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Diamonds
Diamonds are a gals best friend. Some of the most popular jewelry items involve diamond gemstones. They are durable and the hardest mineral known on earth. Because of their molecular structure and the cutting process, diamonds receive and return light with scintillating beauty. The 4 C's are a way of describing diamond quality: Color The diamond color scale starts with a D (*GIA) and degrades as E, F, G etc. into commercial qualities of P. A colorless diamond with a D appraisal is most preferred and generally more valuable. · Cut - A full round cut diamond has 58 faceted flanked surfaces on the gemstone. A "perfect" cut stone has measured angles that allows light to bounce around internally and reflect with the sparkle we all admire. The better the cut the better the sparkle and generally more valuable. Other cuts such as oval, marquis, princess, etc. have different values. · Clarity The diamond clarity scale starts at VVS (*GIA) and degrades as VS, SI, I into commercial qualities of I3.The clearer the diamond, the less foreign matter known as inclusions are present. When you look at a diamond and see something in it the inclusion may be an air bubble, carbon, another gem i.e. ruby, or anything else that became part of the diamond during its creation. A high grade of clarity is preferred and generally more valuable. · Carat Weight - The higher the carat weight, the higher the value of the diamond. One carat is divided into 100 points i.e. a half caret gemstone would be 50 points. Approximately 7 carats equal 1 gram. Some tips to remember when caring for diamond jewelry: · Avoid wearing diamond jewelry when performing manual labor.
· Use prescribe or recommended cleaning substances for your jewelry. Other wise ammonia and water, as well as several commercial cleaners, work well for diamonds but be aware they may scratch, damage, or discolor precious metal settings. · Avoid placing your diamond jewelry in chlorine-containing substances. *GIA: Gemological Institute of America
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