Diamonds are the hardest substance on earth and they formed when carbon crystallized after a volcanic eruption over 70 million years ago. The name diamond stems from the Greek word “Adamas,” meaning unconquerable. All women love diamonds on their wedding or engagement rings and the old adage that diamonds are a girl’s best friend could not be truer. Diamonds are like fingerprints, and no two diamonds are alike, so here are some helpful tips when buying a diamond ring.
Each diamond has a distinct personality, which is manifested in its sparkle, size, physical appearance, weight, purity, and color. Choosing diamond rings for women or for your fiancée should not be too much work if you know the basics. Read on to learn about the 4C’s of buying a diamond ring.
Cut
A diamond’s cut is the most critical characteristic of a diamond’s 4c’s. Its reference is to how a diamond is sculpted into sizes that allow for a perfect light play. If the diamond cut is too shallow, the light goes through to the bottom and its reflection is faint. When the cut is too deep, the light gets bent sideways. When the cut is done well, the diamond sparkles beautifully. The three terms used to describe the effects of light on a diamond are:
- Brilliance: The light that is reflected off the diamond and which is what gives the diamond it’s sparkle.
- Dispersion: is when rays of light passing through the diamond are broken into the spectrum colors.
- Scintillation: refers to colors that seem to flash from the diamond when you move the diamond back and forth.
A diamond’s cut is the most critical, yet the most confusing, and professional help from a jeweler like Larsen Jewellery is advised when buying a piece.When choosing the cut of your engagement ring, know that good cuts will you the best value for their worth and getting a diamond with better the cut grade has to be higher.
Color
Color comes second to cut when buying diamond rings for women. The human eye catches the sparkle before it notices the color. A diamond looks pale yellow, and its color grade is pegged on the diamond’s absence of color. The less color a diamond has, the more expensive it is. Grade D is the best and is colorless, but you can always choose grade H that is nearly colorless and gives you a good value for your money. The grades range from D, which is the best, all the way to Z, which is noticeably yellow.
Clarity
Clarity falls third in the list of importance when buying a diamond ring and refers to the intrinsic purity of the stone. The two qualities considered for grading of clarity are blemishes and inclusions. Blemishes refer to impurities caused by the diamond cutting process, by natural wear and the or by the stone’s natural formation. Some examples of blemishes include nicks, which present as tiny chips, or scratches that appear as thin white lines or abrasion, which look like many nicks. Inclusions are natural and they are those imperfections found in every diamond except the rare ones that are categorized an (FL) Flawless or IF (internally flawless) grade which is the topmost clarity possible. The inclusions are too tiny to be seen with the naked eye and have to be magnified 10x by a grader. Some inclusions include cavities formed when the stone is polished or minerals or crystals naturally embedded within the diamond.
Carat
Carat is the most famous of all 4C’s. Carat refers to the weight of the diamond, and not, as is the common misconception, its size. A carat is equivalent to 0.2 grams. A diamond’s price is arrived at by multiplying the carats by the price per carat. Carat does not mean beauty. A diamond’s beauty must be inclusive of the other qualities, cut, color, and clarity. When a bigger carat diamond is poorly cut, it may look very dull. On the other hand, a diamond with smaller carat weight may look bigger with a higher cut grade. Conversely, a larger carat stone may look smaller when cut poorly. Buying diamond rings for women is a lot more than just the size.
Conclusion
When buying diamond rings for women, always go to a qualified grader. Knowing the 4C’s is critical to getting a good stone. The jeweler you choose must be a professional who will guide you accordingly; however, it certainly does not hurt to know some of the basics or 4Cs of buying a diamond. They say, “He who buys a diamond, buys a slice of forever.”
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