About Diamonds
Anyone who has ever shopped for a diamond before might have heard the mention of the "4C's"- color, clarity, carat (or carat weight), and cut; or the four characteristics that determine a diamond's rarity and value. Understanding them can help you understand why diamonds of equal size may not be of equal value. It's the synergy and the many different ways that each of the 4C's can be combined that is the key to understanding what makes each diamond unique and valuable.
COLOR
While most diamonds appear to be white, virtually all have slight traces of color. Evaluating a diamond's color for grading purposes is done by measuring the degree to which a diamond approaches colorlessness. Gemologists and jewelers describe the color of diamonds on a letter scale beginning with D (colorless) and moving through the alphabet to Z. The degree of colorlessness is not easily discernible to the untrained eye. D, E, and F color grades are more expensive because they are rarer. However, well cut diamonds with good clarity of all color grades can be equally dazzling as it is the interplay of the 4C's which determines each individual stone's unique beauty. Deeply colored diamonds in shades such as pink, blue, and yellow are known as "fancies" and are especially rare and valuable.
CLARITY
Practically all diamonds contain naturally occurring internal blemishes called inclusions or a diamond's natural birthmarks (these can look like tiny crystals, feathers, or clouds). However, many are microscopic in nature and can only be glimpsed under powerful magnification through a standard 10-power jeweler's loupe. Diamonds with the fewest inclusions are graded as VVS1 or VVS2; those on the other end of the scale are graded I1 or I3. The fewer inclusions the rarer the stone.
Number and Size Expert-10x loupe Naked Eye Influence on Brilliance
IF no inclusions-internally flawless nothing nothing none
VVS1 very very small inclusions, pin pricks very difficult nothing none
VVS2 very very small inclusions, pin pricks very difficult nothing none
VS1 very small, still minute difficult to see nothing none
VS2 very small, still minute difficult to see nothing none
SI1 tiny easily seen nothing none
SI2 tiny easily seen nothing from top none
I1 small recognizable immediately difficult to recognize none
I2 larger and/or numerous inclusions obvious recognizable immediately slight
I3 large and/or numerous very obvious very easily recognized heavy influence
CARAT
Indicates the weight and therefore the size of the diamond. One carat weighs 0.2 grams, or 1/142 of an ounce. Jewelers, however, refer to stones using points: 100 points equal 1 carat; 50 points, a half-carat; 25 points, a quarter-carat and so on.
CUT
Is perhaps the most important of the 4C's because a quality cut is what helps to unleash a diamond's fiery sparkle. A well cut diamond, regardless of shape, releases the fire and brilliance of a diamond through the proportion of its 57 or 58 facets (tiny planes that create angles), allowing the maximum amount of light to be reflected through the diamond. In order to maximize this fire and brilliance, a diamond cutter must place each of the stone's facets and angles, which act as light-dispersing mirrors, in exact geometric relation to one another. Diamonds that are not cut to proper proportions (too deep or too shallow) lose light that spills through the side or bottom.
Cut is also quite different than shape. While cut is a technical quality determined by the skill of the diamond cutter, the matter of shape is a personal choice. The round (brilliant) is often the most popular of all shapes with the majority of brides-to-be receiving a round stone. Other popular and traditional shapes include the marquise, pear, oval, emerald, princess, and heart shape.
How to clean your diamond jewelry: Caring For A Girl's
Best Friend
A diamond may be the hardest substance known to man, but to keep it looking its best, it needs proper care and maintenance. This is especially important if you wear your diamond every day. To keep daily build-ups of soap, cosmetics and skin oils from dulling your beautiful jewelry, follow any one of the following procedures to care for your gem:
PROFESSIONAL CLEANING
This is the best option and also gives you the opportunity to have your retail jeweler check your diamond's mounting to make sure prongs or other settings are not weak or loose.
COLD WATER SOAK
A mixture of half cold water and household ammonia will work well if your ring or diamond jewelry is allowed to soak for 30 minutes. Lift your ring out and clean gently around the front and back of the mounting with a small, soft brush. Give the ring a second swish through the solution and let dry on a paper towel. No rinsing is necessary.
OVER-THE-COUNTER JEWELRY CLEANERS
Ask your jeweler for a liquid jewelry cleaner made especially for diamonds and follow the instructions on the label. A good cleaner is designed to remove loose dirt and dissolve any oils or residue on the stone.
DETERGENT BATH
The simplest cleaning method for your diamond is to soak your jewelry in a small bowl of warm, sudsy water combined with any mild liquid detergent. Use a toothbrush or other soft brush and gently brush the ring around the setting while it is in the water. After its bath, put the ring in a fine wire strainer and rinse thoroughly under warm running water (the strainer provides protection for the ring from slipping down the drain). Pat your ring dry with a soft lint-free cloth.
ULTRASONIC CLEANING
This method involves a special machine that uses a high-frequency vibration to clean the ring. The ring is enclosed in a small cup with cleaning solution and in just a minute, any dirt and oils are removed from the stone. The method can be done by your jeweler or at home after purchasing an ultrasonic cleaner.
About Color Diamonds
In a remote corner and deep beneath the ragged ranges in the Kimberly region of North West Australia, spectacular diamonds were growing more beautiful as the centuries passed away and the colors began to show. Finally in 1979, the first inkling Diamond mine in the world became known, The Argyle Diamond mine.
Apparently, the Geologists discovered and realized that these precious stones had become colored, even though the original Diamonds were formed over 3 Billion years ago. It was compression of the Diamond lattice structure by tremendous forces deep beneath the earth that is said to have led to Red, Pink, Cognac, Champagne and other colored Diamonds, hence making Australia's soil bright with fire, brilliance and color. Intensely colored diamonds are the rarest and most beautiful of nature's gem treasures. Rarity and desire are the two things that set the price of colored diamonds. The rarest and most prized in order are red, pink, blue, green, gold and then yellow, milky white, champagne and black. Values can be 100 times more than that of a white diamond!
Blue Diamonds
Natural blue diamonds are a light greyish blue shade, a more "steely" color than sapphire. The most famous blue diamond is the "Hope" diamond in Washington’s Smithsonian Institute. This stone is steeped in legends. Its last owner was New York jeweler Harry Winston. He purchased it to donate to the Smithsonian and only owned it for one day.
Green Diamonds
Green diamonds have come in contact with radioactive minerals such as uranium. Radiation stains the outside of the diamond, so the cutter must be careful not to cut away too much of the green "skin". Authenticating that the radiation occurred naturally requires laboratory analysis at a leading gemological institute.
Yellow and Orange Diamonds
To be called a Fancy color means the diamond has more color than Z on the GIA D-Z white diamond grading scale. Fancy yellow diamonds come in a range of hues from greenish yellow to amber. They start at similar prices to white diamonds and prices rise with increasing intensity. Connoisseurs in the trade use the term "canary" to describe intense yellow.
White-Milky Diamonds
A little known and quite rare diamond is a white opalescent diamond. They are a lot less expensive than colorless diamonds, and are a real bargain.
It's often said that it is all in the name. So true, subtle, and mysterious, saturated with rich natural color that took billions of years in the making, hence offering these extraordinary fire-laden gems in various shades from light subtle color to a palette of colors.
It is their uniqueness that causes these Diamonds to set off brilliantly next to colorless diamonds and have an extra dose of sparkle, dash of thrill, timeless classic, and built versatility.
About Champagne Diamonds
Biggest Fashion statement and Trend-Setter of year 2004, 2005 and it is still continuing.
If you do not believe this then just rewind the tapes of the annual Academy Awards shows (Fashion Icon and Trend-setter in terms of life styles of Rich and famous) and watch the A-List celebrities walk by on the red carpet who have especially adorned Champagne Diamonds to add more intensity to their own beauty. It just shows that their personal jewelers exactly know the latest fashion trend and awareness and like to see their clients wearing their inspired creations. But, now that the secret is out this is not just limited to the celebrities alone. It is also available to the elite, such as yourself.
Want to know more about the Champagne Diamonds?
Let's get down to serious business now!
In the case of Champagne Diamonds it's the Three C's That Matter.
Color:
To understand and inspect the true perspective, it should be done on a bright day with natural day light. There are various tints of Champagne colors such as C1-C2 Light Champagne, C3- C4 Medium Champagne, C5-C6 Dark Champagne and C7 Fancy Cognac.
Cut:
Sometimes bad or unprofessional cutting can affect the color, resulting in uneven color zoning. Bow-ties that often appear in fancy cuts are not necessarily considered bad unless it dramatically affects the totality of the color.
Clarity:
Like all other diamonds, these stones come in a range of clarities. The amount of color usually outweighs clarity unless the stone is visibly marked.
