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Every diamond is beautiful, precious and unique. A diamond's quality and value are determined by the sum of a combination of elements known as the 4 Cs: Cut, Colour, Clarity and Carat Weight. The higher on the grading scale across each of the 4 Cs, the rarer the stone and the higher the value of the diamond.
The cut of a diamond refers to the diamond's shape and how effectively the diamond projects light back to the viewer’s eye. Well-cut diamonds are brilliant and fiery. A well-cut diamond exhibits three distinct properties: brilliance, dispersion and scintillation. When light strikes a diamond's surface, it will shine off the table of a polished stone and enter the diamond. The light that is reflected off the diamond is known as the diamond's brilliance. When light travels through a stone, some of the light rays are separated into flashes of colour. This is known as dispersion. The result of dispersion, which is the splitting of white light into its spectral colours, is known as fire. Scintillation refers to flashes of colour that are visible as an observer moves a diamond back and forth. The CUT of the diamond has the greatest influence, and the diamond's beauty and sparkle are dependent on the cut in most circumstances. Diamonds can have the following cuts – Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair and Poor. These all have an influence on the price of the diamond. The diamond's CUT GRADE is really about how well a diamond’s facets interact with light. The cut is also crucial to the diamond's beauty and value.
The Diamond Colour is important when purchasing a diamond as the colour of the diamond can determine the price and also allocate the budget required to purchasing your dream diamond. The diamond industry uses and practices a colour grading system that utilises and determines the colour of the diamond. All gemology laboratories use this guide to determine the colour of the diamond.
Clarity of diamonds are dependent on the inclusions and imperfections, as they determine the overall clarity of the diamond. Inclusions and imperfections are common in diamonds. Inclusions, in most cases, determine the shine and sparkle of the diamond. The diamond clarity grading system has 6 categories, some of which are divided into a total of 11 specific grades, that gemologists use as standard practice while grading clarity in gemology labs.
Diamonds have inclusions such as Clouds, Feathers, Crystals or Minerals, Knots, Cavities, Cleavage and Internal Graining. Diamonds that have blemishes have the following: Polish Lines, Scratches, Nicks, Pits, Chips, Breaks, and/or Dark or Light Spots. These can be identified on the reports in the diagrams with the marks that are identified with the symbols.
Carat refers to the weight of a diamond. Carat is generally one of the most important factors when buying a diamond. The carat weight determines the value of the diamond. DIAMOND FLUORESCENCE Fluorescence is the visible light that a diamond emits when it is exposed to ultraviolet (UV) rays. On a Gemological Institute of America (GIA) Diamond Grading Report, fluorescence refers to the strength of the diamond’s reaction to long-wave UV, which is an essential part of daylight. The light emitted lasts for as long as the diamond is exposed to the UV source. Fluorescence may affect appearance (i.e., strengths noted on laboratory reports as faint, medium, strong, or very strong). The strength of fluorescence has no widely noticeable effect on appearance; observers prefer the appearance of diamonds that have medium to strong fluorescence. In rare cases, some diamonds with extremely strong fluorescence may appear hazy or oily. One common question we receive is, "Does fluorescence compromise the structural integrity of the diamond?" The answer is a definite "No". A diamond that fluoresces has the same integrity as one with no reaction to UV.
