Selecting a Diamond - There 7 keys to consider when selecting the perfect diamond, and they are, in the order they will be presented - not order of importance: The four C’s of diamond grading - Cut, Clarity, Color, and Carat Weight; whether the diamond has Certification; the diamond Shape; and what sort of Setting you want to put the diamond in. No one of these factors is significantly more important in selecting a specific diamond because you will want different characteristics for different purposes. The other obvious factor when you are considering purchasing a diamond is how much money you are able to spend on it, but I take it you will be keeping that in mind whether I remind you of it or not and will discuss it a bit more in the second part of this article, which will focus on diamond buying.

Quick glossary of diamond anatomy:

Table - the large, flat facet on top
Crown - the upper portion of the diamond, above the girdle
Girdle - the thin rim around the widest diameter which separates the crown from the pavilion
Pavilion - the lower portion of the diamond, below the girdle
Culet - the very small facet at the pointy bottom of a diamond
Diameter - the widest measurement across a diamond, found at the girdle
Depth - the total height of a diamond, from table to culet

Cut - A diamond’s cut is not the same as its shape. I should say it again, but instead I’ll tell you to read the sentence over. The cut refers to the quality of the work which gave the diamond its shape and makes a significant difference in the appearance. When light enters a diamond it enters through the table (the top facet) and travels through the pavilion (the lower half of the diamond) reflecting back and forth between the many facets before exiting again through the table. Because the cut determines the way the diamond reflects light, a high quality cut results in a more brilliant diamond. The better the reflective properties, the better the fire in the diamond. The key to a good cut is having good proportions. The most important proportions are how the depth compares to the diameter and how the diameter compares to the diameter of the table. An Ideal Cut diamond is cut in such a way so as to maximize the brilliance. Ideal Cut diamonds do have the most sparkle, but they also have the highest price for the carat weight because there are other cuts that retain more weight while losing some of the beauty. Premium cut diamonds are very close to ideal cuts and are often equal to ideal cuts in sparkle and appearance, though usually a little lower in price. Very Good cut diamonds are still cut to create a good deal of brilliance, and along with Good cut diamonds, they reflect most of the light that enters them. Very Good diamonds might still have similar dimensions as Premium or Ideal cut diamonds, but Good cut diamonds begin to the look a bit different because the cut was probably made to retain as much of the rough diamond’s weight as opposed to giving it the most brilliant cut. Good and Very Good cut diamonds offer excellent quality in a lower price range. Fair and Poor cut diamonds reflect less light than any of the above cuts and are almost certainly cut to maximize size. The sacrifice in quality does come with a break in price of course, and it is up to you to determine which diamond qualities are most important for the diamond you want.

Clarity - Clarity refers to whether a diamond has any marks of imperfection in the material used or the finishing. Blemishes are flaws on the surface and could be scratches, chips, or pits. Inclusions are internal flaws and include air bubbles, cracks, or different materials that were included when the diamond formed. In actual diamond grading, all flaws are referred to as inclusions. Grading diamonds for clarity is done under a 10x loupe jeweler’s microscope, and it is only in the lowest 3 grades (Included 1-3) that flaws are visible to the naked eye. Flaws found in all the other grades (from Flawless to Slightly Included) are invisible to the naked eye, and the grade affects the value of the gem more than the actual appearance. Flawless (F) diamonds are exactly that - flawless - and they are extremely rare and because of that they are also quite expensive. Internally Flawless (IF) diamonds have no inclusions and only the slightest of surface blemish. IF diamonds are also very rare and expensive. Very Very Slightly Included diamonds comes in two grades, VVS1 and VVS2, and their inclusions are quite hard to detect, even using a powerful microscope. VS1 and VS2, or Very Slightly Included, diamonds have flaws but they are still difficult to detect under the 10x magnification. Slightly Included diamonds, in both grades S1 and S2, have flaws that are more easily detectable under magnification, but they are still perfect in appearance without magnification. Included - I1, I2, and I3 - quality diamonds have flaws that are visible with the naked eye. Obviously, the higher grade the diamond the more expensive, and anything above I1-I3 is going to be quite similar in appearance. It is generally accepted that VS and VVS grade diamonds provide the most bang for the buck. They are visually beautiful though less expensive than F or IF grade stones.

Color - The color of a diamond refers to the relative amount of color in white diamonds. Truly clear diamonds reflect light best, and as they are also very rare, they are also more expensive. Diamond color is graded on a letter scale that goes from D, entirely clear, to Z, which has a yellowish or brownish color. Grades D,E, and F are considered to be colorless. Grades G, H, I, and J are considered to be near colorless, but any diamond between D and I will not have color visible to an untrained eye. As stones move from J to M the coloring may not be noticeable depending on the setting, but beyond M, the color becomes gradually more yellowish/brownish. While stones which are more clear than colored are generally more expensive, some folks enjoy the slightly warm color of more yellow diamonds. Of course diamonds that have more exotic colors, such as blue or pink or green, are not graded in the same way and are usually more expensive because of the rarity of finding high quality boldly colored diamonds.

Carat Weight - A carat is a unit of measurement equal to .2 grams or 200 milligrams. The word carat comes from carob seeds which were used to weigh precious stones in a balance. Because the formations process makes large diamonds more rare, diamond prices rise exponentially with carat size. Of the four grading qualities, carat size is the most obviously visible. Differences in cut, clarity, and color might only be visible to trained observers or under the microscope, but everyone will notice size.

Certification - The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and the American Gem Society (AGS) are the two largest independent certifiers of diamonds. The difference between a certificate and an appraisal is that an appraisal tells you the monetary value of a diamond without describing its precise qualities, and a certificate describes the precise qualities without placing a specific monetary value on the gem. A certificate shows the specifications for that individual stone - its measurements, the grade of its cut, clarity, and color, as well as its carat weight. A certificate also maps out any flaws on the diamond, so that if that stone should be stolen or go missing, it could still be identified because each diamond is slightly different. Certificates will help you to compare diamonds while you are shopping, ensuring you that you will actually be getting the diamond that you think you are getting. They will also help should you ever decide to sell your diamond. While you can find and purchase non-certified diamonds, unless you are an expert you will only have the seller’s word for the diamond’s quality. Sadly, it might also be mentioned here that the diamond trade can be somewhat corrupt business. There is a lot of money involved and the corruption goes from the workers in the mine to the top. Workers are exploited like slaves and given little of the money which the big companies make on diamonds. People will kill each other for the sake of the gems, and there is a significant black market for diamonds. What’s more than this is that governments and organizations, especially in Sierra Leone, Angola, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, use the profit from diamond sales to support their continuing abuse of human rights and military operations. Buying a rock with a certificate is one way to protect yourself from buying stolen diamonds. Unfortunately buying diamonds that are conflict-free and free-trade can be difficult and expensive - fortunately there is a growing consumer demand for conflict-free diamonds, which means that a growing number of distributors are making an effort to be sure that their diamonds haven’t been used to support war or exploitation.

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Shape - Diamonds can be cut into a number of different shapes. There is a list of standard shapes as well as the possibility of cutting custom shapes. Most diamonds are round cut, and a number of other cuts - at least with larger diamonds - are determined by the original shape of the rough diamond. The following is a short description of the most common diamond shapes: Round is the most common diamond shape. Also called round brilliant, they account for about 75% of commercial diamond sales and have 58 facets per diamond. An oval cut is rounded and perfectly symmetrical and apparently appreciated because of its lengthening effect on short fingers. Marquise cuts are like an oval only pointy on the ends like a football or lemon. A pear shape diamond is an oval on one side and marquise on the other side; it looks like the most beautiful teardrop you have ever seen. A heart-shaped cut really doesn’t require much explanation other than to say that it is darned romantic. For a heart-shaped diamond you will be more able to tell the quality of the cut because there is so much detail to the cut. Flaws are more visible in emerald cuts because they have larger facets; the emerald cut is essentially rectangular with cut off corners (not rounded). Princess cut diamonds are square or rectangular gems with square corners and many facets. The sparkle of princess cut is comparable to round cut and is one of the newest types of cuts to become popular. Diamonds with trilliant shape are triangles with or without rounded edges. Radiant cut diamonds are square or rectangular and have 70 facets as well as a high depth percentage to maximize sparkle. Finally, a cushion cut is somewhere between an oval and an emerald cut that is reminiscent of old style cuts that are no longer popular.

Setting - What you are planning on using this diamond for will determine much of what features you select for it. For engagement rings, most people chose round or princess cut. Heart-shaped or marquise cut diamonds are wonderful for brooches and pendants. Even within the category of diamond rings, different settings create different looks for different shaped or colored stones. Some of the more popular ring setting techniques include prong setting, bezel setting, channel setting, Pave setting (pronounced pah-vay), bead setting, and flush setting. Prong setting is simply where thin metal wires hold the stone in place, perhaps in a way that makes it appear that nothing is holding the stone in place. On the opposite end of this is a full bezel setting, which employs a band which surrounds the diamond and covers the girdle. A half bezel leaves space open on either side of the gem so that you can see it. A full-bezel setting looks quite traditional while a half bezel setting has a rather modern look. Somewhat like the bezel setting, a flush setting has the rock almost entirely below the surface of the setting, with only the table and a bit of the upper crown facets showing. This setting protects the diamond and has been rising in popularity lately, especially with those who don’t really want to “show off” their stone. Channel setting involves the sides of the ring creating a channel which holds the gems in. Pave setting and bead setting are similar, labor intensive techniques by which a large number stones may be used to create the effect of a large piece of shining jewelry. These techniques use little beads of metal to hold the diamonds in. Remember also that the color of the metal you are choosing might make a difference in the way your diamond appears. Yellow gold is no longer the only way to go for setting diamond rings. White gold and Platinum are all the rage, and silver is making a comeback, too - and a good thing with gold prices as they are right now.

Buying Diamonds - Now, a few words about buying diamonds. Before buying you are going to have to determine how much money you are willing to spend on a diamond. Diamonds aren’t exactly a good commercial investment - that is, they probably won’t appreciate value faster than inflation. However, diamonds are investments that hold their own against inflation for the most part, and there is no sign of the diamond market dropping way out in the foreseeable future. There are some significant advantages to shopping online for diamonds, especially if you are looking to get loose diamonds. It’s fast and convenient and online retailers have a great amount of selection. They make it really easy to compare the stats on different diamonds and usually can save you money because their administrative costs are lower than an independent jeweler. However, shopping online, you will want to be sure of a few things. Make sure that there is a favorable return policy so that you may return your purchase should it prove necessary for any number of reasons, perhaps including a bad looking stone. You won’t have a bad looking stone if you make sure that you buy from a dealer who has AGS or GIA certified rocks - this seems to be especially important when buying online. It is also very important to find out what their shipping policies are. Don’t buy a diamond that will be shipped uninsured, and once your diamond is shipped, keep track of its progress online. And as with any online purchasing, be sure that your seller has an acceptable privacy policy as well as a mode of making secured transactions. As for prices, diamonds start out at pretty cheap for low grade rocks and the prices go up into the stratosphere. To find out more about diamond prices in particular, go online to one of the larger sellers of loose diamonds and peruse through their database, which will usually list quality of cut, color, clarity, and a host of other measures along with carat weight and cost.

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