Elder Jewelry - Education

Education

The 4 Cs of Diamonds

Information provided in cooperation with European Gemological Laboratory

Carat Weight

Carat is the measure of weight of a diamond. It does not measure size; nor should it be confused with "karat," a measure of gold purity.

1 Carat = 0.2 grams or 0.007 ounce. The weight of the diamond and the price per carat determines the price of a diamond.

Total Price = Weight x Price per Carat

All other things being equal, the greater the carat weight, the rarer the diamond and the more expensive it is.

Although many people equate "bigger" with "better," diamonds of all carat weight have the potential to be lively, exciting, and beautiful. The most important thing is to buy the one that's right for you.

To choose the ideal carat weight, consider the following:

The recipient's personal style, finger size, and the size and style of the setting
Keep in mind that the smaller the finger, the larger the diamond will appear. A 1½-carat diamond solitaire looks much larger on a size 4 finger than a size 8.
If you have already chosen a setting, make sure you choose a diamond that looks appropriate in the ring.

Cut

Diamond education

Many gemologists consider cutting quality to be the most important diamond characteristic because even if a diamond has perfect color and clarity, a diamond with a poor cut will have reduced brilliance. Cut is not shape, ie, pear, round, oval. Cut refers to the quality of the proportioning, polish, and symmetry.

Generally speaking, there is some agreement on how round brilliant-cut diamonds should be cut to optimize brilliance and dispersion. However, there is no universal standard as to what constitutes the "ultimate" or "perfect" proportions for a round brilliant. This is a current area of research for EGL USA and the diamond industry.

The cut of a diamond--its roundness, its depth and width, and the uniformity of the facets--all determine a diamond's ability to exhibit brilliance.

Diamond Anatomy

Diamond education

The width and depth have the greatest effect on how light travels within the diamond, and how it exits in the form of brilliance. As cutting quality can be a confusing subject, ask your professional jeweler about "ideal" proportions and request a cut grading report from a major independent gemological laboratory like EGL USA.

Diameter: The width of the diamond as measured through the girdle.

Table: The flat top and largest facet of a gemstone.

Crown: The top portion of a diamond extending from the girdle to the table.

Girdle: The narrow band around the widest part of a diamond.

Pavilion: The bottom portion of a diamond, extending from the girdle to the point of the stone.

Culet: The facet at the tip of a gemstone. The preferred culet is not visible with the unaided eye (graded "medium" or "none")

Depth: The height of a gemstone measured from the culet to the table.

Diamond education

How does cut affect fancy shaped diamonds?
What about fancy cut diamonds like marquise, pear, oval, heart, emerald, princess, radiant, and others? How can a consumer know a fancy-cut diamond is well cut?

Due to the symmetry of round brilliant-cut diamonds, it is much easier to formulate proportion criteria and strike an optimum balance between brilliance and dispersion. Although EGL USA supplies extensive proportion information on its diamond certificates for fancy-cut diamonds, there is currently no universal set of standards constituting ideal proportions for these shapes. With that said, here are some general guidelines:

The degree of brilliance in a fancy shape can be one way to tell whether it is cut within acceptable proportions or not. A fancy-cut diamond should be exciting to look at and should dance in the light --it shouldn't suffer from too much "light leakage" through the pavilion.

A phenomenon called the "bowtie" effect - an obvious diminished area of brilliance appearing like a bowtie - occurs in certain fancy-shape diamonds when the proportions are off. Well-cut fancy shape diamonds show only a minimal bowtie effect. This is something your eye will be able to decide.

The symmetry of fancy cut diamonds is an important consideration. Take a look at how well the two halves of a fancy shape diamond look when seen from the profile view and the top view. The two halves should display very little differences, and ideally be mirror images of one another. Diamonds with mismatched halves may have been cut that way to save weight.

Diamonds with points at their ends, such as marquises, pears, and hearts, should be thick enough at the points to stand up to normal wear and tear. If these diamonds are cut too shallow, a point may be vulnerable to chipping under certain circumstances.

Color

Color is personal: some people like a diamond with an ice-cold whiteness (colorless or near-colorless), while others prefer the golden glow of a warmer color. Diamonds with no color like D, E, F, are very rare and are more expensive than near-colorless (G, H, I, J) diamonds.

Diamonds with a faint tinge of color (K, L, M, N, O) have a slightly warm color and are more affordable. For those who want a larger diamond within a certain budget, selecting diamonds with a lower color grade may be the best option.

Less color is generally preferred but "fancy" is rare. Did you know that diamonds come in every color of the rainbow? EGL USA has handled thousands of these rare "fancy colors" and carat for carat, they're the most expensive objects on the entire earth. Some of the highest prices paid per carat are for colored diamonds.

Fancy colors include brilliant yellows, steely blues, soft pinks, fiery oranges and more; there's even fancy white and black. If the color is natural, as opposed to treated, the prices of these fancies can be extremely high.

Below is the official color grading scale recognized by the international diamond trade and laboratories like EGL USA. The scale runs in order of rarity from colorless on the left to light yellow on the right.