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Archive for the ‘Diamonds’ Category

How Diamond Cost is Determined

If you are in the market to purchase a diamond, you’ll be learning all about the 4 C’s of diamonds; cut, color, clarity and carat.  But in the mind of the average buyer, there is a fifth “c” that just may be the most important of all them: the diamond cost.

The actual price of a diamond is determined by a grading system that takes into account the cut of the diamond, the color, the clarity and the number of carats.  There is a non profit organization called the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) that has devised the official grading system of diamonds, and because of that system, a diamond that is of more carats may cost less than a smaller diamond if the larger diamond has inferior cut, clarity or color ratings.  Cost is also determined by the retailer.

Buying Diamonds Online

The internet provides a wealth of information on diamonds, educating buyers on the value of diamonds based on size, shape and clarity- and luckily, diamond cost is regulated by industry guidelines.  This means you can shop for your diamond gem stones online with as much confidence as you would shopping for jewelry at your local retailer, especially if you take the time to become knowledgeable about diamond cost before beginning your search for the perfect stone.

Guide to Diamond Cost

Every jeweler sets their own prices on their gem stones, rings, necklaces and other items.  When dealing with diamond cost, it also depends on the shape of the diamond.  A ”round brilliant” shape will tend to cost more than an ”emerald” shape even when they are the same quality and the same size.

If you have a minimal budget, such as $500 or less, you can expect to find a diamond with a carat weight between .15 and .25, set in a 10-14k gold.  If you’re in the market for a diamond cost of $500 to $750, you can expect to be able to purchase one between .20 and .37 carats.  If you are looking for a 1 carat diamond, you should expect your diamond cost to range between $2000 and $3500.

Get the Most Diamond for Your Money

When you are researching diamond cost, there are many more factors to consider than just the size of the diamond.  Remember that the shape (cut) of the diamond will greatly effect the diamond cost, as well as the clarity of the diamond.  You can get multiple, smaller diamonds for less cost than you can a single, larger diamond due to the rarity of mining a larger sized diamond.  Sometimes a diamond will be beautiful to the naked eye, and have a reasonable diamond cost- but it may have a lower rating for quality or tone given by the GIA. When you are shopping for your diamond, you’ll need to decide what is more important to you;  the diamond cost, the size of the diamond, the quality (the rating as given by the GIA), or how it looks when it’s worn!

Evaluating Diamond Color

What exactly is diamond color?  While most people think of the classic, transparent diamond, which happens to be the most rare and valuable, the colors of diamonds actually range from transparent all the way to a brownish color.  There are different saturations of diamond color, and tones.

The Gemological Institute of America, known as the GIA for short, is the most commonly used system for evaluating diamond color.  They’ve created something known as the “GIA Color Grade Scale”, and it has placed a grading system on the many different colors and shades of diamonds, classifying into 22 letter grades.

How Diamonds are Graded

The Gemological Institute of America has certified diamond color grades as “master color comparison” diamonds.  When a diamond is being graded, it is compared against these master color comparison grades, to find the shades that match it most closely.  The diamond that is being graded must be thoroughly cleaned and all oil must be removed from the surface before being examined, since even small amounts of dirt or oils on the surface of the diamond can alter the color.

A line of master color comparison diamonds or shade chart is set up, with each grade placed about one inch apart, ranging from the lightest and highest graded D shade, to the darkest, graded Z diamonds.  The diamond color that is being graded is moved from the left side of the comparison units to the right, until it matches one of the shades.

Diamond grading should take place in a colorless environment, using a balanced fluorescent light source that has a filtered, cool white sun like ray.  The room where the grading takes place is dark, all except for the special grading light, in order to obtain the most accurate grading of the diamond color.

Fluorescence of Diamonds

Yet another consideration when considering the diamond color is diamond fluorescence, and how it will effect the actual appearance in the diamond color. Fluorescence causes some diamonds to change color when viewed in our everyday, ultraviolet lighting, as well as under fluorescent light bulbs.

When a diamond color is graded, the strength of the fluorescence of that diamond must also be indicated.  It may be considered to be strong, moderate, or weak fluorescence, and the reports must also indicate what color the diamond will change to due to the fluorescence.   The reason for this is when people are in the jewelry store, looking at diamonds in the special lighting of the store, they may all appear to be the colorless, transparent diamonds.  When you purchase a diamond and get it home under normal lighting, you could find your diamond is yellowish in color!

You can ask your jeweler to provide grading documentation and information about the fluorescent value of a particular diamond before purchasing, to make sure that you will be happy with the diamond you buy.  Many jewelers also can show you the diamond under different lighting conditions, which will enable you to fully appreciate the beauty of the diamond before you buy it.  Some individuals like a diamond color with a darker shade, while others are insistent on the transparent diamond color.  The diamond color is one of personal preference, so be sure to do a little research before making your final selection.

What is Diamond Clarity?

Diamond clarity is the measure of flaws found in and on the outside of a diamond.  The less flawed a diamond is, the more value it has and the higher the price tag.  There are very few diamonds which can be categorized as having no flaws at all, however, most diamond flaws cannot be seen without magnification of at least 10 times.  Because issues with diamond clarity are often undetected when looking at a diamond, some people consider this to be one of the least of their concerns when selecting a diamond to purchase.

How is Diamond Clarity Determined?

The most well known measurement of diamond clarity is done by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA).  It ranks diamonds based on a grading system it created that ranges from flawless diamonds, to imperfect diamonds, with many different grade ranges in between.  The better the clarity ranking, the more expensive a diamond will sell for as it has more value.

Types of Inclusions that Effect Diamond Clarity

Inclusions are flaws that effect diamond clarity.  They make it so that the diamond is not “perfect”, and there are visual imperfections within the gemstone.  Most flaws however, are un-noticeable to the naked eye and can only be seen under high levels of magnification.

There are names for many of the most common inclusions. Carbons effect diamond clarity because they are very small black dots found on the surface of a diamond, which may or may not be visible in regular lighting.  Some may be so small that you need magnification to view them. Pinpoints effect diamond clarity because they are white dots along the surface of a diamond. Pinpoints are the most common of all diamond flaws. Clouds effect diamond clarity because they cause what look to be cloudy areas within the gemstone.  The clouds are actually made up of many growths of crystals that are positioned very close together within the diamond, and their proximity to one another is what causes the cloudiness to appear.  Feathers effect diamond clarity by causing cracks to form within the diamond, that look similar to that of broken glass.

Clarity Enhancements

Diamond clarity flaws can often be fixed or reduced by using a variety of clarity enhancement treatments.  Some diamonds are painted, some get lasered in order to remove pinpoints and carbons, and some diamonds undergo a process by which tiny holes are drilled into the diamond in order to reach areas of inclusions within the gemstone, and then the cracks are later filled with molten glass.  Having enhancements done to improve diamond clarity decreases the overall value of the diamond, but can improve it’s appearance.  Diamond certificates should indicate that enhancements were done on the diamond, so ask to see documentation before making a purchase.  While most enhancements just cause the diamond to look nicer, some may actually cause the diamond to be weaker, and more prone to breakage than a diamond that has not had any treatments.