Before you buy a Diamond, there are some essential facts you should know, we have classified the Diamond information in two categories:
- Diamond trivia and facts.
- Practical information for the Diamond buyer, the 5C’s!
- A Diamond is simply made up of the element ‘Carbon’, but, in its purest form!
- It is an allotrope of Carbon, but it is only when Carbon is subjected to colossal pressure and heat does it changes its molecular structure, becoming the hardest natural thing known to man, the Diamond!
- Diamonds are formed deep within the Earth: 150-200 km below the Earth’s surface!
- It is the hardest known natural thing on Earth, with a hardness of 10 on the Moh’s scale.
- For many centuries, almost until the 19th century, India was the only known place where Diamonds were found.
- A Diamond has outstanding resistance to physical and chemical erosive agents.
- It has a specific gravity of 3.52g/cm3, refractive index of n2.417, and a dispersion of 0.044, highest among colorless minerals.
- The Diamond belongs to the Cubic Crystallography System; as a result, it is termed as Isotropic, i.e. there is no double-refraction found in a Diamond.
- The largest rough Diamond ever found was the Cullinan at 3106 carats, discovered on January 26, 1905 in the Premier mine of South Africa.
- In 1952, the Gemological Institute of America developed the first internationally accepted Diamond grading system, which is still the standard system today.
- Most Diamonds are over 300,00,00,000 years old, two-thirds the age of the Earth. There are a few ‘young’ Diamonds though, about 10,00,00,000 years old!
- Although Diamonds are perceived as a white, colorless gem, they come in a spectrum of colors; these colored Diamonds are called "fancies." A naturally colorful Diamond costs many times more than an ordinary white Diamond. (The popular “Hope Diamond” is a natural Blue Diamond.)
Now before you buy a Diamond, read our essential Diamond information on the 4C’s and the new 5thC!
Click here to go the 4C’s & Diamond buying guidance page.
Click here to know about the new 5thC!
It is very easy to make a mistake and purchase a Diamond of a lower value but be deceived to believe that it is of higher quality and value!
Hence it is imperative that the buyer get acquainted with the basic Diamond attributes, such as the 4C’s, Diamond certification, etc.
Light of Venus provides you this information with an unbiased approach, simply go through the following tabs for the essential information you will need before you buy a Diamond.
Diamonds are found in many colors, from entirely colorless to completely opaque, black.
But it is the entire colorless Diamond that commands the highest price since it looks the most beautiful and brilliant!
Why?
Because it's all about the light -- a totally colorless Diamond allows more light to pass through than a colored one, and it allows the light to reflect from one facet to another and the resulting rainbow of colors is what Diamond beauty is all about.
It follows then that the more colorless a Diamond is, the higher it is graded according to laboratory standards.
The first Diamond grading standards were introduced to the world by the Gemological Institute of America (G.I.A.) in 1952, which is still used today by almost all other laboratory’s throughout the world.
The following chart will help us to know the G.I.A. color standards for various Diamond color grades:
The above G.I.A. color grading scale extends from D (colorless Diamond) to Z (light yellow or brown Diamond). Color grades are established by comparing each Diamond to a set of master comparison Diamonds in a standard lighting and viewing environment. Each letter grade represents a range of color.
At Light of Venus, you will get the best color graded Diamonds between the grades D to H!
Questions asked by our shoppers:
Q: “How do we know what color grade a Diamond is?”
- It is very difficult for an untrained person to identify a Diamond color. For the same purpose, there are world-class laboratories that grade and certify Diamonds.
- We would advise you to always buy Diamond jewelry that is certified by a 3rd party, reputed institution to get an unbiased Diamond Report.
- Although a wider color grade difference will be easily noticed by an untrained person. (For e.g. color difference between an E grade and an I graded Diamond.)
Q: “So if I buy a J or K color Diamond instead of a higher grade E or F color Diamond, will it really make a difference in the ‘look’?”
- Yes! The look will differ! An E or F color graded Diamond will look many times ‘whiter’ and brighter than a J or K color Diamond.
- Secondly, once you have owned a large Diamond between the higher grades D to G; it is very unlikely that you would like to own Diamonds below these grades!
- What we mean is once you have owned a better grade Diamond, chances are that you yourself would be able to tell the color difference between a large J color Diamond and a large E color one.
If you have any questions regarding Diamond color, kindly mail us at support@lightofvenus.com and we would be glad to answer them and include it in this section.
Simply speaking about clarity, the more ‘clear’ a Diamond is the more valuable it becomes.
Although one might feel that all Diamonds appear similar from eye-level, they have many imperfections left behind by nature, called as inclusions (internal features) or blemishes (surface characteristics), which hamper the flow of light, and makes the Diamond appear blackish or dull.
When a Diamond is being formed deep within the Earth, there are massive chemical reactions, mineral shifts going on around it, and at this time some foreign mineral’s particle or crystal can get embedded inside a Diamond.
Similarly, at the time of formation, the surface of a Diamond can have blemishes due to such reactions.
Such foreign particles greatly reduce its transparency, and hence its value.
On the contrary, a Diamond that is free of inclusions and surface blemishes is very rare and therefore very valuable, as well as costly.
The following diagram outlines the G.I.A. grades for Diamond clarity.
At Light of Venus, you will typically get Diamonds above the clarity grade SI1.
If in the rare case we do offer a Diamond below the clarity grade SI1, it will be offered at an extremely discounted price!
Questions asked by our shoppers:
Q: “I recently a bought a Diamond that is graded as ‘I1’, the seller told me that it was an eye-clean Diamond, but there are many blackish spots visible inside it? I feel like I was cheated, what should I do?”
- First of all, in the science of Gemology, there is no such thing as an ‘eye-clean’ Diamond!
- These are just fancy words created to make the sale. The next time you buy a Diamond, refer to the standard G.I.A grades.
- Regarding your case, an I1 Diamond is going to have few visible inclusions, which is why it is graded as an ‘I’ grade Diamond, hence, the part where the seller said it was an ‘eye-clean’ Diamond, it was a lie!
- Although if that same Diamond has a good color and cut grade and is being sold at a right price, it is a personal choice whether to buy it or not.
Q: “How do Certifying Institutes grade Diamonds?”
- A Laboratory or Institute has trained personnel who first examine the Diamond under 10x magnification, and then check the Diamond under high quality precision microscopes. Finally, after the testing is done, they certify the grade.
- Click here to see how the G.I.I certifies Diamonds.
If you have any questions regarding Diamond clarity, kindly mail us at support@lightofvenus.com and we would be glad to answer them and include it in this section.
Cut does not mean shape!
Cut only refers to the ‘proportions’ that a Diamond shape is cut into.
Diamonds are cut in a variety of shapes, from round to oval, square, triangle, rectangular and even heart shaped!
The ‘Cut’ grade means the degree to which the cutting proportions and finish of a Diamond affect its overall appearance and quality.
Click here to see a standard Round Brilliant cut Diamond.
The following diagram shows us 3 Round Brilliant Diamond diagrams, cut in three different proportions.
In the above diagram, we can see that if a Diamond is not cut correctly, it loses most the light, as a result, appearing blackish and dull.
Questions asked by our shoppers:
Q: “I received a Diamond Ring as a gift, but the Diamond looks very tall, i.e. it appears longish? Moreover, it looks blackish and does not shine like in the advertisements?”
Ans: Unfortunately, you got a poor cut Diamond! As explained in the above image, since it is not cut in ideal proportions, most of the light that enters it is lost from the basal portions, hence it appears blackish.
Return the Diamond to the seller if you can, and insist on one that has at least a ‘good’ cut.
And yes, check that the seller gives you a genuine 3rd party laboratory certificate, and not a ‘self-made’ one!
Q: “How are Diamonds cut if they are the hardest thing known to man?”
- A Diamond can only be cut by another Diamond! Since it has the maximum hardness of 10 on the Moh’s scale, only a Diamond can cut another Diamond.
- A rough Diamond is cut or faceted on a machine called as scaife, which is a revolving cylindrical shaped machine. This machine has Diamond powder glued on it, so when a rough Diamond is rubbed against it, the powder cuts through the rough stone, and the desired cut can be obtained.
- It is a highly skilled job, and may take years for cutters to get to a proficient level.
If you have any questions regarding Diamond cut, kindly mail us at support@lightofvenus.com and we would be glad to answer them and include it in this section.
Carat does not mean size, carat means weight!
Carat weight is the standard unit of weight for Diamonds and other Gemstones.
A 1 carat Diamond weighs 0.200gms or 1/5th of a gram yet, such a Diamond can cost more than a few hundred thousands!
The Carat weight is the most important decision while buying a Diamond because ultimately it is what decides the size of the Diamond, or how ‘big’ a Diamond will look.
It follows then that more the Carat weight, the costlier the Diamond gets, and obviously the more the Carat weight, the bigger and more beautiful a Diamond looks.
The following images will help in understanding the ‘real life’ sizes of various Diamond Carat weights.
Questions asked by our shoppers:
Q: I bought a 1 carat Diamond ring for my fiancé, but it does not look twice the size of a ½ carat one? Was I cheated?
Ans: You were not cheated. Remember that ‘Carat’ only means weight and not size. A 2 carat Diamond does not mean it is twice the size of a 1 carat Diamond, it only means it is twice the ‘weight’ of the other one.
To the eye, it might just appear slightly bigger, which again depends on its Cut quality.
For e.g., 1 carat ‘shallow cut’ Diamond will appear bigger than a 1 carat ideal cut Diamond, but, it will not be half as beautiful as the ideal cut Diamond!
Q: “What is a 15 pointer Diamond? Is it a 15 carat Diamond!?”
Ans: In the jewelry trade, ‘pointer’ is a term used to refer Diamonds less than 1 carat, 1 pointer equals 0.01cts.
For e.g., a 0.15 carat Diamond is called as a 15 pointer, a 0.50 carat Diamond is called as a 50 pointer.
Q: “Should I buy a big Diamond with a low color\clarity\cut grade, or should I buy a smaller Diamond, but with higher color\clarity\cut grades?”
Ans: This is a person specific question.
On our part we can say that a bigger Diamond with low color\clarity\cut grades will definitely appear less brilliant, less beautiful than a slightly smaller Diamond with better grades!
The smaller, but higher graded Diamond will outshine the bigger one any time of any day!
If you have any questions regarding Diamond carat weight, kindly mail us at support@lightofvenus.com and we would be glad to answer them and include it in this section.
This happens every single day:
A consumer is shopping for a beautiful Diamond jewel, the sales people guide him through the sale, but just then the consumer asks about the quality of Diamonds, and the sales people blurt out a standard statement, something like this:
“The Diamonds are of the highest quality Sir, as they are ‘Super Deluxe’ Diamonds”.
Q: Now, is there really any category, quality, called as “Super Deluxe Diamonds”?
NO.
Dear Shopper,
It is very easy to make a mistake and purchase a Diamond of a lower value but be deceived to believe that it is of a higher value!
Thus it is of utmost importance to understand the purpose of a Diamond Certificate, the new 5th C!
A Diamond certificate or grading report is the written proof of a Diamond's attributes.
It is a report that assures that a particular Diamond is of the declared quality.
Without a Diamond Certificate, you have no assurance that the Diamond you are buying is of the quality you're paying for!
But with it, you know the precise grading for each of the 4Cs: Carat weight, Cut, Color, Clarity plus you also get some more additional information like the Diamond’s fluorescence, Cut symmetry, overall finish\polish of the Diamond, etc.
Hence, once you have a Diamond’s Grading Report in your hand, you are in a far better position to judge the Diamond fairly! This report also enables you to assess its reasonable market value!
A diamond report helps you, the shopper, in the following ways
- Gives an unbiased, impartial grading (4C’s) report.
- Makes you aware of the Diamond quality.
- Assures you that a Diamond is truly of the declared grade.
- Avoids the possibility of getting cheated with a lower, poor quality Diamond.
- Allows accurate pricing for different grades, thus protecting the consumer’s interest.
Who provides a Diamond certificate?
A Diamond’s attributes are specified according to the 4C’s. But to examine and assess Diamonds, a sophisticated laboratory, trained technicians, and a highly secure environment is needed.
Diamond certificates are issued by many independent gemological laboratories. There are several grading laboratories in the world, the most prominent being: The G.I.A, or the Gemological Institute of America.
Is it important which laboratory certifies the Diamond?
Of course! If the seller himself certifies his Diamond, how can the shopper be confident of its quality!
A Gem testing laboratory gives unbiased and impartial reports. The purpose of a Diamond report is void if the report itself is partial or biased.
It is for this reason we advise shoppers to buy Diamond Jewelry only when it is accompanied by a Diamond Grading Report of a reputed independent laboratory, like the G.I.A. or the I.G.I.
Click here to view a sample G.I.A grading report of one of our Diamond.
Questions asked by our shoppers:
Q: “Are your Diamonds Certified?”
Ans: At Light of Venus, all Diamond Jewelry is accompanied by Diamond reports from the Gemmological Institute of India, the Gemological Institute of America or the International Gemological Institute.
Q: “What is more important; Diamond quality or Diamond certificate?”
Ans: More important is Quality Diamonds with the accompanying certificate!
It is completely useless to get poor quality Diamonds with a certificate, because in either case they are of poor quality, so what’s the difference if they are certified or not?!
But yes, for the ordinary buyer, the certification of such poor quality Diamonds does at least one important thing, the seller cannot cheat him by quoting a premium price!
Q: “Why doesn’t any other brand provide a ‘G.I.A Diamond Grading Report’ with their Rings?”
Ans: The G.I.A Diamond Report means compliance with the highest quality grading standards in the World for Diamonds.
When the Diamonds in Rings sold by others do not carry a G.I.A or some other equivalent report, it might simply mean that they do not satisfy those standards!
Q: “What grade Diamonds do you provide in your Solitaire Rings?”
Ans: At Light of Venus, you will strictly get Diamonds of the Top Quality!
Our Diamonds are generally between:
Clarity grade: FL to SI
color grade: D to H
Cut grade: Ideal to Good
In the rare case that we offer a Diamond of a quality lower than the above, it will be:
- Accompanied by a world class grading report like the G.I.A Diamond Report!
- It will be offered at an extremely discounted price!