Diamond Carat Weight Guide

Although commonly thought to refer to the size of a diamond, a carat is actually used to measure a Diamond's carat weight or mass. One carat is defined as exactly 200 milligrams (about 0.007 ounce). The point unit — equal to one one-hundredth of a carat (0.01 carat, or 2 mg) — is commonly used for diamonds of less than one carat. All else being equal, the value of a diamond increases exponentially in relation to carat weight, since larger diamonds are both rarer and more desirable for use as gemstones.

It is important to note that two diamonds with the same carat size might actually apper to be different sizes. Since carat refers to the mass of the diamond, you must also consider the cut. A diamond that is heaver on the bottom, called the pavillion, than the top might appear smaller at the same carat size as a diamond that is cut more narrow on the bottom.

Some consdier the carat the most important attribute of a diamond. You often hear people ask "How many Carats'. This is ok, but be sure to also consider the Diamond Cut, Diamond Clarity, and Diamond Color as well to make sure you are getting right diamond that she will cherish forever.

Diamond Clarity Guide

Diamond clarity is a quality of diamonds relating to the existence and visual appearance of internal defects of a diamond called inclusions, and surface defects called blemishes. Clarity is one of the four Cs of diamond grading, the others being carat, color, and cut. Inclusions may be crystals of a foreign material or another diamond crystal, or structural imperfections such as tiny cracks that can appear whitish or cloudy. The number, size, color, relative location, orientation, and visibility of inclusions can all affect the relative clarity of a diamond. A clarity grade is assigned based on the overall appearance of the stone under 10x magnification.

There are several types of inclusions and blemishes, which affect a diamond's clarity to varying degrees.

Diamond Inclusions

* Clouds
* Feathers
* Included crystals or minerals
* Knots
* Cavities
* Cleavage
* Bearding
* Internal graining

DIamond Blemishes

* Polish lines
* Grain boundaries
* Naturals
* Scratches
* Nicks
* Pits

The diamond clarity grades in common use are:

* FL - "flawless" in that no inclusions or blemishes are visible under 10 times magnification.
* IF - "internally flawless" with no inclusions visible under 10 times magnification, only small blemishes on the diamond surface.
* VVS1 and VVS2 - "very very small" inclusions that are difficult to see under 10 times magnification. VVS1 denotes a higher clarity grade than VVS2.
* VS1 and VS2 - "very small" inclusions and visible under magnification but invisible to the naked eye.
* SI1 and SI2 - "small inclusions" that may or may not be noticeable to the naked eye.
o SI3 is a grade sometimes used in the industry, it is commonly used to mean I1's which are "eye clean", that is, which have inclusions which are not readily visible to the naked eye. most reputable grading labs, do not assign this grade.
* I1, I2 and I3 - "imperfect", with inclusions clearly visible to the naked eye. For I3, the inclusions impact the brilliance of the diamond and are large and obvious.

Diamond Color Guide

A chemically pure and structurally perfect diamond is perfectly transparent with no hue, or color. However, in reality almost no gem-sized natural diamonds are absolutely perfect. The color of a diamond may be affected by chemical impurities and/or structural defects in the crystal lattice. Depending on the hue and intensity of a diamond's coloration, a diamond's color can either detract from or enhance its value. For example, most white diamonds are discounted in price as more yellow hue is detectable, while intense pink or blue diamonds (such as the Hope Diamond) can be dramatically more valuable. Out of all colored diamonds, red diamonds are the rarest of all.

Diamonds occur in a restricted variety of colors — steel gray, white, blue, yellow, orange, red, green, pink to purple, brown, and black. Colored diamonds contain interstitial impurities or structural defects that cause the coloration, while pure diamonds (which are exceedingly rare) are perfectly transparent and colorless.

Most diamond rating agencies use the diamond color scale developed by The Gemological Institute of America (GIA), which uses a "D" to "Z" scale, grading the color of "white" (non-fancy colored) diamonds, where "D" is colorless and "Z" is yellow:

* colorless: D, E, F
* near colorless: G, H, I, J
* faint yellow or brown: K, L, M
* very light yellow or brown: N, O, P, Q, R
* light yellow or brown: S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z

Diamonds that rate toward the colorless end of the range are sometimes known as "high-color" diamonds, and those toward the other end, "low-color" diamonds. These terms refer to the relative desirability (as demonstrated by market prices) of color grades, not the intensity of the color itself.

Quality online diamond stores, like Blue Nile, attempt to stand out by only carrying colors rated J or better, the colorless or near-colorless diamonds.

Diamond Cut Guide

One of the most important factors in determining quality in diamonds is the cut. Cut is the only value factor that is a result of human skill. A diamond's beauty must be balanced against the inevitable loss of weight necessitated by the very process of cutting. Along with the diamond's size and shape, the minute details of workmanship play an important role in the overall beauty and sparkle of the diamond.

The top diamond grading laboratories, AGSL and the GIA, approach the grading of diamond cut slightly differently.

GIA: The majority of all high-quality diamonds have grading reports from the GIA, which does not assign a grade to the diamond cut. Instead, the GIA lists the diamond's dimensions: the width of the table, the width of the diamond, and the depth of the diamond.

AGSL: The AGSL assigns cut grades of Ideal, Very Good, Good, Fair, and Poor. The AGSL labels a diamond that meets their standard of perfect proportions, polish, and symmetry as "Cut Grade: Ideal" and is known through the diamond industry as a "000" grade. These diamonds are highly sought after and are priced accordingly.

Online Diamond Retailers, BlueNile,like have tried to simplify the cut decision by melding both the GIA and AGSL guidelines into an easy to gauge rating from Poor to Signature Ideal:

4Cs of Diamond Guide

Why are the 4Cs important? 4 C's of diamonds as defined by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), as the most universally accepted grading system is the one developed by the GIA, based on their 4Cs: Cut, Clarity, Carat weight and Color. The 4Cs are used throughout the world to classify the rarity of diamonds. Diamonds with the combination of the higest 4C ratings are more rate and more expensive.

Light is the element that ignites a diamond's brilliance and fire. It's interplay with each of the 4Cs will help explain why one diamond can appear even more beautiful than another. The good news is that you don't need to buy the ratest diamond to find one whose beauty speaks to you.

CUT

What kind of shape would you prefer, if you are planning to purchase a diamond? Maybe, you will say, I prefer a heart shape diamond for my ring, and so on.

However, Shapes and Cuts are completely different. Please look at the below chart, and find your favorite shape.

Round Brilliant Emerald Cut Heart Shape Marquise Cut Oval Cut Pear Shape Princess Cut

Cut is the most important factor in making brilliance and ultimate beauty of the diamonds. This is because the excellently proportioned diamond reflects light back to the viewer's eye. Therefore, a well cut diamond is better able to reflect light, creating more scintillation, more sparkle, like YOU!!

More about Diamond cut

CLARITY

Most diamonds have inclusions (minute traces of non-crystallized carbon). Usually, the inclusions are not visible to the naked eye (excluding Imperfects). I think that the minute inclusions that there may be, make every diamond unique like a finger print.

There are eleven clarity grades used by a skilled, trained and experienced grader under a 10X magnification to determine the various clarity characteristics.

FL Flawless IF Internally Flawless VVS1 Very Very Slightly Included 1 VVS2 Very Very Slightly Included 2 VS1 Very Slightly Included 1 VS2 Very Slightly Included 2 SI1 Slightly Included 1 SI2 Slightly Included 2 I1 Imperfect 1 I2 Imperfect 2 I3 Imperfect 3

CARAT

Carat weight is the obvious factor in determining the price of a diamond. However, bigger is not always better in the diamond business. If there are two diamonds of equal weight can have very unequal value, depending on their cut, color and clarity.

The weight of the diamond is measured in carats. The metric carat equals 0.200 gram.

COLOR

Most diamonds have a slightly yellow or brown color. With the exception of some natural fancy colors (blue, pink, violet, green, or red (expensive one), the colorless grade is the most valuable.

GIA developed color scale for colorless diamond. Diamond color is graded on the scale from D (colorless) to Z+ (fancy yellow). Your price range will determine what color, cut and shape that your diamond will have which color range.

D E F* G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Z+ Colorless Near Colorless Faint Yellow Very Light Yellow Light Yellow Fancy

* Colorless for 0.50 ct. or less