The Many Aspects of a Diamond By Allison Ryan At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

When looking for a diamond of some sort, whether it is set in a piece of jewelry or just a simple loose diamond to put on display, there are several different things you need to look for in order to ensure that you have an authentic and top quality jewel. This is often referred to as "The Four C's."

The first is carat size. This is a measurement of the weight of the jewel. One carat is equal to 0.2 grams, and is divided into one hundred 'points'…a carat weighing twenty five points is the same as saying it is .25 carats, or a quarter carat.

The carat measurement doesn't technically have anything to do with size of the diamond or whether it is a non conflict diamond, but the size of the carat generally does affect its weight to some degree.

The next of the four C's is clarity, referring to pureness. A jeweler can tell how pure a diamond is by looking closely at its innards with a magnifying glass; usually it is a 10x magnification.

An expert will be able to see all of the flaws such as mineral deposits, irregular crystals and scratches and what have you. Interior flaws are called inclusions, exterior flaws are called blemishes. Obviously the fewer flaws a diamond has, the more expensive it will be.

The third C is color. You may think that this is stupid because diamonds are obviously clear, but many diamonds actually have slight tints of either yellow or brown on the inside that is especially visible under magnification. There are two different measurements for how much yellow is in a diamond, depending on which organization is judging it.

The Gemological Institute of America's GIA diamond rings scale ranges from D to Z; from colorless to light yellow. The American Gem Society's scale goes from 0 to 10; from colorless to "fancy yellow." These are basically the same distinction, however. A diamond that is completely colorless is especially rare and is therefore most valuable.

There are also "fancy color diamonds" that are naturally imbued with a variety of colors as well as yellow, such as pink, blue, green, red, orange, and even black. These are further evaluated for several different qualities. The first is the hue of the diamond; the rarer the color, the more valuable the diamond. The second is the intensity, or saturation, of color. Third is purity of color; whether it is clear or clouded.

The final C is the cut. This not only refers to the shape, but the proportions and finish which are two factors that pretty much determine the fate of the diamond; how much it sparkles. A diamond is very difficult to cut and requires quite a bit of skill, because the only thing that can be used to cut one of them is another diamond.

You may think that the way a diamond is cut will only affect the shape, but it actually affects the stone in a big way as well as the outcome of IGI appraisals. The gem's 'brilliance' is largely a result of the arrangement of its facets, so careful attention must be paid to this aspect while cutting. A cutter can't just shape the diamond however he or she pleases; the cutter must follow the diamond's guidelines.

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