Buying a diamond is a very personal experience. Diamonds can be bought to signify love, accomplishments, and milestones in your life or that of a gift's recipient. Unlike when you buy clothing, electronics, or cars, the features of a diamond may not seem quite so obvious to you. At Kingston Fine Jewelry, our entire stock of loose diamonds are hand selected by the owner, a GIA graduate. We also take the time to educate you on your diamond purchase. We believe that the more you know about your diamond jewelry, the more confident you will feel when making your diamond jewelry choices. Take a moment to learn more about the 4Cs and find out how they play an important role in making your diamond jewelry unique.
The shape of the diamond is often confused with the cut. Below are samples of different shapes to choose from when making your purchase.
The cut of a diamond determines its brilliance or sparkle. Each shape will be cut differently. Before a diamond is cut, the location of inclusions and flaws, the natural coloration, and the original shape of the rough stone are studied extensively. The stone facets are then mapped out and cut in a way that maximizes size, shape, and clarity. For optimal light performance, you will want a diamond that is cut neither too shallow nor too deep.
Diamonds are graded based on the amount of color they do or do not possess. The scale runs from D (colorless) to Z (light yellow).
A diamond is distinguished by its natural characteristics, just as a person would be noted for her blue eyes or his brown hair. Notated as a diamond's clarity, these characteristics can be present on the surface (blemishes) or within the stone (inclusions). The clarity is judged by the number and types of these characteristics and is designated using a scale that runs from Fl, defined as flawless, to I3, defined as inclusions visible with the naked eye. A flawless diamond is truly rare.
FL Diamonds Flawless: No inclusions and no blemishes visible at 10x magnification.
IF Diamonds Internally Flawless: No inclusions and only insignificant blemishes visible at 10x magnification.
VVS1, VVS2 Diamonds Very, Very Slightly Included: Minute inclusions that range from extremely difficult (VVS1) to very difficult (VVS2) to see at 10x magnification.
VS1, VS2 Diamonds Very Slightly Included: Minor inclusions that range from difficult (VS1) to somewhat easy (VS2) to see at 10x magnification.
SI1, SI2 Diamonds Slightly Included: Noticeable inclusions that are easy (SI1) or very easy (SI2) to see at 10x magnification.
I1, I2, I3 Diamonds Included: Obvious inclusions visible at 10x magnification.
The unit of measure used for the weight of a diamond is the carat. As a matter of reference, a carat is equivalent to .2 grams or .007 of an ounce. Carat weight can also be divided further by using points. There are 100 points in one carat. So a 1/4 (.25) carat stone can also be expressed as 25 points and mean exactly the same thing. When comparing two diamonds, please note that just because one is twice the carat weight of the other does not mean that it will appear to be twice the size.
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