Choosing a diamond is an exciting process, but in order to make the purchase process conscious, we are guided by the principle of "forewarned means armed" and are happy to share with you basic knowledge about diamonds. Understanding the important characteristics guarantees you peace of mind and confidence in your choice for many years to come.
The international certification of diamonds is based on the 4C method - Cut, Color, Clarity, and Weight (Carat). This system was proposed by the founder of the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), Robert M. Schilli, in 1940, as an auxiliary tool for his students.
Due to its simplicity, the method quickly gained popularity and widespread worldwide, both among experts and among buyers.
Cut
The right cut is very important not only because it determines the beauty of the stone, but also has a key influence on the formation of its value. And sometimes, a high-quality cut can visually even increase the initial weight of the stone.
If you compare two diamonds of the same weight, but different in cut, they can often be of excellent value and different optical effects. And the reason for this is not the shape at all ("oval", "emerald", "pear"), but the balance of the size of the stone and the quality of its cut, taking into account proportions, symmetry, and polishing.
There are 5 estimates of the quality of a diamond cut:
1. Excellent.
2. Very Good.
3. Good.
4. Fair.
5. Poor.
Excellent
This cut characterizes stones with perfect proportions, bright play of light, impressive brilliance and radiance.
All this happens due to the fact that the light entering the stone returns in maximum volume.
Very good
Stones with this cut are good diamonds, which we also recommend for purchase. The difference with Excellent can be seen only in special conditions, in everyday life such a stone can guarantee the same brilliance as when evaluating Excellent.
All this happens due to the fact that the light entering the stone returns in maximum volume.
good
This type of cut is acceptable, but for colored stones (Fancy). For colorless stones, we do not recommend such options, since in this case the play of light will be much inferior to other samples.
This is due to the fact that the light coming inside the stone does not fully reveal its jewelry potential, leaving through its lower part.
Fair/poor
Sometimes, if the cutter is faced with the task of maximum weight preservation, this may be the reason in favor of choosing Fair or Poor. But what is really behind this?
With these cuts, the diamonds are dim and have almost no play of light. We do not recommend buying these types of diamonds, even if the budget is very limited. It is better to take a smaller stone with a cut close to the ideal, than a larger stone, but completely unglamorous.
Color
In world practice, there are many systems for evaluating the color of diamonds, but we want to tell you about two: the internationally recognized system developed by the independent gemological institute GIA and the Russian diamond evaluation System (TU).
In the Russian system, small diamonds are classified into 7 color groups, and large and medium-sized diamonds are divided into 9 main groups, including subgroups. The color of the diamond in this classification is indicated by numbers, which is the main difference with the American system, which is more simplified for understanding.
According to the widespread and generally accepted GIA system, stones are divided into separate groups of diamond color gradations with a letter designation from “D” to “Z".
Most colorless natural diamonds have a slight shade of yellow. Completely colorless stones are extremely rare and expensive.
Clarity
This parameter is responsible for the internal features (inclusions) in the diamond. As a rule, all natural stones to one degree or another store signs of natural origin in the form of cracks, chips, crystalline inclusions and other things.
A diamond with a low degree of purity has many inclusions, which has a direct effect on its brilliance. Since inclusions prevent refraction and reflection of light, the lower the degree of purity, the more cloudy the diamond will look.
Only 1% of the total number of mined stones can boast of absolute purity and absence of defects.
Clean – FL
FL(Flawless) diamonds have no defects either on the surface of the stone or inside.
Practically pure – IF
IF(Internally Flawless) – diamonds without internal defects.
Diamonds of purity IFVery, very small inclusions – VVS
VVS diamonds (Very, Very Slightly Included) have very, very minor inclusions visible only in a microscope.
Diamonds of purity VVS1 and VVS2Very small inclusions – VS
VS diamonds (Very Slightly Included) have very minor inclusions, elusive to the eye, but visible through a magnifying glass.
Diamonds of purity VS1 and VS2Small noticeable inclusions – S
SI(Slightly Included) diamonds have minor inclusions that can be seen if you look closely.
SI1 and SI2 purity diamondsNotable inclusions – I
Diamonds I (Included) have noticeable inclusions that catch the eye and affect the shine of the stone. We do not recommend buying such stones.
Weight (carat)
The term "carateness", contrary to popular opinion, does not mean the size of a diamond, but its weight.
Of course, weight is a key parameter determining the cost, but it is important to take into account the role of the chosen cut: with different shapes, a 1-carat diamond may seem larger than its weight when compared, for example, “oval” and “circle".
In addition to these characteristics, the diamond has others, such as: a platform, a crown, a rundist, a pavilion and a calette. For more information about this, see the article Anatomy of a diamond.
