Exactly what is a diamond? Well, for the most part a diamond is
pressure. Three billion years of pressure, exerted deep beneath
the earth’s surface where carbon C atoms were squeezed together
into the hardest substance known to man.
Selecting a diamond can seem like a daunting task. However, a little
research on the subject can take you a long way.
The two best tips we can offer you are quite simple: select a shape
that you prefer, and buy from someone you trust. With that in mind
we invite you to take a look at our brief lesson in The Four Cs
of buying a diamond: cut, clarity, color and carat weight.
More than any other quality, cut determines the brilliance of a
diamond. Many stones are cut to maximize brilliance, not carat weight.
A Tiffany diamond, for example, maximizes the brilliance of light
as the diamond cutter places each of the stone’s facets and angles
in exact geometric relation to one another.
A flawless diamond is one that has perfect clarity; i.e., one that
is free from all inclusions or blemishes. Clarity ranges from flawless
to minute to minor to noticeable to obvious to prominent.
Next to cut, color is perhaps the most important factor in selecting
your diamond. The color scale ranges from the very yellow to the
very clear. The purest and rarest diamonds are virtually colorless.
The size of a diamond, or its carat weight, should never be the
sole determining characteristic of your selection. Bigger is definitely
not always better. However, size does increase the value of a good
quality diamond, as you may have assumed, for the simple reason
that large stones are scarcer than small ones.
Consider all these factors before you purchase your diamond jewelry.
We are here to help you.
Sincerely
-Bill, Jr.