Education

Diamonds 101

When purchasing an engagement ring, it’s important to understand the differences between diamonds and to choose the best one, based on your style and budget.

Let Park Diamond teach you all the important facts about buying a diamond.

First of all, be sure to shop and compare. It’s also important that the gemologist you’re working with uses a high-powered microscope to view and grade the stones. This will allow for an apples-to-apples comparison of Gemological Institute of America (GIA) certificates and the four C’s (cut, color, clarity and carat weight).  Following are a few more guidelines on choosing the best diamond. For more detailed information on choosing a diamond, please consult a Park Diamond gemologist:

Shape: Don’t confuse a diamond’s shape with its cut. The shape is referring to how the outline of the diamond looks; the cut refers to the way in which light hits the stone. Round diamonds are very popular choices. Other options include: asscher, cushion, emerald, heart, marquise, oval, pear, princess and radiant.

Cut: The cut of a diamond determines its brilliance—how light hits the diamond and reacts within the gem. As a result, having a perfect cut is more important than having perfect color or perfect clarity. In addition to width and depth, the measurements of brightness, fire and scintillation are keys to how the diamond is graded. Polish and symmetry are also important.

Color: To maintain a diamond’s brilliance, consumers should look for a gem that is colorless or nearly colorless. Diamond colors are graded D-Z, with ‘D’ being absolutely colorless, ‘G’ being near colorless and ‘Z’ being yellow-tinted. Another effect that some consumer’s like to consider when choosing a diamond’s color is its fluorescence.

Clarity: A diamond’s clarity is determined by the amount of inclusions (scratches, fractures, trace minerals, etc.) that can be seen in the stone. The fewer flaws a diamond has, the more expensive it will be. Thus “flawless” diamonds (inclusions cannot be seen at less than 10X magnification) offer the best clarity. Other choices depend on how easily the flaws can be seen with the naked eye or with 10X magnification.  

Carat Weight: The weight of a diamond is measured in carats. The larger the stone, the more rare it is and, therefore, the more expensive. The size of the diamond should be based on: the size of her finger; the style/setting she likes; and your budget.