Diamond Jewelry And The 4Cs

Diamond jewelry, as some would put it, is the royalty among all gems. As such, assessing the value and quality of this gemstone had been refined to almost an exact science and a very fine art for hundreds of years now.

Today, dealing in diamonds either as an ardent admirer (wearing one) or as an astute trader of the same, one would need to be familiar with the four Cs – color, cut, clarity and carat.

Color 

With the naked eye, most diamonds would appear colorless, but they do have subtle shades of colors. Experts use the letter D (colorless) moving through all the letters all the way to Z (light yellow) in identifying them.

A colorless diamond is chemically pure and structurally perfect. It lets through most of the light (perfectly transparent) and produces the most amount of brilliance.

Most natural diamonds, however, are imperfect, and colorless diamonds are very rare.
It is, therefore, the most expensive of all.

The diamond color is produced by chemical impurities or structural defects in the stone’s crystal pattern. It causes a yellowish to brownish tint. However, blue or pink diamonds are also considered more desirable and command some very high prices as well.

Gemologists label diamonds with unusual or intense colors as “fancy” and they have their own rating systems, although it is not commonly used because of the relative rarity of such stones.

Cut 

This is the most important of all the four Cs in assessing the stone’s beauty. Cut refers to the precise proportion and dimensions of a finished diamond. This is not to be confused with the stone’s shape (round, princess, marquise, pear, baguette, etc).

A diamond that had been cut properly allows light to enter and refract it, creating what is called brilliance. Cut too shallow or too deep, a stone will not properly refract the light and will look dull and lifeless.

A well-cut stone looks like it has greater carat weight, has more clarity and color. All in all, it appears to be of better grade than it actually is.

Clarity

Diamonds have natural imperfections called inclusions. These are minerals or crystals trapped inside the stone, and they determine the clarity of the stone.

Nearly all stones have characteristic inclusions (“birthmarks”) which make them unique and identifiable. These imperfections are graded accordingly and these also determine their value.

These are noted in the stone’s certificate from IF (internally flawless), VVS (very, very slight inclusions) all the way down to “visible inclusions”(I).

Carat 

This is the measurement of a diamond’s weight. One carat is 200 milligrams. The point unit (0.01 carat or 2 milligrams) is used on stones lesser than one carat.

Normally, the price per carat increases with carat weight because larger diamonds are rarer and desired. However, carat weights are not the final arbiter of value.

A smaller stone with better color and clarity commands a better price than a bigger one with poor color and clarity. Total carat weight (TCW) is used when referring to the total mass of stones in a piece of jewelry (bracelets, necklaces, earrings, multiple-stoned rings, etc.)

Your choice

Choosing the diamond jewelry of your dreams actually boils down on your attraction to a particular stone, maybe because of its color, brilliance or its shape. Knowing the four Cs is important, whether you are a layman or want to be an expert.

The Shapes Of Your Diamond Jewelry

Diamonds in the rough are as ordinary as any regular stone, sometimes uglier. But once these are cut into shapes into the diamond jewelry that we are familiar with, the transformation is simply magical.

Diamonds are usually cut to accentuate their brilliance, fire and color.

Cuts 

Diamonds are mostly cut into familiar round shapes (round brilliant cut). Those that are not are known as ‘fancy cuts’.

Fancy cuts are the baguette (like the French loaf of bread), the marquise, the princess (square), briolette (rose cut), and the pear cut.

Today, newer cuts are introduced into the industry, perhaps to liven it up. These include the ‘cushion’, the ‘radiant’ (like princess cuts, only with rounded edges), and the ‘Asscher’ cut (square emerald cut).

Fancy-colored diamonds are mostly cut in these new styles. However, these fancy cuts are not held to the strict standards of diamond cuts.

These precise standards were set by mathematician and gem enthusiast Marcel Tolkowsky. He calculated the exact angles and dimensions of the diamond’s facets (surfaces) to reflect the most light and gives the diamond its famed brilliance.  

Fashion 

Like any other man-made ornament, diamond cuts are also heavily influenced by the fashion of the day. In the Art Deco period, the baguette (it accentuates a diamond’s luster but plays down the fire) was the favorite.

Today, the princess cut is gaining popularity, mostly among younger women. It is a favorite among diamond cutters because it uses most of the crystal in the original stone.

Since the past decades, there had been modifications of diamond cuts. These new cuts are seen to be more on trying to adapt a brand differentiation rather than actual improvements.

Shapes 

The round diamond is the most popular today. It has 57 facets (or 58 including the culet). By far, it displays the most fire and scintillation among all.

Cut into a square with 90 degrees angle on each corner, the princess cut brings out a tremendous amount of brilliance, second only to the round.

Heart-shaped diamonds are the most sentimental of all. It is also the hardest to find.

Radiant diamonds are rectangles with rounded corners. What make it special are the patterns of the facets that makes it look like cracked ice.

Invented in the 60s, the oval diamond is similar to the round brilliant, except for the ovate shape. One can see a visible “bow-tie” on top.

Designed in 1902, the Asscher is often called the square emerald cut. It has cropped corners that give it a distinctive elegance.

The emerald cut, rectangular or square, has beveled corners. It has a window-like transparency giving it a classic beauty.

The marquise has 56 facets, elongated and has pointed ends. Reportedly, it had been inspired by the smile of the Marquise de Pompadour and created for Louis XIV.

The pear cut looks more like a teardrop. It shows off best as a pendant or on earrings.

The cushion cut or the candlelight has larger facets and rounded corners to increase their sparkle under candlelight.

The corners of a triangle diamond may be pointed or rounded. The body shape is defined by the cutter or the stone’s characteristics.

By far, one can see that the many shapes of diamond jewelry are all geared to accentuate the beauty of the stone, its own unique elegance. Which one would look best on you?

Spotting The Faux Diamond Jewelry

It is important to understand or have a basic knowledge on differentiating a fake and a real diamond. This would make sure that you are not committing any kind of financial mistake or investment.  The best thing that you could do to check on the authenticity of your diamond jewelry is to take it to an independent and professional jeweller to get it appraised.

However, there are simple things that could do that would help you make smart decisions when choosing your diamond jewelry.

• Making a good decision would rely on how educated you are.  Learn about diamonds or the 4 Cs of diamonds: color, cut, carat and clarity.  There are numerous websites that offer an insight on how you could determine the quality of a diamond based on the 4 Cs.

• Working with reputable and trusted jewellers would also make sure that you are not getting involved in any kind of fraudulent transactions.  It could be a those national and big chains or you could work with a local jeweller, what’s important is that you are working that already has an established reputation in the business.

• It always pay to ask the retailer.  There are some jewellers who would not offer information unless you ask them.  For example, you could ask the retailer if the diamond jewerly you are fancying is indeed jewelry or a similar stone called the moissanite. Ask questions about the stone or jewel.

• Settings would give you an insight if you are getting a true diamond. Since diamonds are expensive stones, it is normal that it would be mounted on a setting that would compliment its value.  If the setting is poorly crafted then it is likely that you are not getting a valuable stone.

• Some would say that fake diamonds sparkle like rainbows.  It is true.  A real diamond would give off shades of gray when sparkling.  Those that give rainbow shades are most likely copy cats.

• Another test that most buyers would do would be transparency test.  It could be done if you are buying loose diamond stones.  This would allow you to put the stone on top of a newspaper and check if you could see through it.  If you can then you could be dealing with a bogus stone, since diamonds would not properly disperse light.

• Diamonds are known to be one of the hardest stones out there.  So check if the diamond jewelry bears any kind of imperfection like scratches, nicks, etc.  Diamond jewelries are still capable of sustaining such defects, but too much scratches or imperfections could be suspicious.

• Diamond certificates are also another proof that the diamond jewels are for real.  A jeweller or a retailer would offer this certificate along with the purchase.  You could get a certificate from the GIA or EGL.

However, fake diamonds are not always bad. You could get them affordably and almost has the same look as the real diamonds in untrained eyes.  Since it is more affordable, lost or damaged jewelries would be easier to replace. Aside from that any jewel, diamond or fake jewelry, cannot exceed the intention and sincerity of the person who will be giving it.

Not Just Natural: Colored Diamond Jewelry

Contrary to what we commonly know, diamond jewelries are not always clear.  Colored diamonds are becoming more popular compared with the usual white and transparent diamonds even though naturally colored diamonds are more expensive.  Some companies are giving some of their diamonds color treatment to make it more suitable for some customers, budget-wise.

Treating diamonds with color would be by inducing the stones into extremely high heat to change the color.  It could also be painted.  When appraising color-treated diamonds, they tend to be more affordable since the color are less intense compared with the natural ones.

There are different shades and colors for naturally colored diamonds.  But there are popular color shades and combinations, they are the pink, blue, brown, yellow, orange, green and red.  Interestingly, there are also black diamonds.  Yellow colored diamonds are the most common, while those in red, blue and green are the rarest.

When buying naturally colored diamonds, they are evaluated and checked just like the white and transparent ones.  The 4 Cs are still used in grading colored diamonds:  cut, clarity, color and carat.  However, the way or the factors how colored diamond are inspected are different.

• Color.   Naturally colored diamonds’ value would depend on the intensity of its color and its hue.  The more intense and vivid the color is, the value of the diamond also increases.  There would be times when there are traces of other color.  If the traces of the secondary color magnifies the beauty of the stone, then that would be great for the value of the stone. But if the underlying color is not complementing the main color, then it lowers down the diamond’s value.

• Cut.  A diamond’s cut gives the brilliance to the diamond.  The cut would enhance the intensity and the shade of the diamond’s color.  Most colored diamonds are in round, oval, and princess cuts.  There are also some that would be heart shaped and other unique shapes.

• Clarity.  Clarity is important for white and transparent diamonds, but for naturally-colored diamonds they may not be as important.

• Carat.  Carat is all about the weight of the diamond and not about the size.  Of course, the bigger it is the heavier it will be.  The heavier the colored diamond, the higher its value.

Just like when purchasing white diamonds, obtain a grading certificate from the retailer.  Make sure that the certificate is issued by international laboratories like the IGI, GIA or EGL.  This certification would be your assurance that what you have bought is indeed a natural colored diamond and not a stone that was tampered with.

The most popular colors would be in yellow and pink.  There are celebrities who fancy wearing colored diamonds.  Over the years, the demand for other colors is also increasing.  Another subject of curiosity would be the black diamond which is sometimes associated with both luck and being unlucky.  Most legends would say that black diamond jewelries are cursed and would bring bad fortune to those who own it. But different from other colored diamond jewelries, black diamonds are mainly used for industrial purposes.

Getting Your Diamond Jewelry Insured

Aside from your home, car, and appliances/furniture, diamond jewelries and other kinds of jewelries is the next biggest investment.  Given that they are valuable, it is then important to insure them.  However, working or getting an insurance for your jewelries could be tricky.  There are incidents when insurance companies would not cover whatever happened with your diamonds.

To avoid this kind of situation, it is important to completely study and research about the insurance company’s policy regarding the diamonds.  When applying for insurance for your diamond jewelries, make sure that you have the grading certificate and other certificates handed to you when you bought the diamond.  This would ensure that the diamond you will be insuring will not be under question by the insurance company.

Even if you keep your diamond jewelry in a safe place at home, theft and robbery could still happen.  Diamonds would also get lost when the prong or the mount supporting the diamond would come loose.  Diamonds are indeed the hardest of gems, but that does not mean they are not destructible.  Accidents could happen and eventually send your precious diamond jewelry into pieces. Keep the mentioned situations in mind when choosing insurance policies. Insurance policies should cover theft, accidental loss and damage.

Diamond insurance policies could be categorized into three:

• Actual cash value.  In this type of insurance, diamonds are replaced regardless of their initial cost. The insurance policy would depend on the current value of the diamond jewelry and not on how much it cost the owner before.  This is the most preferable type of insurance for diamond jewelry, however, it could also be the most costly. Most jewellers would recommend this kind of insurance policy for those who own heirloom diamond jewelries or those with large diamonds.

• Replacement value.  This kind of insurance policy is more affordable however the owner of the diamond may not be able to get the real value of lost diamond.  When an insured diamond jewelry gets lost or was stolen, replacement value insurance policies would replace the lost jewel at a lower cost than the lost diamond was purchased.  Sometimes it is replaced with something that has lower carat.  The reason why it is more affordable is that policy holders would only be paying to get to the value of the diamond, but customers would not be getting the same value.

• Agreed value. This is the most rare kind of insurance policy but some would say that this is best policy that could cover your diamond jewelry.  the owner and the insurance company would undergo negotiations and agree on the value of the diamond jewelry.  When something happens to the diamond jewelry, the insurance company would be providing what is the agreed amount of compensation.

Insurance policy rates may be different based on the location and other factors. When getting your diamond jewelry insured, it is best to shop around and check different insurance company policies.  Always make sure that the fine print will be not missed out.  Some insurance company policies would have loopholes in them which could eventually go against you.

Diamond Jewelry Within Your Reach

Diamond jewelries are one of the most prized pieces.  But it comes with a price, and usually a heavy one.  Diamonds are ideal engagement gifts but it could be very expensive especially if you are after a larger carat.  Fortunately, there are tips that could help you pick a good diamond jewelry without paying too much.

Start by identifying how much you are willing to spend on the jewelry.  Start shopping around.  Do not immediately settle for the first store that you have seen. Buying second-hand jewelries can also be an option.  Compare their price offers.  You could also look at different internet sites selling brand-new and second-hand jewelry.  But there is some caution that needs to be exercised when buying jewelry online. When shopping online, always read the fine print. There are some websites that offer diamonds in lower prices along with different schemes and gifts.

Whenever you are looking for a diamond jewelry or any other jewelry, timing is important. Most of retailers would give discounts during holiday season, however, whenever you are buying diamond jewelries check if the item you are buying can be returned.  Some retailers or companies would offer jewelries in reasonable prices but with a fine print that it cannot be returned.

Before you go ahead and visit any kind of jewelry store, do your homework first.  Diamond jewelries on display could be overwhelming.  Jewellers would often refer to the 4 Cs: cut, carat, clarity and color.   Getting familiar with these 4 Cs would help you get a good deal.  Let’s take the cut of the diamond.  Cuts could affect the cost of a diamond jewelry.  An emerald cut diamond could be less expensive by as much as 30% compared with princess cut diamonds.   Buying lower quality cuts could actually cost less.

Color could also help you in getting a better deal. When buying diamond earrings or jewelries, those that are colorless are more expensive.  Diamonds would mostly have a touch of yellow and this tint tends to be more affordable, especially on earrings. Although we want clear diamonds, since clarity gives the diamond a different look, small marks would not hurt.  Diamonds that have small and few marks tend to be inexpensive.  Don’t worry, those marks are difficult to see by the naked eye.

To stay within your budget you could go for less than one carat diamonds.  Highlighting or enlarging a small cut diamond depends on the setting.  There are ways to make a small diamond appear larger, for example, nestling it on a prong.  Another kind of setting that will make the diamond appear larger would be using bezel settings.

If you are after an engagement ring, you could also look at the metal of the ring. There are rings that have white and yellow gold and platinum metal bands.  Rings with white gold bands cost less than those with platinum bands.  There are also some jewellers who offer discount prices if you will be buying the engagement and wedding rings together.

But if all of these fail to get you within your spending limit, then you could always consider other stones.  There are other kinds of stones not as expensive as diamond jewelry but also as beautiful like sapphires, topaz and even rubies or any kind of gemstone.  After all, the diamond jewelry is only the expression of what you feel, it still what you feel which matters.

Colors And Your Diamond Jewelry

Unlike other gem stones, a diamond’s quality is judged mostly by the absence of color in them. The worth of diamond jewelry is judged solely by the purity of its brilliance.

Like any other natural stone, however, diamonds come in several shades of colors that are beautiful in themselves.

So far, there is a good range of colors in diamonds, aside from the in-demand blue and pink. Commercially available now are yellow, orange, green, champagne, grey, black, white, red, purple, chameleon and violet diamonds.

Absence of color and perfection 

Among jewelers, the finest diamond stones are those that are totally colorless. They are graded D, meaning they are absolutely free of any color.

Theoretically, a chemically pure and structurally perfect diamond is also perfectly transparent with no color whatsoever. However, a good number of all the diamonds used as gems are imperfect.

A tinge of color

 The next group are stones with very slight traces of color which can be seen by a diamond expert. When assembled into a finished jewelry, the color shades of these stones usually cannot be discerned anymore. Still, they are graded as E or F color diamonds.

Down the line, those stones which show very little traces of color are categorized as G or H color diamonds, or perhaps I or J color, depending on the strength of the color seen.

Grading and color

Those stones that are graded between D and F are considered “colorless”. Those that belong in the G to J group are called “near-colorless”. Those within the K to M grading are “slightly colored” and the N to Y stones usually looked like light yellow or brown.

One peculiar twist to the rule – those diamond stones graded Z are also rare and those bright yellow diamonds are priced higher than the ordinary.

The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) had developed the present color rating system for white diamonds (“D” down to “Z”, according to the intensity of the coloration). This has been universally recognized and adapted, overriding the previous older systems.

Fancy 

The industry considers diamonds with intense colorations as “fancy”. An intense yellow coloration is regarded as one of the fancy colors and belongs to a different color grading system.

Gemologists have another rating system for fancy colored diamonds that is different from that used in white diamonds. However, this is not commonly used because these stones are relatively rare.

The color seen in the stones either detract or enhance its value, depending on the color itself and the intensity of the coloration. Examples would include the grade Z bright yellow, or an intense pink or blue in the stones, each one of which commands a better price.

Impurities 

There are reasons for these colors in the stones. They could be structural defects in the crystal lattice of the stone or it could be a result of some chemical impurities.

Nitrogen is the most common impurity. It sometimes replaces a small proportion of carbon atoms in the diamond causing a yellowish or brownish tone.

Many impurities and structural flaws produce different colorations in the diamonds. Impurities are almost always present in white diamonds. It is not detectable in the rarest stones.

As always, choosing your diamond jewelry always go back to your own prerogatives on the pros and cons of owning either colored or white diamonds.

Antique Cut Diamond Jewelry

There is a hushed but discernible stirring in the industry that is the talk among jewelers. Somehow, there is a quiet demand for antique, old European diamond jewelry from buyers, including from young people.

Modern-day cutters are now beginning to cut diamonds in the old world style to keep up with the demand. What could perhaps be the reason for such a craving? What is so special with these diamonds cut the old style?

Old European and Old Mine cuts 

The old diamond cut style was worked out in such a way that the light would fall directly on the stone through the crown table (the topmost facet). The entering light would then hit the culet (the bottom facet) and goes out of the stone in a shower of rainbow colors.

Another charming characteristic is that they look their best by candle light. Once hit by the soft glow of the candle light, the stone would exude its own special kind of romantic light it is known for.

Most of these diamonds could be part of family heirlooms handed down through generations among the women in the family. Some modern-day cut diamonds are actually re-cut from old sets of antique jewelry.

History 

In the mid 1800s, diamonds are only for the royalty, the upper level clergy, some very rich merchants and titled personages. In the Victorian times, diamonds can be worn by anyone who can afford them.

Most of these old cut diamonds, although slightly tinted, are almost extremely pure (super eye clean) and VVS and VS in clarity.

Before the 1900s, all diamonds were cut by hand. Most of them are small and have a relatively high table (top most facet) and deep pavilion (side facets) and quite top-heavy.

Characteristics 

The earlier Old Mine cut appear smaller than the Old European cut (which came later) because they are squares and with rounded corners. (They resemble a bit like the modern-day Asscher or Princess cuts.)

Both of these old cut diamonds have very thin girdles (the edge around the body of the diamond). It is quite common that these antique gems have some chips in them. (Sometimes, they are polished away or hidden under the stone’s metal clasp.)

In the 1800s, tint was not considered so much of a deterrent to price or its beauty as it is now. Both the Old Mine cut and the Old European cut diamonds are also famous for masking their true colors.

Rose cut 

Diamonds in Rose cuts were one of the most popular and the first to have faceted cutting style. It has a flat bottom and all the facets are on top, making it dome-shaped.

The facets come to the center forming a point. The facets are planned to give the appearance of the opening of a rose bud.

Old or modern cut?

The surge of demand for these old style cuts in diamonds may have been an offshoot to the movement of going romantic the old world way. Or it could be a rebound from all things too modern, especially in jewelry which is supposed to reflect timelessness.

Whatever it is, it is not fair to judge old-style diamond jewelry by modern day standards. These old relics have their own history which might be more colorful than one could ever have.

Maintaining Your Diamond Jewelry

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They say that diamonds are a girls’ best friend, then you would have to care for your bestfriend right? It’s so great to have beautiful diamond jewelry which you can use for special and formal occasions.  Although, diamonds are hard stones, it is still important to care for them to avoid any kind of scratches or damage.

Here are some things to keep in mind when caring for your precious stones.

• It is best to avoid wearing your diamonds or gave them stained with oil, beaching liquid, or whenever you are doing heavy work.  These may affect the lustre of your stone, metal bands and may even damage the texture.  Bleach and other chemicals may discolour the metal bands.

• When keeping or storing your diamonds, separate it from other jewelries.  It may scratch your other stones.  Keep your diamonds individually packed since it can also be scratched by another diamond.  If you cannot provide a box or you would have to store your jewelry in one box, then you could use cloth pouches or plastic sealing bags to keep them separately.  Just make sure that the jewels are perfectly dry to avoid any moisture formation.

• Diamond settings need to be checked.  You could take it to your favourite jeweller every year to check on the prong or the settings.  If they are loose, then your jeweller could make repairs immediately.  You could take it every six months to the jeweller, some would have their stones checked yearly.

• Clean your diamond jewelry every month.  Its shine and brilliance could get affected by the oils and fats that it is exposed to.  The oils and fats could be from your skin or from your cosmetics.  You could always get a professional to clean it for you.

• You could cleanse your jewelry at home.  Just drop it in tepid water with some liquid soap and brush it with a soft-bristled toothbrush.   Use a strainer when taking it out of the water to make sure that you are not losing any stone.  Rinse it carefully with lukewarm water and dry it. Make sure to completely dry it since water could tarnish the bands and weaken the clasps.

• You could get ammonia mixture cleansers from your jeweller.

• Aside from bleach, chemicals and fats, extreme temperatures can also be harmful to your jewelry.  It could cause some damage on the jewel’s cement or can fracture the gemstones.

• Avoid wearing your diamond jewelries when participating in sport activities or swimming.

• Diamonds that were altered may need a different kind of care.  There are some diamond jewelries that have undergone treatment.  There are some stones that have been fractured before and were treated with epoxies.  Epoxies could melt in intense heat and eventually cause your diamond to fracture again. You could ask your trusted jeweller if your diamond jewelries have been altered in any way.

Always keep in mind that your diamond jewelries are indeed the hardest stone, but it does not mean that they will be able to last forever given that you are not taking care of it properly.  Proper caring would surely make the shine last for a long time, even forever.