Diamonds
Diamond is one of the best-known and most sought-after gemstones. They have been used as decorative items since ancient times.
The hardness of diamond and its high dispersion of light — giving the diamond its characteristic “fire” — make it useful for industrial applications and desirable as jewelry. Diamonds are such a highly traded commodity that multiple organizations have been created for grading and certifying them based on the “four Cs”, which are color, cut, clarity, and carat. Other characteristics, such as presence or lack of fluorescence, also affect the desirability and thus the value of a diamond used for jewelry.
Diamonds are used in engagement rings. The practice is documented among European aristocracy as early as the 15th century, though ruby and sapphire were more desirable gemstones. The modern popularity of diamonds was largely created by De Beers Consolidated Mines, which established the first large-scale diamonds mines in South Africa. Through an advertising campaign beginning in the 1930s and continuing into the mid-20th century, De Beers made diamonds into a key part of the betrothal process and a coveted symbol of status.
Characteristics
The most familiar usage of diamonds today is as gemstones used for adornment—a usage which dates back into antiquity. The dispersion of white light into spectral colors is the primary gemological characteristic of gem diamonds. In the twentieth century, gemologists have developed methods of grading diamonds and other gemstones based on the characteristics most important to their value as a gem. Four characteristics known informally as the “four Cs” are now commonly used as the basic descriptors of diamonds: carat, cut, color, and clarity. This system was developed by Gemological Institute of America in 1953 as internationally recognized standard to evaluate diamonds characteristics.
The 4 C’s
Ever since the GIA established the international standards for diamond grading, the 4 C’s have become the most recognized benchmark for the consumer to readily distinguish the qualities between different diamonds. With the knowledge of these four standards, you can easily pick the diamond that is right for you.
Color
Under normal lighting conditions, a diamond acts as a prism with the ability to split light into its many components, which results in the many flashes of colors commonly referred to as fire. And like any transparent object through which light passes, the production of fire is the best when nothing hinders its transmission inside the diamond. Slight amount of coloring in the diamond (mostly caused by impurities) can act as filters that reduce the amount of colorful flashes and therefore resulting in a less brilliant fire. Diamonds with very little or no coloring are more highly valued than those with moderate coloring.
Cut
The cut of a diamond is the measure of how the diamond is geometrically shaped and faceted from its rough. Because the ratios, proportions, angles, and placement of the facets all influence the amount of light dispersion and/or transmission within the diamond, the cut is perhaps the most significant factor in determining the sparkle and brilliance of a diamond. Even a perfectly colorless and clear diamond will still look dull if it is poorly cut. We carry only the finest cut-grade diamonds available anywhere.
| Diameter: The width of the diamond as measured by its girdle. |
| Table: The largest facet of a gemstone, found at the very top. |
| Crown: The top section of a diamond, reaching from the girdle to the table. |
| Girdle: The meeting point of the crown and pavilion that defines the perimeter of the diamond. |
| Pavilion: The bottom section of a diamond, reaching from the girdle to the culet. |
| Culet: The facet at the bottom tip of a gemstone. The preferred culet is not visible with the naked eye (it is graded “none” or “small”). |
Depth: The total height of a gemstone measured from the culet to the table. |
Too Shallow: Light is lost through the bottom, causing the diamond to lose brightness.
Too Deep: Light escapes out the sides, causing the diamond to appear drab and dark.
Clarity
Because diamonds are formed in the interiors of the earth over millions of years, it is common for them to have internal inclusions of other compounds and earthly minerals. Diamonds with no inclusions (and therefore considered flawless) are very rare and highly prized. Diamond clarity is an assessment of the size, quantity, location, and specific types of inclusions inside a diamond.
Carat
The carat is the unit of measurement for the size and weight of a diamond. Since the rarity of a diamond increases substantially with increasing carat weight, the value and therefore price of the diamond also tend to increase exponentially with increasing weight. You can find diamonds from a wide range of carat weights at our store. No diamond is too small or too big for us!
Diamond Certification
The purchase of a diamond is probably one of the big decisions in your life and we want you to be absolutely certain that you are getting exactly what you are paying for. A certificate is essentially a grading report from an independent gemological laboratory (such as the Gemological Institute of America, GIA) that states the various qualities of the diamond (carat weight, color, clarity, cut, physical measurements, etc). You can rest assured that every single diamond that we carry has been thoroughly examined and graded by the most reputable independent laboratories in the world.
Diamond Care
Just as you would for any other high-valued investments, your diamond should be given the proper attention and care. Diamond is the hardest naturally occurring material known to men and is extremely resistant to surface damages. We recommend that you remove your jewelry before showers and baths and all household chores in order to minimize surface buildup. However, daily exposure to perspiration, hair care products, household cleaning agents and such will create surface buildup that dulls your diamond. We also recommend that you clean your diamond jewelry periodically to maintain the best brilliance and fire. The best option is to bring your jewelry in for us to have it professionally cleaned and polished, along with an inspection of the prongs and the security of its setting. Cleaning is also possible at home with a do-it-yourself dipping mixture of 1 part ammonia and 6 parts water.
