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Diamond
Quality |
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Quality and value for the money are more important now than
they have ever been when it comes to the important things we
buy. A diamond is one of the largest purchases most people
make, behind a home and automobile. Just as with any major
purchase, you must understand exactly what you are
purchasing, and what makes diamonds that may appear similar,
have vastly different values.
The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) has established a
system for grading diamonds, commonly known as the four c's.
This system, when used accurately and completely, is the
best way to assure the quality and value of a diamond. It is
worth noting that this system can only be accurately applied
when the diamond is loose, thus the reason behind McGivern
Diamonds policy of only selling loose diamonds.
It is possible to send a diamond in to the GIA, and they
will grade the diamond. This is what is referred to as a GIA
certified diamond. The simple fact is all jewelers cannot
sell the same diamond for the best price, but they still
must make it appear that way. Thus many other certificates
exist that are far from accurate, and it appears you are
getting the same grade diamond, for much less money. In the
end, the real question is, just because some certificate
states the diamond is a certain grade, will GIA agree? Most
likely not, thus these other certificates can be discounted
quite substantially, depending on how inaccurate they are.
Wherever you end up buying, stick with a GIA certified
stone, they are the industry standard.
There are many other grading systems that are used to
represent diamond quality. However, it is the GIA system
that is recognized in the diamond industry. The GIA is a
non-profit organization that has no interest where you
purchase your stone. Unfortunately, too many other so called
"independent" labs are for profit, with the jeweler's best
interests in mind, not the consumers. |
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Four C's
CARAT WEIGHT
Carat is actually a measurement of weight, NOT size.
However, it should be relative to size. One carat is divided
into 100 points. Two diamonds of equal quality can have
vastly different values depending on their cut, color and
clarity. This is illustrated in the two diamonds below.
Carat weight is the easiest of the four c's to determine,
however the diamond MUST be loose. Too many jewelers
approximate carat weight, for instance, when you buy a 1/2
carat diamond, which you assume to be 50 points, you may
actually be getting less than that. Many store sell as low
as 45 points, and represent is as "approximately" a 1/2
carat. There is nothing wrong with buying a "light" 1/2
carat, however the cost is significantly less. You should
know that is what you are buying, and pay accordingly.
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CUT
By cut, we are referring to two things, the first being the
shape of the diamond. By this we mean round, marquise, pear,
oval, princess, emerald, oval, heart or trillion. Many
people think fancy shaped diamonds cost more. In most cases,
it is exactly the opposite. Many fancy shape diamonds
actually cost less than a round.
When a gemologist talks about cut, what is really being
referred to is quality of proportions. The fact is many
diamonds today are not cut as well as they could be. Many
cutters choose to sacrifice some of the diamond's beauty to
achieve a stone that is a larger carat weight. Cut, more
than any other quality aspect, gives the diamond its
sparkle. A diamond gets its brilliance and scintillation by
cutting and polishing the diamond facets to allow the
maximum amount of light that enters through its top to be
reflected and dispersed back, also through its top.
As you can see below, when all the angles are correct, the
light that enters is dispersed back through the diamonds top
facets. When a stone is cut too shallow or too deep, that
light that enters through the top is allowed to escape
through the bottom and does not allow the maximum beauty of
the diamond to be realized. The reason these poorly cut
diamonds are sold in stores is cost. The wholesale cost of
these diamonds are significantly cheaper than a well
proportioned diamond. Remember, just because two diamonds
have the same weight, does not mean they are the same size.
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COLOR
Diamonds come naturally in almost every color of the
rainbow, however most people are concerned with diamonds in
the white range. Along with cut, this "C" is also very
important in determining the overall beauty of the diamond.
Color starts with the letter D, being the whitest, or best,
and goes down the letter Z, being more yellowish. It is the
lack of color, or whiteness in a diamond that allows the
light to pass effortlessly through the stone and disperse
that beauty back to the observer. Color is not so much white
versus yellow, as the chart tends to indicate, it is more
light versus dark. A white diamond will look very clean,
crisp, and brilliant, with a lot of pizzazz. A yellow
diamond will not really look yellow, as it will look darker
and dirty, without nearly the same brilliance. These are
differences that you can clearly see, as you do not need to
be a gemologist to see these differences. |
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CLARITY
Clarity refers to how many flaws, or inclusions, are in
the diamond. In most cases, clarity has very little to do
with the beauty of the diamonds, rather it effects how the
diamond looks under the microscope. To determine a diamonds
clarity grade, it must be examined loose, under 10x
magnification by a gemologist. Whatever minute inclusions
there may be make every diamond unique. These are nature's
fingerprints and in most cases do not mar the diamond's
beauty nor endanger in durability. Without high
magnification, these flaws are invisible. However, the fewer
inclusions, the rarer your diamond will be.
Generally, if a diamond is SI-1 or above, it is flawless to
the naked eye (VS-2 for emerald, princess and radiant cuts).
If there is even a tiny inclusion visible to the unaided
eye, the stone is usually graded an SI-2 or I-1. It is
extremely important to view the diamond loose for clarity
grading, as it is very easy to set an I-1 diamond, and by
concealing flaws in setting, make the diamond appear to be
much better. There is nothing wrong with this, as long as
this is represented accurately and you pay according. |
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How to care for Pearls
Pearls, Coral, Amber, and opaque gemstones like Lapis
Lazuli, Turquoise, and Malachite should be wiped clean with
a damp cloth. These gems are porous and need to be protected
from all chemicals, including cleaners, perfume, lotions,
and hairspray, which can damage them over time. It's a good
idea to remove jewelry when you are putting on makeup or
skin care products: the oil can dull the shine of your gems.
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