Diamonds are Truly Forever, but can you pick the right one?

We know that women love diamonds. Whether for an engagement ring, wedding ring, promise ring, anniversary ring, and the general I want you more and stay forever ring, women love diamonds!.  In most cases, diamonds will make a woman want you and love you more. We are at that time of the year where most guys “pop” the question. Here at inthemancave, we have a Diamond Guy who has worked in NYC in the Diamond district and we have asked him for some advice.

How do you pick the right diamond for the price? Diamonds come in different varieties and certainly varying price points. This article is intended to give a basic primer on what key items to look for when purchasing a diamond ring with or for your lady. An engagement or wedding ring can be one of the most expensive transactions you will make as a couple, shouldn’t you know the basics?

Did you ever wonder how and why the 10x loupe or microscope was used? These tools are used to confirm the quality and details of the diamonds. Below we will take a look at the key details that make up the basics to look for in these precious stones. Ask your jeweler to provide a 10x loupe or a microscope to see for yourself.

Let’s start demystifying diamonds and the basic to look for.

Different characteristics of diamonds are graded and categorized by the diamond industry. Learning about diamonds is first learning about the “four Cs” of diamonds which are considered the most important grades and categories:

• Cut
• Clarity
• Color
• Carat weight

Cut is probably the most important, and most challenging, of the four Cs to understand. The brilliance of a diamond depends heavily on its cut.

A good cut gives a diamond its brilliance, which is that brightness that seems to come from the very heart of a diamond. The angles and finish of any diamond are what determine its ability to handle light, which leads to brilliance.

Before we go into the details of a good cut, it is essential to understand the anatomy of a diamond

The below explains the various “parts” of a diamond.

Diameter: The width of the diamond as measured through the girdle.

Table: This is the large, flat top facet of a diamond. The more symmetrical the table and more centered, the better the cut.

Crown: The upper portion of a cut gemstone, above the girdle.

Girdle: The narrow rim of a diamond that separates the crown from the pavilion. It is the largest diameter to any part of the stone. The narrower the rim, the higher the clarity.

Pavilion: The lower portion of the diamond, below the girdle. It is sometimes referred to as the base.

Culet: The tiny facet on the pointed bottom of the pavilion, which is the portion of a cut gem below the girdle.

Depth: The height of a gemstone, from the culet to the table.

As shown in the images below, when a diamond is well-cut, light enters through the table and travels to the pavilion where it reflects from one side to the other before reflecting back out of the diamond through the table and to the observer’s eye. This light is the brilliance we mentioned, and it’s this flashing, that makes diamonds so mesmerizing. You also want to look at the symmetry of the lines. Do they appear even and naturally flow from one end of the diamond to the other end.

In a poorly cut diamond, the light that enters through the table reaches the facets and then ‘leaks’ out from the sides or bottom of the diamond rather than reflecting back to the eye. Less light reflected back to the eye means less brilliance.

Because cut is so important, several grading methods have been developed to help consumers determine the cut of a particular diamond. In general, these grades are:

• Ideal
• Premium
• Very Good
• Good
• Fair & Poor

Selecting the grade of cut is really a matter of preference. To make the best selection, you need to understand the various grades. Please note that the descriptions below are general guidelines.

Ideal Cut
This cut is intended to maximize brilliance, and the typically smaller table sizes of these diamonds have the added benefit of creating a great deal of dispersion as well. Ideal quality diamonds are truly for the person who enjoys knowing that he has one of the finest things that money can buy. This category applies only to round diamonds.

Premium Cut
In the case of round diamonds, many Premium Cut diamonds have cuts that are the equal of any Ideal Cut diamond, though they often can be purchased at slightly lower prices than AGS Ideal Cuts. They are intended to provide maximum brilliance and fire. Like the Ideal Cut, these are also for the person who enjoys knowing that he has one of the finest things that money can buy.

Very Good
With these diamonds, the cutters have chosen to stray slightly from the preferred diamond proportions in order to create a larger diamond. The result is that these diamonds fall slightly outside of some customers’ preferences in terms of, for example, table size or girdle width, though, in many cases many of the parameters of diamonds in this range will overlap with certain parameters of diamonds in the Ideal or Premium ranges. Generally, the price of these diamonds in slightly below that of Premium cuts.

Good
Diamonds that reflect much of the light that enters them. Their proportions fall outside of the preferred range because the cutter has chosen to create the largest possible diamond from the original rough crystal, rather than cutting extra weight off to create a smaller Premium quality diamond. Diamonds in this range offer an excellent cost-savings to customers who want to stay in a budget without sacrificing quality or beauty

Clarity
The other 3Cs (Clarity, Color, and Carat weight) are also of importance but also much harder to determine. Part of the selection process for the “right” diamond is knowing what questions to ask and also what to observe when looking at the diamond through a 10x loupe of scope.

Clarity is a term used to identify the presences of “blemishes” or flaws within a diamond. These flaws or blemishes can be cracks, scratches, pits and chips.

The diamond industry has established a grading system for clarity.

Grades range from Flawless (diamonds which are completely free of blemishes and inclusions), to Included 3 (diamonds which possess large, heavy blemishes and inclusions that are visible to the naked eye).

F: Flawless: No internal or external flaws. Extremely rare.

IF: Internally flawless: no internal flaws, but some surface flaws. Very rare.

VVS1-VVS2: Very Very Slightly Included (two grades). Minute inclusions very difficult to detect under 10x magnification by a trained gemologist.

VS1-VS2: Very Slightly Included (two grades). Minute inclusions seen only with difficulty under 10x magnification.

SI1-SI2: Slightly Included (two grades). Minute inclusions more easily detected under 10x magnification.

Note: For grades F through SI, a diamonds clarity grade has an impact on the diamonds value, not on the unmagnified diamonds appearance.

I1-I2-I3: Included (three grades). Flaws visible under 10x magnification AS WELL AS to the human eye. It is not recommended to buy diamonds in any of these grades.

The remaining two C’s are very subjective and probably will require you to consult with a jeweler

On the specifics nature of the Color you choose and the carat weight. The key items to remember for color and carat weight are: 1) the whiter the color of the diamond, the greater its value and 2) carat weight is a unit of measure. One carat is equal to 200 milligrams, or 0.2 grams. 1 gram = 0.0022Lbs. As an example a 3 carat ring would be 0.6grams, which translates to 0.00132lbs or more specifically to 0.02116.  There is a great weight conversion tool at the following website: http://www.asknumbers.com/WeightConversion.aspx

Know your budget and consult with the jeweler to make a wise decision regarding carat weight.

About the Diamond Guy: The diamond guy was fortunate to work with jewelers in the NYC area while paying for his way through college. The diamond guy is not an “expert” or professional jeweler. Please consult with a professional jeweler before making a final purchase decision.