Click on the following links to learn more about the
four "C"s of diamonds: Cut, Colour, Clarity,
and Carat. But it doesn't end there. At Damiani Jewellers
we stress the importance of a fifth "C": Choice.
Cut
Cut, to the diamond expert denotes the precise formation
of the diamond's overall proportions. These exact
planes direct the diamond's natural brilliance to
create "scintillation" and/or "fire".
Not all diamonds are cut well, and there are some
differing opinions as to what is the "perfect"cut.
At Damiani Jewellers, we have adopted an easy-to-understand
grading system that was developed by Gem Scan International
Inc. It is as follows:
Ideal (excellent): cut within "The Gemological
Institute of America" (GIA) recommended proportions
for maximum brilliancy. Extra attention is given to
detail such as faceting of the girdle. It is very
difficult to find. Expect to pay 10% more than a good
or medium good cut.
Very Good Cut:
cut within or very close to GIA recommended proportions
for very good brilliancy.
Good Cut: a qualified observer will notice
a slight decrease in brilliancy. Many stones fall
in this category. (A slightly larger table, preferred
by many European cutters will cause a diamond to be
graded in this category, even though the proportions
and angles are close to being correct.) Prices range
from 5-10% less than a very good cut. Diamonds in
this range offer an excellent cost saving to customers
who want to stay in a budget without sacrificing quality
and beauty.
Medium (fair): cut out of GIA proportions,
but the stone still may have 70-85% of the brilliancy
of a good cut. This grade should yield discounts of
up to 15-20%.
Poor Cut: creates poor reflective qualities.
The stone looks lifeless or has limited internal reflections.
The surface facets will reflect some light but on
average this cut should be avoided. Some stones may
be candidates for recutting. To determine its value
you would have to calculate what the stone would weigh
once it is recut to proper proportions. For example,
if a 1.00 ct stone would loose 30% of its weight during
the recutting process and weigh 0.70 ct, then the
poorly cut 1.00ct would have approximately the same
value as the properly cut 0.70ct diamond.
When shopping for a diamond, "cut" must
be a primary consideration. For example, with all
other factors being equal, diamonds such as a 1.00
ct. good cut and a 1.00 ct. poor cut can differ in
price by as much as $3000!
Colour
Colour quality is an important factor because a stone's
value increases the more colourless it becomes. At
Damiani Jewellers, colour is represented by a letter
in the GIA grading system with 'D' being colourless
and 'Z' being an intense yellow. Colour, or the absence
of it, is important because a colourless diamond allows
the most light to be reflected back to the viewer.
A diamond that has a tint or yellow colour will absorb
some of the light that passes through it and, therefore,
will be less brilliant. Just as coloured sunglass
lenses reduce the amount of light that we see, thus
increased colour in a diamond reduces it's brilliancy.
D-E-F: colourless or rare white
G-H: near colourless or white
I-J: tinted white
K-L-M: faint yellow
N-R: near yellow
S-V: yellow
W-Z: intense yellow, also known as fancy yellow
Most diamonds sold by the large jewellery chains are
in the ''I-J' colour range. The reasoning behind this
is that the diamond still looks relatively good and
the store can offer a larger diamond for the same
amount of money. For example, a 0.50 ct 'J' colour,
round diamond will cost approximately $2,000 while
a 0.40 ct., 'D' colour, round diamond will cost approximately
the same!
Therefore, the consumer is faced with a decision -
whether to maximize size (carat weight) while sacrificing
on quality i.e. colour, clarity and cut. At Damiani
Jewellers we are able to offer our customers a wider
range of choice than most other jewellers and therefore
our customers are always able to find the right balance
between the four C's and their own personal budgets.
In other words, at Damiani Jewellers your diamond
dollar will always buy you higher quality!
Clarity
Clarity refers to the degree of absence of natural,
internal inclusions in a diamond. The fewer the inclusions,
the more valuable the stone becomes because the flow
of light is less obstructed. However, almost all diamonds
contain these minute trace elements. At Damiani Jewellers
we use the following G.I.A. grading system to define
clarity:
Flawless: No internal characteristics are visible
under 10X magnification.
Internally Flawless: No internal characteristics
are visible but may have minor finishing faults
under 10X magnification.
V.V.S. (Very, very slight inclusions): This
grade is used to describe a diamond with internal
characteristics which are very, very difficult for
a qualified observer to see under 10X magnification.
V.S. (Very slight inclusions): This grade
is used to describe a diamond with internal characteristics
which are difficult to find by a qualified observer
under 10X magnification.
S.I. (Slight inclusions): This grade is
used to describe a diamond in which a qualified
observer can, without difficulty, find internal
characteristics under 10X magnification.
I (included): This grade is used for diamonds
that have internal characteristics which can be
seen with the naked eye.
I1-Just able to notice the inclusions, usually white
I2-Easy to see inclusions, some black, can
affect the durability of the stone
I3-Lots of inclusions, substantially reduced
value
Most diamonds sold by jewellers are in the SI clarity range. This grade provides a visibly clean (98% inclusion free) appearance while still giving you a larger diamond for the money. Initially, most consumers quickly conclude that they must have a V.S. or V.V.S. clarity diamond.The higher clarity grades are certainly rarer and therefore more valuable, but you will not see any visible difference between an S.I.-1 graded diamond and a V.V.S. graded diamond with the naked eye. So, with this in mind, you may be better served by selecting a bigger stone with better cut and/or higher colour grade as opposed to concentrating solely on clarity.
Carat Weight
Carat weight is the Gemologist's standard measure
of size, with one carat equivalent to 1/5 of a gram
(0.2 grams).
Size alone does not make a diamond more valuable unless
you consider all other factors such as cut, colour
and clarity.
A good quality, brilliant cut diamond increases sharply
in value as it becomes larger, because larger stones
are rarer than smaller ones.
Choice
At Damiani Jewellers we want to give you, the consumer,
the best choice possible. We carry an extensive collection
of diamonds (both loose and mounted) at various price
points and in a wide variety of qualities to suit
every budget.
We carry a wide selection of diamonds with an excellent
assortment of colour, size, clarities, cuts and shapes.
Our experts will help answer your questions and give
you all the relevant information to make an informed
choice, including a price list of our entire in-stock
inventory. You can also choose from hundreds of beautiful
diamond engagement rings styles in 18kt and 14kt,
in white or yellow gold, as well as in platinum.
At Damiani Jewellers, the Cut, Colour, Clarity, Carat
and, above all, Choice is yours. And for your convenience
we also have a goldsmith and production facilities
on the premises to enable us to customize, engrave,
or size your ring.
