How to Choose a Real Diamond
Choosing a diamond is all about remembering the 4 C's; cut, clarity, color, and carat. Although diamonds are not as rare as the market would like consumers to believe, finding a diamond that is exceptional in all these categories is, in fact, extraordinary. However, the categories allow consumers to find just the right diamond for every budget. First of all, flawless diamonds are very difficult to come by and are therefore very expensive. If a flawless diamond is at the top of your list, it is important to consider cubic zirconium as a less expensive alternative. Cubic zirconium is the term used to identify diamonds which have been synthetically manufactured. Although the process is not natural, this does not deem the stone a fake.
Although officially termed colored diamonds are very rare and therefore expensive, a perfectly colorless diamond can be very expensive as well. Diamonds come in all colors of the rainbow but it often depends on the saturation of color in determining its value. Yellow diamonds, for example, can be very valuable, although a yellow-ish diamond can be virtually worthless. Color is measured on an alphabetical scale where D, E, and F grades are virtually colorless, G, H, and I grades show color, and J is often not recommended. Keep in mind that lower grades can be masked by settings and cuts but emerald cut diamonds often show more color than others because of their large table area. Florescence is also important because it can alter the shades of colorless diamonds. A blue florescence is most sought after.
Cut is another important factor which can affect how to choose a diamond. The ideal cut has the best combination of width and depth and allows light to bounce right off of it. This allows for maximum sparkle potential. If the cut is too deep, light will disappear at the bottom of the diamond and it will appear dark and lackluster. If the cut is too shallow, light escapes from the sides of the diamond and it does not sparkle.
Clarity is the term that refers to the lack of flaws within and on the surface of a diamond. Although no natural diamonds are completely flawless, it is possible to find diamonds with excellent clarity. However, keep in mind that faults can always be hidden by settings. The grading scale goes as such; Fl for Flawless, IF for internally flawless, VVS1 &VVS2 for very, very slightly included, VS1 & VS2 for very slightly included, I1 & I2 & I3 for included. Included is another term for 'inclusions' which are flaws within the diamond where as the term 'blemishes' is used to describe faults on the surface of the stone.
Carat weight is the technically the last of the important categories to regard when one considers how to choose a diamond. When taking into account carat, one must remember that double the carat usually means more than double the price of stones of the same quality. This is because bigger diamonds are often rarer than smaller ones.
Choosing a diamond is not as difficult as it may seem when the consumer is educated. Virtually any budget can be happily satisfied by compromising between the 4 C's to match what one is looking for.