Buying a diamond is not as complicated as you think. The diamond industry has developed basic tools for the consumer – known as the 4C’s. These help to objectively determine the diamond’s value and therefore its price. The rest is your personal taste and budget. We at Be Jolie, will be happy to help you find the diamond you’ll love forever.
The 4C’s
The 4C’s provides a way to objectively compare and evaluate diamonds.
Carat, Cut, Clarity and Color are the four key parameters that determine a diamond’s value. Most of these factors either cannot be seen by the naked eye or distinguished without in-depth knowledge and experience.
The 4C characteristics are specified in the certificate that accompanies your diamond. This certificate is issued by an independent gemological laboratory such as GIA or EGL and is given to you with your diamond, at no extra charge.
Carat
A carat is the standard unit of weight for diamonds. Of the four parameters that determine a diamond’s value, the carat factor is the only one that is scientific or measurable.
The carat takes its name from the carob seed. Because these small seeds had a fairly uniform weight, early gem traders used them as counterweights in their balance scales. The modern metric carat, equal to 0.2 grams, is uniform throughout the world. In the diamond industry, weight is often measured to the hundred thousandths of a carat. Since even a fraction of a carat can make a considerable difference in cost, precision is called for.
Cut
Cut refers to a diamond’s proportions, symmetry and polish. The allure of a particular diamond depends more on cut than anything else.
Though difficult to analyze or quantify, the cut of any diamond has three attributes: brilliance (the total light reflected from a diamond), fire (the dispersion of light into the colors of the spectrum), and scintillation (the flashes of light, or sparkle, when a diamond is moved).
An understanding of a diamond cut begins with the shape of a diamond. The standard round brilliant is the most popular shape used in diamond jewelry. All others are known as fancy shapes. A round brilliant cut diamond has 57 facets. The proportions of a diamond refer to the relationships between these facet’s sizes and angles. A wide range of proportion combinations are possible, and these ultimately affect the stone’s interaction with light.
Color
The average eye cannot see a diamond’s color. In the world of diamonds, the closer a diamond approaches colorlessness the higher its value. The exception to this is fancy-color diamonds, such as fancy yellows, pinks and blues, which lie outside this color range.
The color scale begins with the letter D, representing colorless, and continues to the letter Z, with slight hints of yellow or brown. Each letter grade has a clearly defined range of color appearance, with distinctions so subtle that they are indistinguishable to the untrained eye. Diamonds are color-graded by comparing them to stones of known color under controlled lighting and precise viewing conditions. Each color variation affects the diamond’s price.
Clarity
Since diamonds are formed in the depths of the earth, under tremendous heat and pressure, they come with ‘birthmarks’ or what are called inclusions. These characteristics help distinguish one diamond from another. Rarity of these marks affects a diamond’s value. There are usually 11 grades in determining clarity.
Diamonds are assigned a clarity grade that can range from flawless – which are extremely rare – to diamonds with inclusions. 10x magnification is the universal standard for clarity grading.
Understanding how to choose the perfect diamond, will affect how you choose your engagement ring. Before choosing your perfect engagement ring, make sure you have a comprehensive understanding of diamonds- from their structure to the 4C’s.
*To clarify, when we say perfect, we are referring to the perfect diamond for you. This of course means that the diamond has the characteristics you desire and is within your budget. For example, some customers prefer larger diamonds with lower grades, while others prefer smaller diamonds with higher grades. Perfect diamonds— or diamonds without any flaws— are exceedingly rare and very expensive.
What Are Invisible Flaws Diamonds?
Be Jolie considers a diamond eye clean if it appears to be free of inclusions when viewed face up in daylight or fluorescent lighting by the naked eye from a relatively short distance (6-12 inches).
The concept of an eye clean diamond varies slightly in definition from retailer to retailer, but three major factors influence the definition of eye clean diamonds:
Distance and point of reference.
The lighting under which the diamond is evaluated.
The vision of the viewer.
According to GIA and AGS, diamonds that are considered Flawless (FL), Internally Flawless (IF), Very, Very Slightly Included (VVS1 and VVS2) and Very Slightly Included (VS1 and VS2) are considered eye clean. On the other hand, Slightly Included (SI1, SI2 and I1) diamonds may or may not be eye clean. Included (I1, I2 and I3) diamonds are considered non eye clean.
James Allen utilizes the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Deep Learning to uniquely analyze a diamond’s attributes. This revolutionary process is called Deep Grading™ and allows us to provide the most accurate assessment of whether a specific diamond is eye clean or not.
Fancy Color Diamonds
Fancy Color diamonds, have become the hottest trend in jewelry fashion. The Stunning and exceptional colors nature has produced, are desirable today, more than ever.
The main problem in this “love story” is their extremely high price tag.
The innovative technology of natural mined HPHT process diamonds,
Produce not only yellow color, but also the rarest colors such as pink, blue and even red, in a variety of sizes and models so impressive, which are almost impossible to find in nature.
Now, you can afford your desire! And own a magical diamond.
Color & Intensity
There are three different criteria used to determine a fancy color diamond’s color and intensity:
The diamond’s primary color (i.e. pink)
The diamond’s secondary color (i.e. purplish)
The intensity of the diamond’s color (i.e. fancy, fancy intense, fancy vivid)
The primary and secondary colors determine the tone of the diamond’s color. The strength of the color is defined by its level of intensity. As a general rule of thumb, a fancy color diamond becomes more valuable as the color intensity increases. The classifications for fancy color diamonds are as follows: faint, very light, light, fancy light, fancy, fancy intense, fancy vivid/fancy deep/fancy dark.
Diamond Shapes
Diamonds come in many different shapes. Each diamond shape possesses its own unique qualities, so exploring and learning about the various shapes is worth your while. James Allen offers the highest quality certified diamonds to satisfy all tastes.
Asscher Cut Diamonds
The Asscher Cut Diamond, also called a “Square Emerald-Cut”, is made using a step-cut process and has cropped corners. Because of the cropped corners, an Asscher Cut Diamond appears almost octagonal at first glance. They are bright, shiny, and clear in appearance. Like Emerald-Cut Diamonds, they have the clarity of glacier-water ice, allowing you to see all the way through the stone. However, since inclusions are obvious to the naked eye with Asscher Cut Diamonds, it is important to get one that is flawless or as close to flawless as possible.
Brilliant Cut Diamonds
The Round Diamond, or Brilliant Cut Diamond, is by far the most popular shape for diamond engagement rings. It is cone-shaped to maximize light return through the top of the diamond. It is cut to have 58 facets: 33 on the crown and 25 on the pavilion. The relationship between the angle of the crown (above the girdle) and the pavilion (below the girdle) is complementary. A steep crown angle is complemented by a shallower pavilion angle, and vice versa.
Cushion Cut Diamonds
The Cushion Cut Diamond is an antique cut that has a classic, romantic appeal. It is considered a cross between the Old Mine Cut, which was popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and a modern Oval-Cut Diamond. The Old Mine Cut featured large facets and rounded corners, since the cutting was all done by hand at the time. They were designed to catch the beauty of candlelight. The Cushion-Cut Diamond contains 58 facets.
Emerald Cut Diamonds
The Emerald-Cut Diamond is a very popular style known for its beauty and precision. While it lacks the brilliance of diamonds cut with triangular and kite-shaped facets, it more than makes up for it in its extreme clarity – it’s like looking into glacier-pure ice. The Emerald-Cut diamond is named so because this style of cut was originally used only on emeralds. It is called a step-cut, which is the cut most commonly used on square or rectangular diamonds.
Heart Diamonds
The Heart Shaped Diamond has a cleft at the top and exhibits superior brilliance. It is among the most romantic of the diamond shapes. When selecting a heart shaped diamond, symmetry is essential, as the two halves of the heart must be identical. The split between the two lobes should be obvious and sharp, and the wings should have a round shape. Generally, heart shapes diamonds of less than .50 carats are not a good choice. As opposed to other diamond shapes, they appear smaller, especially after set in prongs. Bezel and three prong settings are best for small heart shaped diamonds.
Marquise Diamonds
The Marquise-Cut Diamond is a boat-shaped brilliant stone that is considered to be a “classic” shape for diamond engagement rings. As with all ‘fancy cut’ diamonds, color and clarity are the two most important qualities in this particular style of cut. The Marquise-Cut Diamond uses a cutting process similar to that of a Round Brilliant Diamond, but the diamond cutter maximizes the carat weight of the gem by elongating it into its distinctive ”boat-shape”. This way, they can eliminate all inclusions while maintaining as much of the unblemished stone as possible. However, because of the elongated shape, color and clarity imperfections are more obvious than they are in a traditional Round Brilliant Diamonds.
Oval Diamonds
The Oval Cut Diamond is a modified version of the most popular cut, the Round Brilliant. It is the perfect choice for buyers who are looking for characteristics similar to the Round “Ideal” Cut, but would like something in a shape that is more unusual. Oval Cut diamonds also create the optical illusion of length and serve to elegantly elongate fingers.
Pear Diamonds
The Pear Shaped Diamond combines the tradition and brilliance of a round cut with a less common shape to create an unusual diamond that can still make light ‘dance’ as it does in the traditional Round Brilliant Cut. It is probably the most subjective diamond shape, as its size and proportions are really a matter of taste. The diamond usually contains 58 facets, allowing for light to pass through it much the same way as in a Round, but makes more of an impression because of its much less common shape.
Princess Cut Diamonds
The Princess cut diamonds can make the perfect engagement rings since they are very clear. Their exquisite shape makes them an exotic treasure, as they are designed for getting top brilliance from their square cut. When purchasing a Princess Cut diamond, make sure that the setting for your ring protects the four pointed corners. The Princess Cut diamond allows more acceptably for flaws.
Radiant Cut Diamonds
The Radiant Cut Diamond combines the more stylish square or rectangular shape with the brilliance of the more traditional Round Cut. It combines two diamond cutting styles-the Round Cut style and the Emerald Cut style, to create a non-traditional, yet still brilliant, diamond. This cut was designed to maintain the beauty of each different type of diamond, while still creating something altogether different from anything available at the time.
Conflict-Free Diamonds (The Kimberley Process)
The Kimberley Process started when Southern African diamond-producing states met in Kimberley, South Africa, in May 2000, to discuss ways to stop the trade in ‘conflict diamonds’ and ensure that diamond purchases were not financing violence by rebel movements and their allies seeking to undermine legitimate governments.
In December 2000, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a landmark resolution supporting the creation of an international certification scheme for rough diamonds. By November 2002, negotiations between governments, the international diamond industry and civil society organizations resulted in the creation of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS). The KPCS document sets out the requirements for controlling rough diamond production and trade. The KPCS entered into force in 2003, when participating countries started to implement its rules.