Diamond Jewelry - Page 2
A carat is a measure of the weight of a diamond. One carat equals two hundred milligrams. Clarity describes the flaws in a diamond. Flaws can be intrinsic and external and manifest as a small dot on the surface to a hazy cloud inside the stone. The scale of clarity ranges from FL to I1-I3. FL is completely flawless and I1 to I3 contain flaws that can be detected with the naked eye ad should be avoided. The remaining measures vary in whether the flaw can be detected with a 10x microscope and by who can detect the flaw. For examples, a VVS1 can only be detected by an expert with a microscope, whereas with a SI1, anyone can see the flaw under a microscope, although it may take a while to find it. The color of a diamond describes whether a diamond is completely colorless, yellow or somewhere in between. The color of a diamond is measured on a scale from D though Z. D is without any color and Z is yellow. Most diamonds fall in the G-H range. The final C is the cut of the diamond, which is determined by several factors. They are the cutting style, shape proportion and workmanship. There are two styles which are the step cut and brilliant cut. You can also choose a variety of shapes including round, marquise, oval, princess, and hear shaped diamonds. Each C does not carry the same weight in evaluating diamonds. The clarity is the last component evaluated because it cannot be detected by the naked eye. The color is also not as important because once set in platinum or white gold, a diamond of average color, G-H, will appear as a D-F when looking at the jewelry. The most important component is probably the cut of the diamond. This determines the brilliance and fire of a diamond. It is what makes a diamond shimmer and shine.
Your diamond jewelry should endure for a long time because the diamond is physically a strong gem. However, you still need to care for them properly so that they will retain the same shine as they had when purchased. Always keep your jewelry in a safe place in order to avoid an accumulation of dirt and to avoid damage to the stone. Diamonds easily collect build up, which reduces the appearance of its brilliance and fire. Powder, dust and oil from your skin can collect on the diamond.
