|
Home
diamond engagement rings
Diamond Alternative Engagement R
Buying A Vintage Engagement Ring
Celebrity Inspired Custom Made E
Looking For An Engagement Ring
Color
Classic rings
Diamond Rings
Antique rings
| |
Gemological characteristics
The most familiar usage of diamonds today is as gemstones used for adornment.
This usage dates back into antiquity and predates other uses.[citation needed]
The dispersion of white light into spectral colors, is the primary gemological
characteristic of gem diamonds. In the twentieth century, experts in the field
of gemology have developed methods of grading diamonds and other gemstones based
on the characteristics most important to their value as a gem. Four
characteristics, known informally as the four Cs, are now commonly used as the
basic descriptors of diamonds: these are carat, cut, color, and clarity.
Most gem diamonds are traded on the wholesale market based on single values for
each of the four Cs; for example knowing that a diamond is rated as 1.5 carats,
VS2 clarity, F color, excellent cut round brilliant, is enough to reasonably
establish an expected price range. More detailed information from within each
characteristic is used to determine actual market value for individual stones.
Consumers who purchase individual diamonds are often advised to use the four Cs
to pick the diamond that is "right" for them.
Other characteristics not described by the four Cs influence the value or
appearance of a gem diamond. These characteristics include physical
characteristics such as the presence of fluorescence, as well as data on a
diamond's history including its source and which gemological institute performed
evaluation services on the diamond. Cleanliness also dramatically affects a
diamond's beauty.
There are three major non-profit gemological associations which grade and
provide reports on diamonds. While carat weight and cut angles are
mathematically defined, the clarity and color are judged by the trained human
eye and are therefore open to slight variance in interpretation.
Gemological Institute of America (GIA) was the first laboratory to issue modern
diamond reports, and is held in high regard amongst gemologists for its
consistent, conservative grading.
American Gemological Society (AGS) is not as widely recognized nor as old as the
GIA but garners a high reputation. The AGS employs a number system for grading
cut quality, color grade, and clarity. The highest grade being '0', and the
lowest being '10'.
Diamond High Council (HRD) Official certification laboratory of the Belgian
diamond industry, located in Antwerp. Antwerp World Diamond Center classic engagement rings
|
