Diamonds
Let Bartos Jewelry Designs help you in the diamond buying process. We will ensure you are comfortable and confident with choosing the most exceptional diamond within your price range.
Learn about the 4 C’s:
Cut
The cut of the diamond determines its beauty. A diamond that is cut to correct proportions will have unrivaled brilliance and scintillation. In a well cut and polished diamond, all the light that enters the stone will radiate out the the top of the stone (called the table) and top facets creating its maximum brilliance. If a diamond is cut too shallow or too deep, the light will escape through the bottom or sides of the stone, making it less brilliant. Diamonds are cut in different shapes, such as Round, Princess, Cushion, Radiant, Marquise, Oval, Pear, and Emerald.
Color
Diamonds occur in every color of the spectrum. The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) rates the body color in white diamonds on a scale from the highest letter D (colorless) down the alphabet toward Z (light yellow). The most desirable diamond color is “colorless” or what we often refer to as white. A totally colorless diamond allows light to pass through it easily, resulting in the light being dispersed as the color of the rainbow. The differences from one grade to the other are very subtle and it takes a trained eye and years of experience to color grade a diamond.
Clarity
Clarity describes the number of imperfections, or “inclusions”in the diamond. Most diamonds have some degree of inclusion in them. It’s the diamond’s finger print or birthmark. An inclusion can interfere with the light passing through the diamond. The fewer the inclusions, the more beautiful the diamond will be. The fewer the inclusions, the more rare and valuable the diamond, too. Clarity begins at flawless and ends with included. Diamonds are graded under 10 power magnification. You’re welcome to see your diamond under magnification.
Carat
Diamonds are sold by carat weight. A one carat diamond is written 1.00ct. A carat is like pennies to a dollar; a half carat is written .50ct, a quarter carat is .25ct. As a diamond’s size increases, its price increases due to its rarity. The carat-weight of a diamond is the easiest measurement to determine. Two diamonds can be of equal carat-weight, but their value can differ greatly due to their cut, color, and clarity.