About Diamonds

Diamonds are formed when carbon crystallises through tremendous heat and pressure deep within the earth. Diamond bearing Magma (streams of liquid rock) rises to the surface as a result of volcanic eruptions, and as the earth's surface cools, the diamond bearing rock turns solid. It is within this rock that diamonds are now found in countries such as Australia, Russia, India and Africa.

No two diamonds are exactly alike; they are as individual as finger prints!

Diamond are valued by assessing the 4 C's, that is Clarity, Colour, Cut and Carat Weight (accumulating to the 5th C being Cost - as two diamonds of equal weight can have very different values, depending on the assessment of the 4C's). Clarity and Colour generally get the most focus however how well the diamond is cut and the resulting carat weight are important considerations as well and affect the cost / value of the stone.

Clarity

This ranges from Internally Flawless to P3 or I3 which is quite included, inclusions are natural formations within the stone, below is a rough description of the various clarities.

  • IF - Internally Flawless under 10x magnification and VERY rare and expensive
  • VVS - Very Very Slight Inclusion under 10x magnification
  • VS - Very Slight Inclusion under 10x magnification
  • SI - Slight Inclusion under 10x magnification (not visible with the naked eye)
  • P1/I1 - contains prominent inclusions under 10x magnification
  • P2/I2 - contains very prominent inclusions under 10x magnification
  • P3/I3 - contains extremely prominent inclusions under 10x magnification

Colour

This varies from colourless to tinted and graded from D colour to Z. The lower the letter in the alphabet, the better the colour for example

  • D-F is considered colourless,
  • G-J is considered near colourless,
  • K-M has faint colour
  • N-R is considered light yellow
  • S-Z is considered yellow

However natural Fancy Colours such as Pink, Blue and Canary Yellow are rare and also considered premium stones

Cut

Meaning how well the diamond has been cut to maximise the brilliance (scintillation) of the stone.

Carat weight

The size of the completed cut stone is measured in carats. 1ct is divided into 100 points, so a diamond of 50pts weighs .50carat

 

GemNet Diamonds have quoted on GH/SI and JK/P1 diamonds for easy reference, though any clarity and colour can be quoted for.

Keep in mind, diamonds generally become heirlooms and are passed on to future generations, it is a gift which keeps on giving.


This information was sourced and is available from various DeBeers Brochures and Diamond sites