- Wedding Ideas & Advice for the Couple, Wedding Party and Guests
All That Glitters: Selecting the Perfect Diamond
|
Ring shopping is a tremendous milestone in your relationship, and it’s normal to feel both excited and overwhelmed. As unromantic as it sounds, treat this as you would any major purchase: before you begin, know the facts.
|
 |
|
How can you become a gem genius? It’s as easy as the 4Cs!
|
|
What are the 4Cs?
|
|
According to the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), the value of a diamond is determined by four separate factors - Color, Carat, Cut and Clarity. It’s important to remember that no two diamonds are alike. Two diamonds of the same weight may be of different color, or vice versa. As you shop for the perfect diamond, think carefully about what’s most important to you. For example, a woman might sacrifice size for optimum color, cut and clarity. If you are set (no pun intended!) on a bigger stone, you may not mind small imperfections, as long as they aren’t visible to the naked eye. It all depends on what you want in relation to your budget
|
|
Color
|
|
Excluding rare “fancy” diamonds (blue, pink, red or green), the best color for a diamond is no color at all. A colorless diamond absorbs all rays of light equally, producing its signature brilliance and fire. The GIA has a letter-based system for grading color:
|
|
|
 |
Colorless Grades :
The top three grades are classified as “colorless”. Even though there are very slight differences between each grade, all three are considered high-quality diamonds.
|
|
| - |
D
Clear, colorless; the highest quality on the color scale.
|
|
| - |
E
Slight color can be detected by a trained gemologist.
|
|
| - |
F
Slightly more color can be detected by a trained gemologist.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Near-Colorless Grades :
The color is easy to spot by a trained gemologist, but these diamonds appear colorless to the untrained eye.
|
|
| - |
G and H
Although slight color may be detected when compared to “Colorless” grades, it still is unnoticeable to the naked eye. These diamonds are often considered to be the best value - even though you spend less, only a trained professional can tell the true difference.
|
|
| - |
I and J
The lowest of the near-colorless grades has slightly more color but is still an excellent value.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Faint Yellow (K-M), Very Light Yellow (N-R), Light Yellow Grades (S-Z) :
The further down the scale you go, the more tinted a diamond appears to the untrained eye. Reputable diamond dealers may not even carry stones at these levels.
|
|
|
Carat
|
|
The weight of a diamond is measured in carats. One carat (recorded as 1.00 carats) is equal to 200 milligrams. Of the 4Cs, this is the easiest to determine.
|
|
Cut
|
|
People often confuse this with shape (emerald, round, pear) when it actually refers to a diamond’s mathematical proportions and dimensions. While the other three Cs occur naturally, a diamond’s cut is man-made, produced by a master diamond cutter.
|
|
|
Cut determines the stone’s ability to reflect light. The better the cut, the more brilliant (and more valuable) the diamond.
|
|
Clarity
|
|
Just like people, diamonds may contain tiny birthmarks. Internal imperfections are called inclusions, or flaws; external imperfections are called blemishes. Clarity (and value) are determined by assessing the number, size, position, nature, color and relief of inclusions.
|
|
|
As with color, the GIA has a grading system for measuring the clarity of a stone:
|
|
|
|
FL -
Flawless - Contains no inclusions or blemishes under 10X magnification.
|
|
|
|
IF -
Internally Flawless - Contains only slight, insignificant surface blemishes and no internal inclusions.
|
|
|
|
VVS1-VVS2 -
Very Very Slightly Included - Contains minute inclusions that are difficult even for experienced graders to see under 10X magnification.
|
|
|
|
VS1-VS2 -
Very Slightly Included - Contains minute inclusions (such as clouds) when observed with effort under 10X magnification; still invisible to the naked eye.
|
|
|
|
SI1 -
Slightly Included - Contains small inclusions that are noticeable and easy to find under 10X magnification.
|
|
|
|
I1-I2 -
Imperfect - Contains obvious inclusions under 10X magnification and just visible inclusions to the naked eye.
|
|
|
|
I3 -
Contains noticeable inclusions and surface blemishes which may be seen by the naked eye.
|
|
|
|
You have a long road ahead, and ring shopping is just the beginning. As with any aspect of wedding planning, stay calm, be sensible and for heaven’s sake… have fun!
|
|
