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CUT
The Better Cut a Diamond, the More Brilliant A well cut or faceted
diamond, regardless of its shape, scintillates with fire and light
-- offering the greatest brilliance and value. While nature determines
a diamond's clarity, carat weight and color, the hand of a master
craftsman is necessary to release its fire, sparkle and beauty.
When a diamond is cut to good proportions, light will reflect from
one mirror-like facet to another and disperse through the top of
the stone, resulting in a display of brilliance and fire. Diamonds
that are cut too deep or too shallow lose light that spills through
the side or bottom. As a result, poorly cut stones will be less
brilliant and beautiful -- and certainly less valuable -- than well
cut diamonds higher on the Diamond Quality Pyramid.
CLARITY
The Purer a Diamond, the More Brilliant The greater a diamond's
clarity, the more brilliant, valuable and rare it is -- and the
higher it is on the Diamond Quality Pyramid. Virtually all natural
diamonds contain identifying characteristics, yet many are invisible
to the naked eye. Under the scrutiny of a jeweler's 10x-magnifying
loupe or microscope, natural phenomena -- called inclusions -- may
be seen. These are nature's birthmarks, and they may look like tiny
crystals, clouds, or feathers. Diamonds categorized as internally
flawless reveal no such inclusions. Flawless stones are at the peak
of the Diamond Quality Pyramid and are treasured for their rarity
and beauty. Diamonds with very, very small inclusions are graded
as VVS1 or VVS2. The larger the inclusion, the lower the grade and
the less rare the diamond. Inclusions that can be seen with the
naked eye are graded I1 or I3. The number, color, type, size and
position of surface and internal birthmarks affect a diamond's value.
Major inclusions can interfere with the path of light that travels
through a diamond, diminishing its
CARAT
The Larger a Diamond, the More Rare Larger diamonds are found relatively
infrequently in nature, which places them at the rarest level of
the Diamond Quality Pyramid. What also makes a bigger diamond so
desirable is that it shows off a stone's fine color and cut, and
therefore its brilliance, to its best advantage. A diamond's size
is measured in carat weight, and each carat is equal to 100 points.
A .75 carat diamond is the same as a 75-point diamond or a 3/4 carat
stone. While larger diamonds are highly prized, diamonds of equal
size may vary widely in value and brilliance, depending on their
qualities of clarity, cut, and color.
COLOR
The More Pure the Color in a Diamond, the More Rare Diamonds are
graded by color, starting at D and continuing through the alphabet.
Truly colorless stones, graded D, treasured for their rarity and
value, are highest on the Diamond Quality Pyramid. While many diamonds
appear colorless, they may actually have subtle yellow or brown
tones and these color grades include P and Q. Although still beautiful,
they will be less rare and therefore less valuable. To appreciate
the simple beauty of each individual stone, you should compare diamonds
side by side with a jeweler. "Fancy" diamonds -- in well defined
colors that include red, pink, blue, green and canary yellow --
are highly prized and particularly rare.
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