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Diamond Education

Quickly & easily identify and simplify the 4C's

For most people, buying a diamond is a seriously daunting task both emotionally and financially that feels like possibly the largest purchase ever (although buying a car or a house are stressful purchases, too) - but it doesn't have to be! PlentyofJewelry.com recognizes the seriousness of the situation and we hope to ease your mind, and wallet, by explaining exactly what you are buying and why it's priced that way.

This education guide will help identify and simplify the four C's - cut, color, clarity, and carat weight, as well as diamond shapes and other lingo. After reading this guide, you'll be a total pro who can easily drop diamond knowledge on your buddies. We want your journey to purchasing the perfect diamond to be as enjoyable as admiring the diamond that you finally select.

The basis of the brilliance

The cut of a diamond is the most important of the 4 C's. Cut is what unleashes a diamond's extraordinary splendor and sparkle. Getting all the facets to work in harmony so the light travels upwards is truly a balance of art and science. Gemologists consider cut the most important diamond characteristic because even if a diamond has perfect color and clarity, a diamond with a poor cut will lack brilliance. In addition, if a diamond is cut properly it can both enhance its color and hide inclusions.

The cut of a diamond has three attributes: brightness, fire, and scintillation.

	Brightness represents the total light reflected from a diamond.
	Fire is the distribution of light into the colors of the spectrum.
	Scintillation is the sparkle, or light flashes, that occur when a diamond moves.

An understanding of diamond cut begins with the shape of a diamond, with the round shape dominating the majority of diamond jewelry. All other diamond shapes are known as fancy shapes or fancy cuts and include the princess, marquise, pear, oval and emerald cuts. Hearts, cushions, triangles, and a variety of other new shapes are also gaining popularity in many forms of diamond jewelry.

There is no single measurement of a diamond that defines its cut, but rather a collection of measurements and observations. Sounds confusing, we know, so we will break it down with definitions and graphics to optimize your learning needs. If you are a one trick pony, simply remember this: cut is the source of the sparkle.

Cut is determined by a diamond's light performance, proportion, symmetry and polish. The relationship between these various elements greatly affect how light reacts once it enters and exits the diamond.

Light Performance: The best cut diamonds reflect up to 90% of the light from above. Good diamonds are equally well proportioned, but their reflective powers are slightly less. At the low end of light performance are fair and poor diamonds that may reflect no more than 40% of the entering light.

Dimensions: The width and depth of a diamonds' cut effect how light travels within the diamond so it must be in proportion. The goal is to have as much light as possible come from the top.

Symmetry: This refers to alignment of the facets. With poor symmetry, light is misdirected as it enters and exits the diamond. For the most beautiful diamond, look for a symmetry grade of excellent (EX), very good (VG), or good (G). Avoid diamonds with symmetry grades of fair (F) or poor (P), as the alignment of their facets may misdirect light so severely that it completely affects the brilliance of the diamond.

Polish: The smoothness of the diamond's facets. With poor polish, the surface of a facet can be dulled, and may create blurred sparkle.

Proportions: the relationships between table size, crown angle and pavilion depth. A wide range of proportion combinations are possible, and these ultimately affect the stone's synchronicity with light.

Now its example time. Look at a side view of the standard round brilliant. The major components, from top to bottom, are:

	Crown - the top area of the faceted diamond. Extends from the girdle to the table.
	Table - the upper portion of the crown. Also the largest facet.
	Girdle - the outermost edge of the diamond separating the crown from the pavilion. Defines the perimeter of the diamond.
	Pavilion - the lower half of the faceted diamond. Extends from the girdle to the cutlet.
	Culet - a tiny flat facet at the very bottom tip of the diamond. This is the 58th facet in a round diamond where all the facets on the pavilion meet.
	Facet - one of the small, polished surfaces of a cut gem.
	Diameter - the width of the diamond as measured through the girdle.
	Depth - the height as measured from the culet to the table.

Diamonds are valued by how closely they approach colorlessness so here is the magic to remember -  the less color, the higher the value.

Most diamonds found in jewelry stores run from colorless to near-colorless with slight hints of yellow or brown. The differences in color are so slight, especially diamonds mounted in jewelry, that most look colorless to the naked eye. Only an experienced eye can see the faint yellowish or brownish color in them. The only exceptions are the fancy-color diamonds that lie outside of this range.

The scale for color begins with the letter D, to represent colorless, and continues to the letter Z to represent the sliding scale of increased color presence. Diamonds are color-graded by certified labs which compare and grade them under controlled lighting and precise viewing conditions.

Many of these color distinctions are so subtle that they are invisible to the naked or untrained eye but these slight color differences do account for a visible difference in quality and price.

PlentyofJewelry.com Diamond Color
At PlentyofJewelry.com, you'll find only the finest diamonds with color grades of D - J. Why? Because diamonds graded in this color range are colorless or near colorless. The color in our diamonds will be undetectable to the naked eye and that is a good thing because anyone staring at your rock up close and personal will see that you value quality.

We don't carry diamonds graded K - Z because the yellow color detracts from the beauty of the stone and/or piece of jewelry, especially when it's set in white gold or platinum.

fancy-color diamonds: While most diamonds are in the colorless to light yellow range, some have a natural color that is deep, distinct and rich. These are known as "fancy-color" diamonds and are most commonly blue, brown, canary yellow, red or pink.

Unlike colorless and near-colorless diamonds which are valued for their lack of color, fancies are valued for the intensity of color. Popularity of colored diamonds has increased in the 2000's but still occupies a small segment of the diamond market.

Clarity refers to the inner appearance of diamonds. Since diamonds are naturally created deep within the earth, they are usually flawed, very much like humans! These flaws, or birthmarks, if you will, are called inclusions and blemishes. Inclusions are internal, found within the stone, and include traces of mineral crystal, cracks, feathers and clouds. Blemishes are external and include scratches, nicks and abrasions.

Diamonds with very few birthmarks are rare and, of course, rarity affects a diamond's value. In keeping with the precise nature of determining diamond value, clarity has its own scale of measurement. Diamonds are given a clarity grade that ranges from flawless (FL) to diamonds with more prominent inclusions (I3).
Diamonds that are absolutely clear, inside and out, are the most sought-after and therefore the most expensive. Every diamond is unique and most have inclusions so professional grading labs use a detailed system of rules and standards to summarize the number, location, size, and type of inclusions present in a diamond.