It is has often been said, "Diamonds are Forever." The timeless appeal of a diamond is a testament to its durability; its beauty, rarity and strength a fitting symbol of love and marriage. Let us offer you and your intended some guidelines to help you choose the perfect diamond for your exquisite engagement ring.

Diamond Shape
Does your heart sing when you see a Round Brilliant cut, the most popular of shapes? Or do you love the elegance of a rectangular Emerald, with its very clear step cuts? Perhaps your contemporary sensibility attracts you to the Princess cut, which is square in shape, but Brilliant like the Round? Each diamond shape has its attributes, but shape preference is primarily a subjective statement of style that reflects the personality of the woman who wears it. Click here to find your dream diamond shape!

The Four Cs
When purchasing a diamond, bigger is not always better! In fact, there are four factors to consider; color, clarity, carat weight and cut. These value factors, called the Four Cs, provide a systematic way to evaluate and compare one diamond to another. The more "perfect" the stone, the more rare it is, and the more valuable. Consideration of these four factors offers a way to compare the relative value of a diamond. Color, clarity and carat weight are natural characteristics. Cut, however, is dependent on the skill of the artisan. He or she determines how to handle the natural qualities to best enhance a diamond. A smaller diamond with a cut that perhaps eliminates an inclusion is worth more than that same diamond with a higher carat weight and the inclusion.

Color
Although we think of a diamond as naturally "white," the most rare and valuable color for this stone is considered "colorless." Most diamonds actually have a tint of yellow, or less commonly, brown. A color scale created by the Gemological Institute of America, or GIA, grades diamonds on a scale ranging from D to Z, with D being colorless. But not all color detracts from value. Diamonds can also be found in red, purple and even green. These colors, when bright and pure, are very rare and are considered highly desirable. Vibrant yellow diamonds and pinks are currently in vogue!

Clarity
Clarity refers to the relative absence of inclusions or blemishes. An inclusion is completely encased in a polished gemstone or extends into it from the surface. A blemish is found on the surface of a polished gemstone, and is easier to remove. Inclusions and blemishes can interrupt the flow of light through the diamond. This diminishes its brilliance, hence its value. These are also measured on a scale established by the GIA. FL means "flawless" and is the highest grade. VVS means "very, very slightly included" and VS means ""very slightly included" and are still hard to see, even with a jewelers magnifying glass. I, or "included" is the lowest grade, and imperfections may be visible to the naked eye.

Carat Weight
Not to be confused with size, the carat measure refers to weight. How big is a carat? One carat equals one-fifth of a gram, and one ounce contains almost 142 carats. A "point" is one hundredth of a carat, thus a carat contains 100 points. A 1.0 carat diamond is much more valuable than having 100 small diamonds weighing in at .01 carats apiece, because larger diamonds occur less in nature. If all other factors were equal (color, clarity and cut) then the relative value of a larger diamond is greater, with respect to the rarity of large stones. Having said that, bigger is not always better because the other factors (Clarity, Cut, Color) usually do come into play!

Cut
Years ago, carat weight was considered the defining characteristic of a diamond. Today, cut is generally considered the most important factor to describe a diamond. "Cut" describes the shapes mentioned above. It also describes the angles, shapes and proportions determined by a master gem cutter when he takes a "diamond in the rough" and turns it into a polished diamond. Polishing facets onto the surface of a diamond, the cutter creates the crown, girdle and pavilion.Once done entirely by hand, today's diamonds are cut using precise scientific formulas that enhance the diamond to its best advantage. A diamond cut with too deep a pavilion will leak light through the side; too shallow and it will leak light through the bottom. This will diminish its "light performance". Light performance describes brilliance, fire and scintillation.

Brilliance, Fire & Scintillation
Brilliance is the brightness and contrast created by the reflection of white light from the surface and inside of a polished diamond.Fire refers to the dispersed light, seen as flashes of color. There is a trade-off between fire and brilliance; a steep crown angle and a small table seem to produce more fire for the same reason that they produces less brightness; perhaps it is also easier to see the flashes. A dark or candlelit room is known to enhance fire! Scintillation is the "sparkle" in a diamond as it, or the wearer moves. Brightly lit environments like offices show off scintillation.

Now that you've learned a bit about diamonds, get ready for your expertise to shine through when you select your perfect center stone! Please contact us for a private consultation at 408.872.1177 and we'll assist you in selecting the diamond of her dreams!