The Diamond

The beauty and its observer

Before going any further on the subject of diamonds, it is important to know the “4Cs”. The four characteristics that determine the value and quality of a diamond:

• • Color
  • Clarity
  • Cut
  • Carat Weight

Diamonds are graded using a colour scale ranging from D (colourless) to Z (light yellow hue). The difference between shades is very slight, meaning grading is performed using controlled light by comparing the stone with master-stones of established colour value. The less a diamond has colour, the higher its colour grade and its value.

The proportions allow to evaluate how successfully a diamond interacts with light to create several desirable effects such as:

• Brightness: internal and external white light reflected from a diamond
• Fire: the scattering of white light into all the colors
• Scintillation: the amount of sparkle a diamond produces

The Cut refers to a diamond’s proportions, symmetry and polish, not its shape. A well cut diamond reflects the light internally from one facet to another and disperses it through the top of the stone. All facets (crown, culet, table, girdle and pavilion) are arranged used precise mathematical proportions to maximise the diamond’s fire and brilliance. A well cut diamond may have may be attributed a higher quality and value. The cut scale for standard round brilliant diamonds consists of 5 grades:

Excellent – Very good – Good – Fair – Poor

The Clarity refers to how many inclusions, the size and the position of the inclusions there are in a diamond. These inclusions are naturally features formed deep within the diamond when it was created. A gemologist examines a diamond under 10x magnification before assigning a clarity grade from F (Flawless) to I (Included). The Clarity scale has 11 specific grades:

F – IF – VVS1 – VVS2 – VS1 – VS2 – SI1 – SI2 – P1 – P2 – P3

A carat is a measure of weight. One carat is equivalent to 200 milligrammes. A 1 carat diamond is made up of 100 points. Therefore, 50 points equals ½ carat and so on. A 1 carat diamond will cost more than two ½ carat diamonds, assuming all other qualities are the same. Please remember that the value of a diamond is determined using all the 4Cs, not merely carat weight.

Fluorescence is an effect seen in some diamonds when they are exposed to long-wave ultraviolet light. The most common fluorescence colour is blue with different gradings:

None/Nil – Faint/Slight – Medium – Strong – Very Strong