From
the Greek - Adamas - refers to it's hardness
- unconquerable. There is nothing comparable to
it in hardness it is therefore nearly imperishable.
We
offer a large selection of loose diamonds in all shapes
and sizes at extremely competitive prices.
Diamond
Facts
The
quality of a Diamond
is assessed in 4 ways: The
4 C's
Cut
Of
all the 4C's, cut is the one most directly influenced
by man. The other three are dictated by nature. Diamonds
are cut into a number of shapes, depending on the
nature of the rough stone.
The
cut or make of a diamond will dramatically influence
its fire and sparkle, for it's the cutter's skill that
releases its beauty.
Many
people confuse cut with the shape of
a diamond. The Shape is largely a matter
of personal preference and is only limited by the
skill and imagination of the craftsman. These
are the six most popular shapes for diamonds of
a carat or more.
Color
Although
the majority of gem diamonds appear to be colorless,
others can contain increasing tinges of yellow
or brown, some of which are referred to as champagne
diamonds. It is a totally colorless diamond
that allows white light to pass effortlessly and
be dispersed as rainbows of color. Rare stones
of exceptional color - green, red, blue, pink or
amber - are known as "Fancies".
Colorless
Near
Colorless
Faint
Yellow
Very
Light Yellow
Light
Yellow
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
Color
grading scale from totally colorless to light yellow. The
differences between one grade and another are very subtle,
as can be seen by the number of grades within any one
category.
Clarity
Almost
all diamonds contain minute traces of non-crystallized
carbon or small non-diamond crystals. Most
are not discernible to the naked eye and require
magnification to become visible. Called inclusions,
they are nature's fingerprint and make every diamond
unique. Minute inclusions neither mar its
beauty nor endanger its beauty; however, the fewer
they are, the rarer the stone will be.
Carat-Weight
As
with all precious stones, the weight - and therefore
the size of a diamond is expressed in carats. The
carat originated as a natural unit of weight: the seeds
of a carob tree. Diamonds were traditionally weighed
against these seeds, however, the system was later standardized
and one carat was fixed at 200 milligrams (1/5 of a gram).
One
carat is divided into 100 "points" so that a diamond
of 25 points is described as a quarter of a carat or
0.25 carats. Size is the most obvious factor in
determining the value of a diamond, but two diamonds
of equal size can have unequal prices, depending on their
quality. And diamonds of high quality can be found
in all size ranges.
