How To Easily Determine The Value of Your Diamond
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So you are choosing a diamond for your sweetie. You want to make sure that you get the best, most beautiful diamond for the money that you are spending, but how do you really know which one’s are the best? Well, you can ask the jewelry shop salesperson, who will tell you that they are all great, or you can just take a look at the four basics of diamonds below to help you decide which diamonds are the best in any jewelry store’s selection. These basic characteristics are known as the “four C’s” and are carat, color, clarity, and cut.
Carat – this is the unit of measure for diamonds and measures the overall weight of the stone. There are a total of 100 points to each carat, so a 1 carat diamond weights 99 to 100 points, and a half a carat weights from 45 to 55 points.
Color – while the most white of diamonds are the most valuable, there are many different colors of diamonds out there. The vast majority of diamonds are white, and the whiter the color, the more valuable and expensive they are. But, there are also yellow, pink (think J Lo and Ben), red, blue, and green as well. These colored diamonds are also more rare, but are becoming more and more attractive as wedding rings.
Clarity – each diamond has certain “imperfections” which are called “inclusions”. These are tiny dark specks inside the stone itself that allow light to bounce off of it. The less imperfections that a stone has, the more valuable it is. And, while every stone has these imperfections, you need to remember that the vast majority of them are not at all visible to the naked eye.
Cut – the way that the stone itself is cut by the jeweler affects it’s value also. The most popular cut of diamond is the round cut, but there is also a square cut, princess cut, pear cut, and teardrop. The most expensive cut out there is the princess cut, as it takes more time to cut and sculpt the diamond’s surfaces into a smooth, beautiful diamond. Each different cut also fits into each different ring differently. So, you might not be able to find the exact cut of diamond in the ring that you want. Make sure that you are aware of the best settings and ring styles for the cut that you are considering so you do not have any lost diamonds.
Each diamond is unique in its own way. No matter which type, cut, color, size, or clarity you choose for your sweetie, make sure that you have the main diamond in the ring mapped. This mapping process takes a computer imaging system and makes a literal “map” of the diamond, with all the imperfections and other qualities that make it unique and special. This is helpful for insurance purposes. But, remember that no matter what type of diamond you choose, make sure that is comes from the heart and it will always be special.
