The ring you wear as a symbol of your life together should be as unique and enduring as love itself. There are two important components to your ring: the diamond and the mounting. Let’s discuss the diamond first. It is important to be familiar with the 4C’s: Color, Clarity, Cut and Carat Weight. These are the four factors which determine the quality and value of your diamond.
Color
The most desirable color for a diamond is true white or colorless. Diamonds are given a letter from D to Z to determine how far from colorless they appear. For grading, stones should be viewed on a white background and a master set of stones is used as a means of comparison. Since truly colorless diamonds a very rare and costly, we search the diamond markets to offer diamonds with the best color for the best price.
Clarity
A diamonds clarity is determined by examining a stone for the placement and number of internal and external irregularities such as bubbles, spots and lines called inclusions. The fewer the inclusions the more valuable the stone. There are eleven clarity grades on the GIA scale ranging from Flawless to I3. For grading, stones should be viewed through a ten power loop. When examining
a loose diamond be sure to view the stone from both the front and back to get an
accurate assessment of the inclusions within.
Cut
Our fascination with diamonds comes from the amazing light display they are able to create. Most finished diamonds have 58 facets cut to precise mathematical proportions. Diamonds with excellent proportion, symmetry and polish react with light to create a dazzling display of brightness, fire and scintillation. Brightness is the reaction of white light hitting the surface of the stone. Fire is the flashes of color emitted within and scintillation is the light dancing through the stone as it moves. These factors combine to make a diamond truly beautiful. The traditional shapes of diamonds are round, emerald, marquise, pear, oval, cushion, radiant, princess and heart.
Carat Weight
The unit of weight used for diamonds is the carat. For smaller stones carats are further divided into 100 points. Similar to percentage or pennies in a dollar a half carat diamond is 50points or .50, a three-quarter diamond is 75points or .75 etc.
What’s the best way to be sure you’re buying a quality diamond? Go to Paul’s. Words and pictures do not do justice to the true beauty of a diamond nor are they a substitute for sitting down with one of our highly trained staff to actually look at these magnificent stones. After selecting the perfect diamond it’s time for the perfect setting.
