Diamond Carat

Carat refers to the weight of a Diamond and dates back to ancient times. It originates from the word Ceratonia siliqua, which is known as the Carob tree. Before scales were invented, Diamond Dealers and Jewelers would compare a Diamond to a seed from a Carob tree to determine the weight of the stone. Knowing that Carob seeds had a relatively uniform weight allowed those in the trade to determine how much a Diamond weighed without the need of a scale. Since then, it has become an agreed upon standard that one carat is equal to 0.20 grams. It is important to note that two Diamonds of equal carat weight can have different prices based on factors like clarity, cut, and color.

Diamond Cut

Diamond Clarity is the assessment of small imperfections on the surface (blemishes) and within the stone (inclusions). These can be thought of as being similar to a birthmark – they make the stone unique, special, and unlike another one. Inclusions and blemishes are a result of the natural process when a Diamond is being formed. The extreme pressure and heat that form a Diamond often result in these internal characteristics. The scale used to evaluate clarity goes from IF & FL (internally flawless) to VVS1 & VVS2 (inclusions invisible to the naked eye) to VS1 & VS2 (very slightly included) and then SI1-SI2 (slightly included). At the end of the spectrum is I1-I2-I3 which means there are visible inclusions. Look at our factory!

Diamond Clarity

Diamond Clarity is the assessment of small imperfections on the surface (blemishes) and within the stone (inclusions). These can be thought of as being similar to a birthmark – they make the stone unique, special, and unlike another one. Inclusions and blemishes are a result of the natural process when a Diamond is being formed. The extreme pressure and heat that form a Diamond often result in these internal characteristics. The scale used to evaluate clarity goes from IF & FL (internally flawless) to VVS1 & VVS2 (inclusions invisible to the naked eye) to VS1 & VS2 (very slightly included) and then SI1-SI2 (slightly included). At the end of the spectrum is I1-I2-I3 which means there are visible inclusions.

Diamond Color

When we refer to the color of a Diamond we are actually referring to the lack of color. The Gemological Institution of America (GIA) color scale is used to classify what color a Diamond is. This scale goes from D-Z. D-F is colorless, G-J is near-colorless, and the remaining colors of K-Z range from fraint yellow to light yellow. Many times the color differences are not very noticeable to the average consumer, but they do heavily affect a Diamond’s quality and price. Diamonds also come in Fancy Colors, which are graded using a different scale and come in a variety of colors such as brown, blue, pink, green, etc.