The cut of a diamond determines its ultimate beauty. A diamond cut to correct proportions will give off unrivaled radiance. Cut a diamond too shallow or too deep, and light will escape throught the bottom or the sides.
SHALLOW CUT Light "leaks" through the bottom. Diamond
may have a dull reflection.
IDEAL CUT As light is reflected from all sides, it
comes back through the top sparkling.
DEEP CUT Light is lost through the sides.
Diamond may appear dark in the center.
Diamonds occur in every color of the spectrum. While yellows, browns, and greys are the most commonly found colors, the most desirable are colorless stones. Truly colorless gems are extremely rare. Diamonds are graded con a scale of D through Z, with D being truly colorless, and Z being light yellow.
Clarity refers to the number of imperfections in the diamond, know as inclusions. The majority of diamonds have some degree of inclusions in them. The fewer inclusions, the more rare and valuable it is.
| F-IF Internally Flawless |
Very Very Slight Inclusions |
Very Slight Inclusions |
Slight Inclusions |
Imperfect |
Imperfect |
Imperfect |
Diamonds are sold by weights in carats. each carat is 1/5 of a gram. The heavier the diamond, the more valuable it is, but bigger doesn't necessarily mean better. Quality is found in diamonds of all sizes.
