CARAT

Diamonds and other gemstones are measured in metric carats, with one carat equaling 0.2 grams, approximately the weight of a paperclip. It's important not to mix up carat with karat, which denotes gold purity, such as "18K gold." Similar to how a dollar breaks down into 100 pennies, a carat is divided into 100 points. For instance, a 50-point diamond weighs 0.50 carats. However, two diamonds of the same weight can vary significantly in value due to factors like clarity, color, and cut, known as the Four C’s. Most diamonds used in fine jewelry are one carat or less in weight. Precision is crucial because even a small fraction of a carat can greatly affect cost.

Carat weight is one of the most crucial factors in determining a diamond's value and appearance. It refers to the weight of the diamond, with one carat equivalent to 0.2 grams(200 milligrams). This measurement is often used to describe the size of the diamond, though carat weight alone does not define the diamond’s overall quality or visual appearance.

The impact of Carat weight on price

Carat weight significantly impacts the value of a diamond. Larger diamonds (bigger carat weights) are rare and more desirable, leading to higher price per carat as the weight increases. It is important to know that the price per carat does not increase linearly but rather exponentially as carat weight increases.

Choosing the Right Carat Weight

Selecting the appropriate carat weight depends on several factors, including personal preference, budget, and the intended setting.

• Personal Preference: Some people prefer the visual impact of a larger diamond, while others might prioritize quality factors like cut, color, and clarity over sheer size.
• Budget: It’s essential to balance carat weight with the other three Cs (cut, color, clarity) to maximize the overall quality within your budget.
• Setting Style: design of the ring or jewelry setting can enhance or diminish the perceived size of the diamond. Halo settings, for example, can make a center diamond appear larger.

HOW DID THE CARAT SYSTEM START?

The carat, the standard unit of weight for diamonds and other gemstones, takes its name from the carob seed. Because these small seeds had a fairly uniform weight, early gem traders used them as counterweights in their balance scales. The modern metric carat, equal to 0.2 grams, was adopted by the United States in 1913 and other countries soon after. Today, a carat weighs exactly the same in every corner of the world.

COLOR

Color impacts the overall appearance of a diamond. It is valued more for the absence of color meaning the closest to white that appears clear. GIA developed a scale to evaluate diamond coloring that became the industry standard. This scale begins at the letter D for colorless and increases in the presence of color to the letter Z for light color. At Diamond Wish we carry the range D-J. The less color, the higher their value, the exception of course being fancy colored diamonds, such as pinks and blues which are outside of this color range.

Diamonds are color-graded by comparing them to stones of known color under controlled lighting and precise viewing conditions. Many of these color distinctions are so subtle as to be invisible to the untrained eye but these slight differences make a very big difference in diamond quality and price.

Most diamonds found in jewelry stores run from colorless to near-colorless, with slight hints of yellow or brown. GIA’s color-grading scale for diamonds is the industry standard.

WHY DOES THE GIA COLOR GRADING SYSTEM START AT D?

Before GIA developed the D-Z Color Grading Scale, a variety of other systems were loosely applied. These included letters of the alphabet (A, B and C, with multiple A’s for the best stones), Arabic (0, 1, 2, 3) and Roman (I, II, III) numerals, and descriptions such as “gem blue” or “blue white.” The result of all these grading systems was inconsistency and inaccuracy. Because the creators of the GIA Color Scale wanted to start fresh, without any association with earlier systems, they chose to start with the letter D—a letter grade normally not associated with top quality.

CLARITY

The Clarity grade is simply the visual purity of the diamond. The level of clarity characteristics,which are classified as inclusions or blemishes, determine the clarity rating of the diamond and impact how light passes through it. The size, placement and number of the clarity characteristics greatly affect the light performance and durability of the stone. Clarity is graded on a relative scale from Flawless (FL) to Included (I), based on the types of clarity characteristics present and their overall visibility at 10X magnification. Simply put, the less inclusions or blemishes the higher the clarity of the diamond.

Formed deep below the earth's surface, Diamonds often have natural internal (inclusions) and/or external (blemishes) due to the heat and pressure they are created with. These birthmarks determine the rarity of diamonds and rarity affects a diamond’s value.

Clarity factors are five factors that determine the overall effect of characteristics on a clarity grade. The five factors are: Size, Number, Location, Relief, and Nature. An assessment of how all five factors relate to each other is needed when determining a clarity grade.

Using the GIA International Diamond Grading System™, diamonds are graded on a scale that ranges from flawless (FL) to diamonds with obvious inclusions (I3).

The GIA Clarity Scale contains 11 grades, all based using 10× magnification:

• Flawless (FL) - No inclusions or blemishes are visible to a skilled grader.
• Internally Flawless (IF) - No inclusions and only blemishes are visible to a skilled grader.
• Very, Very Slightly Included (VVS1 and VVS2) - Inclusions are difficult for a skilled grader.
• Very Slightly Included (VS1 and VS2) - Inclusions are clearly visible but can be characterized as minor.
• Slightly Included (SI1 and SI2) - Inclusions are noticeable to a skilled grader.
• Included (I1, I2, and I3) - Inclusions are obvious and may affect transparency and brilliance.

The Cut of a diamond is often confused with shape and is a term sometimes used interchangeably. When referring to a Cut of a diamond it is a grade that determines the quality of proportions and arrangement of facets that produce attractive diamonds in relation to light. The Diamond Cut Grading System established by GIA rates a standard round brilliant diamond cut from Excellent to Poor. It is the single most important factor of the 4 C’s as it impacts the overall beauty of a diamond.

The Cut greatly impacts how the diamond faces up in appearance and is measured by many factors including Brightness, Fire and Scintillation. Brightness refers to the total light reflected from the diamond. Fire refers to colors of the spectrum from the dispersion of light. Scintillation is the flashes of light, dark areas and the pattern of light.

Other factors that make up the Cut grade include Polish and Symmetry. But let's first explore the diamond's anatomy.

• The Table is at the top of the diamond and is the flat most surface.
• The Crown is the space between the table and girdle at the top of the diamond.
• The Girdle is located between the crown and the pavilion and is the narrow rim and
• runs around the widest part of the diamond.
• The Pavillion is the lower part of the diamond located between the girdle and the
• bottom most part of the diamond called the culet.
• The Culet is the point or facet at the very bottom of the diamond pavilion.

Polish & Symmetry

Similar to the grading scale of the cut, the polish and symmetry scale is also Excellent to Poor. Polish is based on the visibility of polish at a 10x magnification including polish features like abrasions, scratches, Nicks, Pits, burns and other imperfections. Whereas Symmetry is the visibility of angle deviations at a 10x magnification. The features assessed for Symmetry include the table, crown, culet, number of facets, pavilion and more.

Round Brilliant Cut

The Round Brilliant Cut diamond has 57 or 58 facets, the 58th being a tiny flat facet at the bottom of the pavilion that’s known as the culet.

Fancy Cuts

All shapes require a fancy cut except the round shape. Other fancy cuts include Step Cut, Rose Cut, Modified Brilliant Cut and Vintage Cuts.

Shape

Round is the most popular shape and is used most in diamond jewelry. The top 10 popular shapes include: Round, Princess, Cushion, Oval, Emerald, Pear, Marquise, Asscher, Radiant and Heart Shape. Some other exotice shapes include: Baguettes, Bullets, Half Moons, Trillion, Rose and Trapezoid to name a few.

HOW DID THE GIA CLARITY SCALE COME ABOUT?

Like the color scale, GIA’s clarity grading system developed because jewelers were using terms that were easily misinterpreted, such as "loupe clean," or "piqué." Today, even if you buy a diamond in another part of the world, the jeweler will likely use terms such as VVS1 or SI2, even if her language is French or Japanese instead of English.

DIAMOND CUT

Though extremely difficult to analyze or quantify, the cut of any diamond has three attributes: brilliance (the total light reflected from a diamond), fire (the dispersion of light into the colors of the spectrum), and scintillation (the flashes of light, or sparkle, when a diamond is moved).

An understanding of diamond cut begins with the shape of a diamond. The standard round brilliant is the shape used in most diamond jewelry. All others are known as fancy shapes. Traditional fancy shapes include the marquise, pear, oval and emerald cuts. Hearts, cushions, triangles and a variety of others are also gaining popularity in diamond jewelry.As a value factor, though, cut refers to a diamond’s proportions, symmetry and polish. For example, look at a side view of the standard round brilliant. The major components, from top to bottom, are the crown, girdle and pavilion.

A round brilliant cut diamond has 57 or 58 facets, the 58th being a tiny flat facet at the bottom of the pavilion that’s known as the culet. The large, flat facet on the top is the table. The proportions of a diamond refer to the relationships between table size, crown angle and pavilion depth. A wide range of proportion combinations are possible, and these ultimately affect the stone’s interaction with light.In early 2005, GIA unveiled a diamond cut grading system for standard round brilliants in the D-to-Z color range. This system, the product of more than 15 years of intensive research and testing, assigns an overall diamond cut grade ranging from Excellent to Poor.

HOW DOES PAVILION DEPTH AFFECT A DIAMOND'S CUT?

The distance from the bottom of the girdle to the culet is the pavilion depth. A pavilion depth that’s too shallow or too deep will allow light to escape through the sides or the bottom of the stone. A well-cut diamond will direct more light through the crown.

SHAPE

The shape that most people will be familiar with is the round diamond. This represents the classic diamond, the example of brilliance and shine. However, there are actually several other shapes in addition to the standard round.It takes a careful and precise hand to cut these various shapes flawlessly. Below, you will find examples of the different shapes that you might find in our store.

LOOSE DIAMOND SEARCH

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Round

Princess

Cushion

Asscher

Emerald

Oval

Pear

Marquise

Heart

Radiant