Choosing A Diamond
Start with the shape:
The most popular diamond shape is the round brilliant. It has an arrangement of fifty-eight facets, which cause
the light beams to bounce from the pavilion back through the crown.
Other shapes include:
Oval, Marquise, Heart, Pear, Triangle, Long Radiant, Emerald, Long Princess, Radiant, Cushion, Princess and
Asscher
The 4 Cs:
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Carat Weight
The size of a diamond is measured in carat weight. A carat is equivalent to 0.2 gram.
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Clarity
Paradoxically, the term clarity is mainly used to refer to the flaws in a diamond.
The Internally Flawless Grade (IF) describes diamonds which have no internal characteristics,
but which have minor surface blemishes that do not penetrate the stone.
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The VVS1 & VVS2 grades (Very, Very Slight Included) are used to describe diamonds which
have very, very small inclusions.
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The VS1 & VS2 grades (Very Slight Included) are used to describe stones with very small
inclusions.
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The SI1, SI2 & SI3 grades (Slight Included) are used to describe stones with small
inclusions.
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The I1, I2 & I3 grades (Included) are used to describe stones with medium or large
inclusions.
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Cut
The term cut is used in several ways. It refers to the facet arrangement on the surface of the diamond.
Brilliance pervades a well-cut diamond. Cut is also synonym for shape. E.g. round, brilliant cut diamond
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Colour
Diamonds are found in a range of colours, the rarest being colourless or fancy colours such as greens,
blues and reds. A letter is assigned to a colour grade. The colour grading scale begins with D, the best
colourless stone, to Z. Good stones range from D through I.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, yellow and pink diamonds have their own grades. Adjectives are
used to describe the degree of colour, otherwise known as saturation.
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