The Four Basic Elements of Diamond Jewelry

August 29, 2010 by cattleto
Filed under Diamond Tips

Are you looking for diamond jewelry and accessories? Well, be forewarned that you will be lost for options as they are available in abundance of amazing exquisite designs. If it is that expensive brooch that you want for an upcoming special occasion, or a simple and plain ring that will withstand everyday use, rest assured there is a diamond out there that suits and satisfies all tastes and preferences.

Diamond meets several needs of people from all age groups. Their charm, durability, and rarity make them a very popular choice for both males and females. However, when selecting a piece of diamond jewelry, age bears no bound; you have to know the rule of the game so to speak. For example, the price of diamond jewelry greatly varies depending on the 4Cs i.e. the Cut, Color, Clarity, and Carat weight. Still on point, not only are the 4Cs used to determine cost, but they also help determine the actual worth of diamond jewelry. Therefore, what do these four elements stand for?

Cut – Simply refers to the proportions, symmetry, finish, and polish of a given piece of diamond. You will find that well cut diamonds are of superior quality and will sell at a premium price, while poorly cut diamond will go at a discount. Thanks to advancement in technology, it is very easy today to tell how well a piece of stone is cut. Advanced high accuracy system known as Dia-mension offers superior precision for the measurement of quality polished and semi-polished pieces of diamond.

Color – simply put, the less color a piece of diamond has the higher it’s worth. Diamonds today are assigned value by how close they are to colorlessness and luckily, most gemstones of diamond are either colorless, or close to colorless with tints of yellow or brown. There are however exceptional cases as is the case with fancy colored diamonds such as blue, pink, violet etc. these feature a unique natural color hence are valued most because of their color

Clarity – This simply describes the brilliance and purity of a given piece of diamond. Note however that there is no particular piece of diamond that is entirely flawless. The clarity of a piece of diamond is determined by the number of internal inclusions and external blemishes.

Carat Weight – these marvelous gemstones are evaluated using metric carats whereby a single carat weighs around 0.2 grams, equivalent to a tiny paper clip. Accurate precision is very important in the diamond industry because even a tiny fraction of a carat can make a very significant difference in the cost of your piece of jewelry.

Purchasing that special piece of diamond boils down to creating a balance or compromise between these 4CS of course and your prioritized tastes and preferences. Whatever the case, once you have a general knowledge of how these pieces of jewelry are graded, you will be in a great position to make an informed decision.