Diamond
No two diamonds are exactly alike. But what defines a good diamond?
The universal standard for identifying diamonds defines the quality and value of a diamond by the 4Cs: carat, color, clarity and cut.
Carat: The weight of a diamond is expressed in carats. One carat equals 0,2 grams. This equals 100 points, which indicates the size of the stone.
Color: Most diamonds range from colorless to slightly yellow. To determine the color grade, the diamond is compared to a series of master stones. The best grade is D color, which stands for colorless.
Don’t be fooled though: diamonds come in all colors. They can be brownish, yellow, orange, red, pink, purple, blue or green. These are the so-called “fancy colors”.
Even more astonishing: some diamonds glow in the dark. Due to submicroscopic structures in the crystal, diamonds tend to have fluorescence as a reaction to UV-light.
Clarity: The clarity defines a diamond’s purity. A rough diamond is a product of nature. Every natural diamond has traces of its growth history: so-called internal characteristics or inclusions. It’s difficult to see these inclusions with the bare eye, so a loupe that magnifies the diamond 10 times is a must-have. The clarity scale shows the size, number and position of these characteristics.
Cut: When it comes to the cut of a diamond, there are 3 important factors: proportions, polish and symmetry. The proportions of the diamond determine its brightness and fire. Symmetry refers to how precisely the various facets of a diamond align and intersect. And polish describes the finish of the diamond’s facets. Isn’t the diamond properly cut? Then it will not have the magical interaction with light as it should have.
Do you know the most common shape of a diamond? It is the round brilliant cut. You probably know other shapes such as the pear, the oval, the marquise, the emerald, the heart, the princess, the cushion, the baguette and the radiant. These shapes are called “fancy cut diamonds”.
What are melee diamonds?
Melee diamonds are tiny diamonds that weigh less than 0,20 carat. They can even be as small as 0,001 carat. They are often cut in round shapes and set around a larger center stone or on the band of a ring.
What is a grading report?
Considering buying a diamond of 0,30ct or more? Or a piece of jewelry with such a diamond in it? Then Laurence strongly recommends asking for the grading report of the stone. If your diamond has such a report issued by a renowned grading laboratory such as HRD Antwerp or GIA, you can rest assured that all 4Cs have been carefully checked by expert gemologists. The quality mentioned in the diamond’s grading report is also a way to know the approximate value of the diamond.
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What are melee diamonds?
Melee diamonds are small diamonds weighing less than 0,20ct. Melee diamonds can be as small as 0,001ct. They are often cut into tiny round diamonds and set around a center stone or on the band of a ring.