Hurst Fine Diamonds - What You Should Know About Buying A Diamond

How to buy a diamond

There are four factors that determine the value of a diamond, collectively known as the four C's. The combination of the four C's determines each diamond's value. Master these important facts, and you will be prepared to make your purchase.

From one piece of rough, a diamond has been cut to Ideal proportions, retaining a weight of one carat. The light is totally reflected through the top.

Carat-Weight This is the weight of the diamond measured in carats. One carat is divided into 100 points. So a diamond of 75 points weighs .75 carats. Two diamonds of equal weight can look very different depending on their cut grade. A diamond weighing one carat but poorly-cut will look inferior to a three-quarter carat diamond that is well-cut. Bigger is not always better. A 1 carat round should be 6.5mm. A 1 carat diamond measuring 6.75 mm is to shallow and a 6.25 mm is cut too deep. Each carat - weight has it's own parameters.

The second piece of rough has been "spread" in its cutting, resulting in a diamond weight of approximately 1.40 ct. The girdle is thicker, the table is much larger and the angles are exaggerated, all at the expense of the diamond's ability to reflect light. Therefore, the value of a diamond can vary as much as 40% in the cutting alone.

Color Diamonds come in every color of the spectrum, but the most popular gems are colorless. Truly colorless, icy-white diamonds are extremely rare and therefore the most costly. Stones are graded by color and given designations dependent on how far they deviate from the purest white. Colorless stones are graded D. Color grading continues down through the alphabet, with each letter designating a yellower tint. The best way to see the true color of a diamond is by looking at it against a white surface. Although the great majority of diamonds come in shades of white, the gems also come in a spectrum of majestic colors, from red and canary yellow to blue, green and brown. These colorful diamonds, known as fancies, are valued for their depth of color, just as white diamonds are valued for their lack of color. A diamond with no color is graded a "D." The color scale continues to a "Z" grade. A "D" is not necessarily the prettiest diamond, it's just the most rare. Color is a matter of your own personal choice. Color grades between D and J are virtually colorless.

Most diamonds, although apearing colorless, actually have slight tones of yelow or brown. As these tones become more apparent, the rarity and the cost decrease.

Clarity A diamond's clarity is affected by any external birthmarks and internal birthmarks created by nature when the diamond was formed. Imperfections such as spots or lines are called characteristics of the diamond. Although these marks make each stone unique, the fewer the characteristics, the more valuable the stone. Too many internal characteristics can interfere with the passage of light through the stone, diminishing the sparkle and value of the diamond. According to the quality analysis system of the Gemological Institute of America, clarity is graded on a scale ranging from flawless (FL or IF) to imperfect (I). To be graded flawless, a diamond must have no inclusions visible to a trained eye under a 10x magnification in good light. The only diamonds in which you can actually see the inclusions are I1, I2, and I3 diamonds. So, when choosing your diamond, remember that clarity determines price as a function of rarity; a flawless diamond will not look differently to the naked eye than an SI1.

Practically all diamonds contain naturally occurring internal characteristics called inclusions. The size, nature, location and amount of inclusions determine a diamond's clarity grade and affect its cost.

Cut Each diamond is cut according to an exact mathematical formula. The most common cut, the round brilliant, has 58 facets, or small, flat, polished planes designed to yield the maximum amount of light to be reflected back to the viewer. This reflection, known as brilliance, is an extremely important factor in evaluating the quality of a diamond.

A poorly cut diamond will actually lose light and appear dull. The widest circumference of a diamond is known as the girdle. Above the girdle of a brilliant cut diamond are 32 facets plus the table, the largest and topmost facet. Below the girdle are 24 facets plus the culet, or point. Cut is also used to describe the shape of a diamond. In addition to the round brilliant, other popular cuts include emerald, marquis, pear, oval and square.

The most modern cut, princess. Cut is the only C in which man can effect the beauty of a diamond. Cut is the skill with which a diamond is faceted. It determines the play of light in a diamond. A well-cut diamond shines more brightly than a poorly-cut diamond, which will look dim and lifeless. Cut is the primary factor to consider when looking for a diamond because it gives your diamond its fire and sparkle. Variations in the remaining three Cs are often not visible to the naked eye. They are a function of a diamond's rarity. Ask to see the legendary Cleopatra diamond from the Love Story Collection featuring 20th century technology to give you the brightest diamond money can buy.