What do I need to know about diamonds?

If you are looking into buying a diamond then you have probably heard about the four C’s: Carat, Clarity, Color, and Cut. Here is a quick overview of the terminology.

Carat refers to the weight of the diamond. One carat is based upon 100 points. For example if you had a .50 carat diamond, it is a ½ a carat or someone may refer to it as 50 points. Clarity refers to the number and placement of the natural characteristics in a diamond. The scale starts at the highest clarity being Flawless and progresses down to the lowest clarity I3 (meaning heavily included). Color refers to the actually color grade of the diamond. The scale starts at the highest color grade of D and progresses down the scale to the lowest color grade of Z. As you progress down the scale the yellow color of the diamond will increase. Cut refers to the actual shape of the stone. Cut also refers to the proportions and symmetry of the stone. Diamonds come in many shapes. Some of the most common are Round Brilliant, Princess Cut, Oval Cut, Emerald Cut, Marquis, Pear, Trillion, and Heart. For more information on the four C’s and other important information you should know about diamonds such as fluorescence (a natural phenomenon in diamonds that can affect the value of your diamond) stop in and let one of our trained staff members help you become an educated consumer.