Description of diamonds

Diamond is natural gemstone, which is formed in very high pressure and temperature conditions.

Diamond is supposed to be the hardest known natural substance, which is broadly used in industry as well as in jewelry.

Diamonds become a girl’s best friend only after careful handling of lapidary.

As diamonds are natural origin, there are no two the same kind. Therefore it is developed methodology for characterization and qualification of diamonds.

 

The methodology is based on 4 criteria, known as 4Cs:

Diamond color;

Diamond clarity;

Diamond carat;

Diamond cut.

One and most important factor, which affects value of the diamond, is its rarity, so the better condition of surface (absence of imperfections on surfaces or in the stone) and structure, the more perfect diamond you own. 

Diamond color

The most valuable diamonds are colorless, but never the less they can occur also in diverse colors. The diamonds can be divided in two groups- traditional colors and fancy colors. Traditional colors, which are majority, are in range of pale yellow or brown in different tonalities. Fancy colors are all the rest for example steel gray, blue, orange, red, green, white, pink, purple or black. Different diamond colors were formed depending on the chemical composition and inclusions in the crystal lattice.

G.I.A.	C.I.B.J.O.	I.D.C./H.R.D.	U.K.	SCAN.D.N. (до 0,5 карат)	SCAN.D.N. (0,5 карат и выше)
D	Blanc cxeptionnel +	Exeptional white +	Finest white	Rarest white	River
E	Blanc cxeptionnel	Exeptional white
F	Extra blanc +	Rare white +	Fine white	Rare white	Top Wesscllon
G	Extra blanc	Rare white
H	Blanc	White	White	White	Wesselton
I	Blanc nuance	Slightly tinted white	Commercial white	Slightly tinted white	Top crystal
J			Top silver Cape		Crystal
K	Blanc legerement teinte	Tinted white	Silver Cape	Tinted White	Top Cape
L
M	Teinte	Tinted	Light Cape	Slightly yellowish	Cape
N
O			Cape	Yellowish
P
Q
R
S-Z			Dark Cape

                                       

 

Diamond clarity

Naturally formed diamonds have inclusions and surface irregularities, which make them unique and help jeweler to recognize them from each other and from false ones. This is a bright side of the clarity. The dark side of the clarity is that it has great impact on value of diamond. As diamonds with lack of inclusions or surface irregularities are rarity, they also set the top prices. 

Table of international standarts

G.I.A.	C.I.B.J.O.	SCAN.D.N.
Flawless	Flawless	Flawless
IF	-	IF
VVS1 VVS2	VVS1 VVS2	VVS1 VVS2
VS1 VS2	VS1 VS2	VS1 VS2
SI1 SI2	SI	SI1 SI2
I1	P1	P1
I2	P2	P2
I3	P3	P3

 

Diamond carat

Weight of diamond is defined as carat, which equals 0,2 grams. Carat has been used as a unit of measurement for centuries. The name has first time attested in the middle ages. It comes from Italian word “carato” meaning carob seed. They used carob seeds for measurement of weight, because they assumed that the seed had low variability in mass. So they could control the price and set criteria for gemstones.

The smallest unit of carat is 0,01 carat, but the largest is 100 carat.

There is division of diamonds according it weight and diameter:

Weight 0,03 ct =diameter 2,0 mm

Weight 0,10 ct =diameter 3,0 mm

Weight 0,30 ct =diameter 4,3 mm

Weight 1,00 ct=diameter 6,5 mm

Weight 1,50 ct =diameter 7,5mm

Weight 2,00 ct =diameter 8,2 mm

Weight 3,00 ct =diameter 9,4

The overall trend:

Small sized diamonds until 0,29 ct;

Average sized diamonds from 0,30 ct until 0,99 ct;

Big sized diamonds from 1,00 ct and more.

Elements of a brilliant