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DIAMONDS
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Learn the 4 C's -- Color, Cut, Clarity and Carat Weight
Diamonds are cut into a variety of shapes. The most popular are round,
marquise, pear, emerald, oval, heart, square, princess, baguette and trillion.
All but round are considered fancy shapes. Fancy shapes can be more expensive
because they are more difficult to cut.
Types of Diamond Shapes
Diamonds are cut in many beautiful shapes.
When choosing a diamond, you should be familiar with the 4 C's: color, clarity,
cut and carat weight. These characteristics help determine the quality and
value of each diamond. Although you may be most interested in the obvious shape
and carat weight when choosing a diamond, it's important to consider the color
and cut, too.
We select diamonds that combine all 4C's to ensure that you get the best value.
Color
The more color a diamond has, the less light passes through the stone to make
it sparkle. A colorless diamond allows more light to pass through it to create
the maximum amount of brilliance. Colorless diamonds, however, are extremely
rare.
Most diamonds have subtle shade differences, ranging from nearly colorless to
light yellow. Most appear colorless to the unaided eye. The diamond industry
uses a letter system to grade the color of diamonds, from D (colorless) to Z
(light yellow). A diamond with less color is more valuable. We take pride in offering diamonds with a color grade of G/H or better.
Diamond Color
The diamond industry uses a letter system to grade the color of diamonds from D
(colorless) to Z (light yellow).
Clarity
The natural imperfections in diamonds are called inclusions -- minerals or
crystals trapped inside the stone during its formation. The characteristics of
the inclusions determine the clarity of the diamond. Diamonds that have no
inclusions will reflect more light and are very rare. Nearly all diamonds
contain these inclusions, or tiny "birthmarks," which make each stone unique.
Most are unseen to the unaided eye; jewelers need magnifiers to identify them.
Diamond Clarity
(level of inclusions)
Clarity refers to how clear a diamond is. Most diamonds have natural
imperfections, called inclusions, graded on a scale as shown here.
Cut
Cut refers to the precise proportions and dimensions of a finished diamond. How
a diamond is cut affects the stone's "brilliance," or how much it sparkles. A
stone that has been cut properly allows light to enter and refract through the
stone, which creates brilliance. A stone that is too shallow or too deep will
look dull and lifeless. The most popular shapes are shown in the chart below.
Artman Jewelry generally carries diamonds in the 2 most popular shapes: Round and Princess.
How a Diamond Handles Light
The cut of a diamond helps determine its brilliance.
Please note: Cut should not be confused with shape.
Carat Weight
The weight of a diamond is measured in carats. Total carat weight (T.W.) is the
total weight of all the stones in a piece of jewelry. For example, a ring with
one 1/2 carat stone and two 1/4 carat stones would have a T.W. of 1 carat.
Larger diamonds, or those with more carats, are sometimes considered to be more
valuable, but occur less frequently in nature. However, diamonds of the same
carat weight may vary widely in value. A diamond with poor color and clarity
might be much less valuable than a smaller diamond with a better color and
clarity.
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