Introduction to Diamonds

Introduction to Diamonds

Diamonds are formed from ordinary carbon; it was once the same as the lead in your pencil. Over billions of years the carbon crystalized into a diamond — just as water crystalizes to a snowflake and sugar crystalizes to rock candy.
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Shape

Raw diamonds, mined from the earth, are cut and polished into various shapes.Shape refers to the view from the top.Choosing your shape is a matter of preference.

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Size

Diamonds weights are measured in "carats" or "points" before to being set into jewelry. Carats and points are units of measure, like pounds or ounces.

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Clarity

Clarity describes the natural birthmarks that formed within the diamond as the carbon into a diamond crystal. Think of a diamond’s clarity like a fingerprint.

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Color

Diamonds form in nature in different colors. The differences in color are very subtle. Color variation is more like the difference between crystal clear spring water and lemonade.

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Cut

Cut describes the design and workmanship of transforming a "raw" diamond from the earth, into a vibrant gemstone.How a diamond is cut, or designed, accounts for its Brightness, Fire, and Sparkle and all three characteristics are incorporated in the cut grade.  

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Brightness

Brightness, often called brilliance, is the level of light radiating up from within and off the surface of the diamond.When a ray of light reaches and passes through the surface of a diamond,it bends like a light ray passing through a prism.

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Fire

Fire, also called dispersion, describes the colors-of-a-rainbow that appear in a diamond.Diamonds behave like prisms but since its shape is different than prisms the colors don’t appear in straight rows but more like shards of color as in a kaleidoscope.

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Sparkle

Sparkle, sometimes called scintillation, describes the twinkling effect given off as diamonds move about,as if there are white flashes of fireworks within the diamond.The sparkle, or flashes-of-light, come from rays of light reflecting off the diamond’s multiple surfaces.

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Polish

Polish is the quality of a diamond's surface. Diamonds have many polished surfaces, called facets. The facets resemble either a triangle or a stretched or contorted kite.

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Symmetry

Symmetry describes the how perfect the facets align. Perfectly aligned facets appear more beautiful. Symmetry also describes how perfect the shape is.

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Fluorescence

Fluorescence describes the "glow-in-the-dark" effect diamonds emit when exposed to invisible ultraviolet (UV) rays. The sun emits these UV rays.

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Durability

Diamonds are the hardest material in the world but that doesn’t mean they can't break or chip. Hardness is simply the resistance to scratching.

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