat
The larger the diamond, the more rare it is,
which is why the price of a stone tends to increase dramatically the larger the diamond becomes. However, bigger is not always
better, sometimes a smaller but 'colorless' well cut stone can command a higher price due to its higher quality.
Color
Though
almost all diamonds have a some degree of a yellowish or brownish tint, a true colorless diamond is the most valuable. Often
the difference in color can only be noticed by comparing diamonds side by side. Diamond color is graded according to the amount
of yellow in the stone. Laboratories such as the GIA (Gemological Institute of America) have Master sets of stones
used specifically for diamond grading. Nowadays, you can choose varying shades, but pink, blue and chocolate have been a particular trend in modern jewelry
more recently. Although fancy-color diamonds in prized strongly colored hues are the most rare and costly. Clarity
Diamonds are graded according to their clarity. Clarity refers to a diamonds
internal inclusions or blemishes. In most grades these cannot be seen with the naked eye, however, they can still dramatically
affect the price of the stone. According to De Beers, less than 1% of diamonds mined, are free of inclusions.
  Shaye Earrings
Diamond Cluster Earrings
Cut
The cut refers to
the number and arrangement of facets. For example the 'brilliant' cut is usually the more traditional round solitare
stone, and features a combination of triangle and kite-shaped facets. Whilst the 'Emerald' or 'Baguette'
are both step cut and have rectangular facets arranged parallel to the girdle. You can also get 'Mixed Cuts' which combine both the brilliant and step cut. A badly cut stone will look dull and not show fire or reflect the light well.
Diamond Grading as used by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) | Category | Flawless | Internally Flawless | Very Very Slightly Included | Very Slightly Included | Slightly Included | Included | | Grade | FL | IF | VVS1 | VVS2 | VS1 | VS2 | SI1 | SI2 | I1 | I2 | I3 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Flawless
of course being the most expensive and rare.
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| The Hope Diamond in its present case at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History |
Did you know..... The famous 'Hope Diamond' at 45.52
carats, is not the largest diamond in the world, however, it is the largest known deep blue diamond. Perhaps the major reason
for the diamonds fame is its three-century history of mystery and intrigue, that includes kings,
a revolution, a theft, and other stories of tragedy befalling previous owners, leading some to believe the stone is cursed. An examination by the GIA (Gemological Institute of America) in 1988 described the stone itself as a "fancy dark grayish-blue", weighing 45.52 carats (9.104g). This color
description was revised in 1996 to "fancy deep grayish-blue". The stone is described as an antique Cushion
Cut and originates from India.  
Adair Pendant, classic wedding jewelry
Of course, there are
other famous diamonds, but some personal favorites include: The Cullinan Diamond - cut into 105 diamonds
of which the Cullinan I or the Great Star of Africa, 530.2 carats (106.04g), and Cullinan II or the Lesser Star of Africa,
317.4 carats (63.48 g) are both part of the British Crown Jewels. The Koh-i-noor a 105 carat (21.6 g) white stone, which was originally presented to Queen Victoria
during the time of the British Raj, is now in the crown of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. The Tiffany Yellow Diamond was cut into a cushion shape of 128.54 carats
(25.708 g) with 90 facets which is 32 more than a traditional round brilliant, this was done in order to maximize its brilliance.
This stone was also worn by Audry Hepburn in 1961 publicity photographs for the film Breakfast at Tiffany's. It
is now on display at Tiffany's New York store.
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| The Tiffany Yellow Diamond |
References
The National Gem Collection/Jeffery E Post, 1997 Smithsonian Institution Thompson, Ryan (2004). "The
Tiffany Yellow", Famous Diamonds.
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