Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, but that doesn’t mean you’re too late to find the perfect (sparkling) gift for your special someone! Flowers and chocolate are great, but they don’t last very long – something that shines (like fine, custom, diamond jewelry in Dallas) will be remembered, and worn, forever! But don’t go in blind, understand the 4 Cs of diamonds before you buy, with a little help from Village Jewelers.
Come into Village Jewelers before February 14th to find the perfect gift this year! And read our Valentine’s Day diamond knowledge below to become a master at diamond buying!
Go Traditional with a Round Cut Diamond Ring
Diamond rings are always a sparkling, exciting surprise! And with our wealth of fine jewelry options, including loose diamonds, settings, and fully custom pieces, you’ll be able to find the perfect diamond ring that fits your budget and matches their style.
We have round cut, fancy cut, and everything in between! Want to learn more about diamond buying and the four C’s? Let’s start with cut!
Cut refers to the angles, shape, or the ‘cut’ of a diamond.
A well-cut diamond will internally reflect light from one mirror-like facet to another and disperse and reflect its light through the top of the stone to meet the eye. This results in a brilliant display. This means that a well-cut diamond looks more brilliant and is higher on the Diamond Quality Pyramid than a poorly cut one (too deep or too shallow). If a diamond is not cut properly, it will ‘leak’ light from the side or bottom – and that isn’t what anyone wants!
As mentioned, cut also refers to the diamond shape: round, square, pear, princess, or heart are the most common shapes. A round diamond is the most symmetrical and therefore, the most brilliant!
Get a Pair of Carat Earrings for Your Pair
Of course, we carry all sizes of diamond earrings and fine jewelry, but the larger the stone, the greater the ‘wow’. Or is it? Though diamond carat, or weight, is important, it’s not synonymous with size, and it isn’t the only factor in the wow of your fine jewelry. In fact, diamond carat is only one of the four Cs.
Make sure you understand the other three Cs as well as which are most important to you, so you can get the best deal, the best diamond, and the best experience at Village Jewelers.
Let’s learn more about diamond carat.
As mentioned, carat is often confused with size even though it actually measures the diamond weight. One carat is 200 milligrams and should be divided into 100 ‘points.’ So, a .75 carat diamond is the same as a 75-points, 3/4 carat diamond, or 150 milligrams.
However, this is where the math ends, because a 1-carat diamond doesn’t cost twice as much as a half-carat diamond. The higher the carat of the diamond, the rarer they are. This means that a 1-carat diamond will cost more than twice as much as a ½-carat diamond of similar cut, clarity, and color.
Sparkling Necklaces Require Exceptional Color
Did you know that diamonds can be used for more than just rings and earrings, in fact, diamonds can be fashioned into all measure of sparkling, shimmering fine jewelry for Valentine’s Day gifts? Did you also know that diamonds come in many colors?
Sure, we’ve all seen white diamonds, and maybe heard of black or yellow, but that isn’t the type of color that our next C is talking about. Diamond color is actually scaled from D (colorless) to Z (yellow) and though some buyers like yellow diamonds with yellow gold, the majority of consumers want to get as close to D, or colorless, as they can within their budget.
Color differences are very subtle, which makes it extremely difficult to see the difference between an E and an F. So, in order to grade them correctly, all diamonds are viewed under special lighting conditions for optimal accuracy. Truly colorless stones are the most rarity, and the highest on the Diamond Quality Pyramid.
Valentine’s Day Knowledge: The Final C – Clarity
Clarity refers to the presence of inclusions, or fractures, within a diamond.
Now you know about cut, color, and carat – which only leaves clarity. Though this final C can be the most difficult to detect with the naked eye, it can make a large difference in price. Often, if you want to go up in carat, you can drop the clarity a grade or two, especially if the inclusions are difficult to see, or completely hidden due to the setting (or normal eyesight).
Inclusions are natural identifying characteristics such as minerals or fractures, they may look like tiny crystals, clouds or feathers. Though often, they aren’t noticeable unless you pull out a magnifying glass. The position of inclusions can affect the value of a diamond, and as flawless diamonds (without inclusions) are the rarest, they are much more valuable.
Inclusions are ranked on a scale, known as clarity. The clarity scale ranges from F (Flawless) to I (Included) and is based on the visibility of inclusions at a magnification of 10.