Choosing A Diamond
The timeless appeal of a diamond is a testament to its durability, its beauty, rarity and strength, a fitting symbol of love and marriage. Let us offer you and your intended some guidelines to help you choose the perfect diamond for your Originals by
Sail the Seven Seas
The Seven C's
When purchasing a diamond, we all often speak of the Four C's. Color, clarity,cut and carat weight. These value factors, called the Four Cs, provide a systematic way to evaluate and compare one diamond to another. The more "perfect" the stone, the more rare it is, and the more valuable. Consideration of these four factors offers a way to compare the relative value of a diamond. Color, clarity and carat weight are natural characteristics. Cut, however, is dependent on the skill of the artisan. He or she determines how to handle the natural qualities to best enhance a diamond. A smaller diamond with a cut that perhaps eliminates an inclusion is worth more than that same diamond with a higher carat weight and the inclusion. However, at Originals by Chad, we like to educate our clients not only on the four C's, but the seven C's when purchasing your diamond.
1 - Color
The ideal color for a diamond is "colorless". A colorless diamond mimics a prism by allowing light to pass easily through the stone and radiate into brilliant rainbows of color. Most diamonds actually have a tint of yellow, or less commonly, brown. A color scale created by the Gemological Institute of America, or GIA, grades diamonds on a scale ranging from D to Z, with D being colorless. But not all color detracts from value. Diamonds can also be found in red, blue, purple and even green. These colors, when bright and pure, are very rare and are considered highly desirable. Vibrant natural yellow diamonds and pinks are currently hot!
2 - Clarity
Clarity refers to the relative absence of inclusions or blemishes. A diamond that is virtually free of interior or exterior inclusions (or flaws) is of the highest value and quality. The passage of light is obstructed when passing through the diamond allowing it to reflect the maximum amount brilliance. Almost all diamonds contain minute traces of non-crystallized carbon, the element from which they are created. To accurately determine a diamond's clarity, it needs to be viewed under a 10-power magnification by a trained eye. Minute inclusions do not affect its beauty nor will they create weak points in the stone. Clarity is also measured on a scale established by the Gemological Institute of America. FL - (flawless) is the highest grade, IF - (internally flawless, minor surface blemishes), VVS1- VVS2 (very, very small inclusions), VS1 - VS2 (very small inclusions), SI1 - SI2 (small inclusions), I1, I2, I3 (inclusions visible to the naked eye).
3 - Carat Weight
The size of a diamond is measured in carats. One carat is divided into one hundred "points", meaning a diamond of fifty points weights .50 carats. Obviously, size is a predominate factor in determining the value of a diamond, however, two diamonds of equal size can have very unequal values dependent upon the diamonds overall quality. Having said that, bigger is not always better because the other factors (Clarity, Cut, Color) usually do come into play!
4 - Cut
The most confused aspect of diamond buying is the cut versus the shape of the stone. Most diamonds are cut with 58 full facets, a good cut has more scintillation, or more shimmer. The precision of a master cutter provides the maximum amount of light to be refracted in the diamond. The shape of a diamond is more over a matter of personal preference rather than a determining factor of the stone's value.
A diamond processes light according to the quality of the cut. For example, when a diamond is cut proportionately, the light is reflected from one facet to another and then disseminated through the top of the stone. If the diamond is cut too deep, the light is reflected through the opposing facet and detracted from the top of the stone. If the cut is too shallow, light escapes through the bottom of the stone before it has the opportunity to be reflected.
The most popular diamond shapes are brilliant, marquise, pear, heart, emerald, oval, radiant and princess cut. The Brilliant cut is the most traditional shaped in diamonds. While the Marquise and Pear cut diamonds have a wide range of shapes. A diamond should be chosen by what is most appealing to you and fits your own personal style.
5 - Certification
Cut is nearly impossible for a layperson to evaluate, so it’s important to get a GIA or
EGL certificate from your jeweler to verify the quality of any diamond before you
purchase it. A vast number of diamonds sold at Originals by Chad include a report from
well-known independent gemological labs, such as the world-famous Gemological
Institute of America’s Gem Trade Laboratory and the European Gemological
Laboratory.
6 - Cost
Diamonds are something everyone would like to buy if they could afford them. While it is true that diamonds are normally synonymous with luxurious high-end shopping, you need not despair if you are not super rich and still want to possess a diamond. There are diamonds that are indeed priceless and there are diamonds which are relatively affordable. The price of the diamond mostly depends upon its ratings (Clarity, Color, Carat Weight and Cut). At Originals by Chad, we always take into consideration our clients' budget and educate them accordingly on their investment. Most important is that you not only enjoy your jewelry but that you are also comfortable with the price. It is better to have a lesser carat, higher quality diamond than one of a larger carat, lower quality. We realize this and will trade-up diamonds purchased from Originals by Chad when it is more feasible for you.
7 - Confidence in Chad
This may be the most important of all the C's. Whoever you are working with should instill a feeling of trust and confidence in you. Originals by Chad has long held an exceptional reputation for instilling confidence, security and trust by their clients. Originals by Chad always encourages their clients to ask any and all questions regarding their jewelry investment.
All diamonds at Originals by Chad are guaranteed to be SI1 or greater and "G" in color or better.
"The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price"
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- Choosing a Diamond
Originals by Chad
521 Front St.
Lynden, WA 98264
(360)318-0210