Pure and Brilliant..…The Universal Symbol of Love

In 1477, the Archduke Maximillian of Austria presented his bride-to-be, Mary of Burgundy with a diamond ring and a gold wedding band. From that moment on, the diamond ring and the gold band were officially recorded as bridal jewelry.

In its purest form, a diamond is made of 100% carbon. It is the lack of other chemicals in its composition that renders a diamond colorless. Unlike other gemstones, the lack of color is most desirable. Color is just one of four important criteria in determining the overall value of a diamond. The other important factors are clarity, cut, and carat.

The 4 "C"s:

Color: Diamonds are found in many colors ranging from white or colorless to yellowish browns to shades of black. Though rare, "fancy color" diamonds come in strong colors of yellow, green, red, blue, violet, pink and brown. Such colors in gem quality diamonds will command a collector’s price.

The Gemological Institute of America (G.I.A.) uses a letter system to grade color, starting with the letter D for the best possible white or colorless diamond. At the other end of the grading system is the letter X, representing yellowish diamonds known as Dark Cape in the diamond industry. Color grades of H/I refer to commercial white diamonds that are commonly used and acceptable in mass-market manufacturing. This grading system is used by many gemological laboratories and is the industry standard in the United States.

A diamond’s value will increase dramatically with each increase in color grade, and the difference may translate into thousands of dollars depending on the total carat weight.

Carat: A diamond’s weight is measured in carats. For stones less than one carat, it is at times also referred to as points. One carat is equal to 100 points; a quarter carat diamond is the same as a 25-point stone. All other factors remaining, a larger carat weight increases a diamond’s value.

Clarity: Clarity refers to a diamond’s internal cleanliness. Common inclusions in a diamond are minerals, cleavages and growth lines. The following grading system represents the best possible grade to the worst:

IF: Internally Flawless under 10X magnification

VVS1, 2: Very, Very Slightly Included, Levels 1,2 under 10X magnification

VS1, 2: Very Slightly Included, Levels 1,2 under 10X magnification

SI1, 2: Slightly Included, Levels 1,2 (Inclusions are easily detected under 10X)

I1, 2,3: Included, Levels 1,2,3 (Inclusions may be visible with naked eye)

Cut: The modern round brilliant cut diamond has 58 facets. The ideal cut maximizes the fire and brilliance in a diamond by carefully cutting proper proportions and placing each facet in its exact location. This will ensure that all light passing through a diamond will be reflected back through the top facets and to your eye.