Diamond Tutorial

Whatever knowledge you have... Confidence remains key

Our intention is that you learn about diamonds and become educated in the diamond buying process.
With proper education, buying a diamond is not complicated. These preliminary guidelines are designed to guide the end customer in purchasing a diamond successfully.
Diamonds are mainly characterized with the so called 4c’s:
These are the Color, Clarity, Carat and the Cut

C O L O R
Most diamonds used in jewelry appear colorless. True, colorless diamonds are rare, as are strongly colored ones. Rare in this case means very expensive.

Diamonds are found in a range of colors, from Exceptional Whites (D and E colors) to Faint Yellow (S and Z Colors) and again from Faint Yellow or Brown, to the rarer Pinks, Blues, Greens and even Dark Red. The latter are known as "Fancies".

The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) color spectrum is as follows:
D and E = Exceptional White
F and G = Rare White
H = White
I and J = Slightly Tinted White
K and L = Tinted White
M, N, O, P, Q, and R = Tinted Color
S and Z = Yellow

C L A R I T Y
Clarity means absence of inclusions. Diamonds may show tiny traces of other minerals trapped during the crystallization process. They typically show up as minute black or white marks. Light passes most optimally through a diamond that has no inclusions.
Nature makes nothing absolutely pure and perfect. There are, however, diamonds that at 10x magnification show no inclusions.
These are called "Flawless". At the other extreme are diamonds that show impurities that are easily visible to the naked eye.
The clarity of most diamonds available on the market falls between these two extreme values.

FL-IF	VVS1-VVS2	VS1-VS2	SI1-SI2	I1-I2
Flawless & Internally Flawless. No inclusions visible under 10x magnification.	Very, very slight inclusions. Difficult to find under 10x magnification.	Very slight inclusions. Found under 10x magnification.	Small inclusions. Noticeable under 10x magnification.	Flaws visible to the naked eye.

C A R A T
Diamonds are weighed in carats. One carat is the equivalent of 0.2 grams. In practice, the weight of a diamond is expressed up to two decimals, example, 1.25ct. The weight of a diamond is determined with a special highly sensitive automated and electronic balance.

C U T

A well-cut and well-proportioned diamond allows the maximum amount of light to enter, reflect and return to your eye.
Any variation of these optimal proportions allows what is called a "light leakage", and diminishes the value of your diamond.
Cut refers to whether a diamond is properly proportioned. It should be your most important consideration, even though cut is the least talked about component of diamond value. Differences in color or clarity may be detectable only by experts, and might even be invisible to the naked eye. Differences in cut can result in dramatic differences in appearance. It is the cut that provides a diamond with brilliance, and brilliance is what diamonds are all about.

Unless you have unlimited funds, buying a diamond requires a series of compromises. Finding the diamond you want may involve choosing a lower color and clarity, or lowering your desired carat weight for a finer quality stone. Here is a graphical representation of how light is reflected in a diamond.

1. Ideal cut. All the light gets reflected.
2. and 3. Due to the wrong cut, light is lost.

WHAT ABOUT CERTIFICATES?

If you have limited trust in the seller, always ask for a polished diamond certificate issued from an internationally renowned institution. There are several organizations that specialize in issuing certificates, but only two of them are worth of respect and confidence:

1- The Gemological Institute of America (GIA).
Established and headquartered in 1931 in the United States of America, the GIA is one the leading institutes in the domain, rendering services worldwide. GIA is the creator of the famous 4Cs of diamond value (color, clarity, cut, and carat weight). It is also the corporate birthplace of the International Diamond Grading System™.

2- The Hoge Raad Voor Diamant (HRD).
Established and headquartered in Antwerp, Belgium, the HRD’s standard matches those of GIA.
Both institutions are highly professional and provide a spectacular service, in other words, they have stood to the test of time.

SHAPES OF DIAMONDS
Below is a graphical representation of the most common diamond shapes:
Whether you are a professional or a simple amateur, diamond business is, as mentioned before, a matter of trust and confidence.