True or False: Diamonds are all the same...

Answer: TRUE AND FALSE!
For anyone buying a diamond I am about to lay some basic, MUST HAVE, knowledge on you:

SO TRUE: Diamonds are all same- there is nothing better about the Joe Schmoe Jewelry store diamond than the John Doe Jewelry store diamond. Don’t let anyone tell you that you are getting a special diamond at their store that you can’t get anywhere else….unless it is an extremely rare diamond, like a red diamond or a 20 carat diamond, for example.

All those gimmicky, specialty diamond cuts are either exactly the same as any other diamond (cut-wise) or that gimmicky cut that you are paying extra for will only get you LESS money when you go to trade it in or sell it, because they are less desirable and therefore harder for a jeweler to sell second hand.

SO FALSE: While diamonds of the same, carat, color, clarity and cut are technically all the same and should be treated as such in the cash money department, every diamond is also unique. For that reason, YOU SHOULD NEVER BUY A DIAMOND WITHOUT SEEING IT IN PERSON FIRST. If you were to go on a hunt for a 1.5 carat round diamond with a color grade of G, a clarity grade of VS2, and a cut grade of Triple Excellent, you would likely find a plethora of stones to choose from online. Any jeweler has access to a huge database with hundreds of stones likes these available at their fingertips. All those stones are technically the same, but the funny thing about diamonds is, they all have their own “personality”. You might look at 3 of those identical stones and find that one is more sparkly than the other, one might seem a little darker, and the list of differences can go on and on. So if you are going to drop some serious cash on a stone that will adorn the finger of your one-and-only for eternity- you should see it first!! Remember, as DeBeers always says, “A diamond is forever,”….so don’t eff it up (excuse my edited French).

In the end, get whatever diamond you love, not for investment purposes, for enjoyment. Odds are you will never make money on your diamond, again, unless it is extremely rare.

www.pampillonia.com

Let's start with the basics...The 4 Cs

The reason this jewelry blog is for girls and guys is because guys are usually the ones buying the diamonds.  Therefore they are the ones who really need an education on what they are about to spend their paycheck on.

The 4 Cs you always hear about are the 4 categories by which a diamond's value is measured: color, clarity, cut and carat.

A white diamond's color is measured on a scale that goes from D-Z, just like a alphabet but without A, B and C.  White diamonds are more valuable the less color they have.  Diamonds with a color grade of D, E or F fall into the colorless category.  This means there is no yellow color at all in the diamond, it is as colorless as possible.  Diamonds with a color grade between G-J are in the near colorless category.  This means there can be slight yellow in the diamond.  Diamonds with a color grade of J and above are usually considered good quality.

NOTE: Yellow diamonds have a completely different color scale.  Colored diamonds will be in another post later on so stay tuned.

A diamond's clarity is measured on a scale that goes from Flawless to Included 2.   As you can see in the scale on the left the grades start at Flawless and Internally Flawless, this means the diamond has absolutely no imperfections within it.  An imperfection can be a tiny black speck or smudge or a myriad of other tiny blemishes, they form naturally within most diamonds which is why a Flawless or Internally Flawless diamond is rare and expensive.  Following the Flawless grades are VVS1 and 2 which stand for Very Very Slightly Included.  These diamonds have inclusions but they are so slight and tiny that even a gemologist with his loop (magnifying tool) can barely see them.  The next grades down from VVS1 and 2 are VS1 and 2, which stands for Very Slightly Included.  VS stones also have inclusions, they are more apparent to a gemologist looking through his loop, but are still invisible to the naked eye.  SI1 and 2 grades are next, SI stands for Slightly Included.  These SI diamond have obvious inclusions when looked at through a loop, however, these inclusions are also invisible to the naked eye.  Lastly, the scale ends in the I category with I1 and I2.  These diamonds are heavily included and you can see the inclusions with the naked eye.  For the most part, these are not pretty diamonds, they can look almost like broken glass.  As long as you stay in the SI1 clarity range and above your diamond will be considered a good quality stone, and more importantly, will look beautiful.

The only cut of diamond that has a cut grade is a round brilliant diamond.  The cut grade is made up of ten factors. It also correlates with both the symmetry and polish grades.  If all are perfect the diamond will get three Excellent grades.  The grades continue down from there to Very Good, Good, Fair and Poor.  Remember, each aspect of the cut is graded, so while the cut might get a grade of Excellent, the polish might get a grade of Very Good.  As long as your diamond has a cut grade of at lease Good, you have a good quality stone.

For fancy shaped stones such as marquise, pear shapes, ovals, hearts, etc. the proportions of the cut are up to the diamond cutter.  Since this is the case it is best to decide how you like your fancy shape and tell your jeweler what you are looking for.  For example, ovals can be fatter (more round) or longer and thinner, it is up to you to decide what look you like best.

The last of the 4 Cs, and the most well known, is carat.  Carat  is simply the weight of the diamond.  The bigger the diamond, the higher the carat and the more the money, honey.  Diamonds come in literally every size, from .02 carats to 30 carats and beyond, and everything in between.  To decide what size diamond is right for you, like anything else, you have to try them on!  Also, obviously, budget/price will come into play, but looking never hurt anyone.

Photos in this post courtesy of www.gia.edu.