A DIAMOND’S ANATOMY

1

Cut

The cut of the diamond is said to have one of the greatest impacts on its beauty. A well cut diamond will always appear larger and incandescent than a poorly cut diamond, even if they are of the same weight. The cut usually determines how well the light is reflected off the diamond. A well cut diamond will also have lucid proportion, structure and symmetry, speaking volumes about the cutter’s eye for detail, light and precision.

Characteristics of a diamond

2

Color

Almost colorless, icy looking diamonds are rare to find and hence very expensive. Diamonds with less color, also allow more light to pass, giving it that fiery quality, thus adding to its brilliance. A diamond is like a prism, it splits light in flashes of color, and this property is known as dispersion. Color in a diamond takes away the spectrum of color (fire) that is emitted, and acts as a filter. That’s why diamonds which have a higher color grade, i.e. ones with less color, showcases more colorful fire. However, most diamonds otherwise, have a yellow or brown tinge because of the traces of nitrogen when the diamond was forming, and there for have a less than perfect color grade.

3

Clarity

As the name suggests, clarity of a diamond is how clear the stone is, however with regard to the organic traits that were trapped inside when it was forming. The traits on the inside are known as inclusions, which are often minute diamonds that were drawn in by the bigger one. The traits of these inclusions like their size, orientation, location and color determines the clarity. Hence, diamonds with few inclusions are rare and more expensive.

4

Carat

Although extensively used while purchasing and scouring for just the right diamond, carat or ct, is often confused with size. However, the carat actually refers to the weight of gems and diamonds. This is also not to be confused with karat, which refers to the purity of gold. The form and kind of gemstone will show its weight differently, because of the different densities of each stone. Diamonds that have the same carat weight can have varying costs due to the impact of the other Cs that come into play. Like, for example, a diamond’s cut influences how large the carat weight will appear. Diamonds of a smaller carat weight will appear larger and with higher cut grades. Total carat weight refers to the total of the individual carat weights of all diamonds in one piece of jewelry.

Impact of Carat Weight on Price

The price of a diamond rises with carat weight exponentially. Two diamonds of the same quality may not cost the same if there is a difference in their carat weight. Bigger diamonds are valued at a higher price because they are rare. Meanwhile there are under sizes, which weigh just below the cut-off weight. The cut-off weights are 0.30, 0.40, 0.50, 0.70, 0.90, 1.00, 1.50 and 2.00 ct. These are rare and of great value. Prices become exponentially higher when these weights are crossed.