Diamonds Finder

Carat Weight
The size of a diamond has the biggest impact on its price. The metric carat, which equals 0.20 gram, is the standard unit of weight for diamonds and most other gems. If other factors are equal, the more a stone weighs, the more valuable it will be.

Here are several ways to express 1 carat:

1 ct.
200 milligrams
1/5 gram
100 points
4 grainer (not often used in retail environment)

It is very important not to mistake carat weight as referring to the dimensions of a diamond. It refers to weight only. Why the distinction? Because weight can hide in different parts of the stone. You can have a) well-cut, b) deep, or c) shallow Diamonds. Some may appear larger than others due to its cut.

Prices of diamonds are expressed in the trade as a price per carat. So when we say that the Carat Weight has the biggest impact on the price of the stone, we refer to the unit price per carat, not just the overall price of the whole stone.

Color
The color of a diamond has the second biggest impact on its price, after carat weight. Did you know that diamonds come in every color of the rainbow?

Grading color in the normal range involves deciding how closely a stone’s bodycolor approaches colorlessness. Most diamonds have at least a trace of yellow or brown bodycolor. With the exception of some natural fancycolors, such as blue, pink, purple, or red, the colorless grade is the most valuable.

If a diamond does not have enough color to be called fancy, then it is graded in a scale of colors ranging from Colorless to Light Yellow, “D” through “Z”. A diamond with a “D” color is considered to be colorless. If the color is more intense than “Z”, it is considered fancy. A fancy yellow diamond fetches a higher price than a light yellow diamond.

The Laboratories only grade diamonds which are unmounted, or “loose”, and they do so under special light. Once a loose diamond is mounted on a ring, even the trained professional cannot always tell the difference between, say a “D” color and an “E” or “F” color diamond!

Clarity
The clarity of a diamond refers to how clear, or “clean” the diamond is. The more “clean” the diamond, the higher the price. Most diamonds have “imperfections” in them. The clarity scale is a measure of the severity of those imperfections or “inclusions” as it is known in the trade.

For example, a deep break in a diamond which is not that visible when you look at the stone face-up, could sometimes have a greater impact on the clarity of a stone, than a small black crystal which you can see very clearly face-up.

Cut
The cut of a Diamond is the only property which is totally dependent on man. Although often overlooked, cut is actually one of the most important aspects to consider when choosing your diamond. A Diamond cutter analyzes the rough diamond, and has to determine how to extract the most beauty and most profit out of the rough stone.

Cut refers to not only the shape of the diamonds, but its proportions and finish, factors which determine the sparkle of the diamond.

It is possible to take the same stone, and depending on which method the cutter decides to use, to either cut it into the most beautiful stone it can be despite heavy weight loss and perhaps lower monetary value. Or else, he can cut a stone to its maximum weight and monetary value, but lose some “brilliance” and “sparkle”!

You see, even if you have two equal polished diamonds, both the same carat size, both the same color, both the same clarity, they may look completely different. How? There are many different shapes, and facets in a diamond. The weight can be distributed in different parts of the stone. For example, here’s a picture of what is called in the Diamond industry an ideal cut stone:

The goal in terms of extracting the greatest beauty from a Diamond, is to have light enter a Diamond, disperse the light as it bounces inside the Diamond, thereby producing the different colors and sparkly effect, and finally returning as much light to the eye as possible.

Cost

The most important “C” you have to think about is COST. The few times you usually hear about cost, it is usually as a “salary guideline” or “buying tips” which may include “advice” to spend about two months salary on a diamond engagement ring. Would you like to know where the idea of two month’s salary came from? A marketing person whose job it is to sell as many Diamonds as possible. The reality is that there’s no “guideline”. There are too many personal factors to consider.

You know your financial situation better than anyone. You have to decide on a budget for how much you want to spend, and/or can afford to spend, and then go out and see what that budget can buy. To get an idea of prices, you can fill out our Multi-Jeweler Diamond-Search form, indicating the type of Diamond you are interested in.

From: www.diamondgrading.com