All About Diamonds

It is important to know something about diamonds before you buy any. It is easy to buy a diamond that is of poor quality for a high price so the more you understand about diamonds the better your chances of getting a good deal are.

Diamonds are not just a set price, There are many types and qualities and many dealers and suppliers. Picking the right one can make a difference of thousands of dollars but you do need to know what you are looking for and when dealing with a dealer or jeweler, what you are talking about and understand what ‘they’ are talking about also.

Diamonds, like many other substances such as talc, graphite, gypsum etc. one of the major differences is the hardness of the substance. The diamond is the hardest and the way this is determined is how the atoms are arranged in the carbon. Diamonds are made under intense pressure deep within the earth and most of the diamonds you will see around were made anywhere from one to three billion years ago.

To get 5 grams of diamond generally requires mining or sorting through about 1 million grams of material but only 20% of these are suitable for jewelry. The rest are used in industry for cutting other material or other diamonds and for watches as, for all intents and purposes, cannot wear out.

Diamonds are thought to be white but in fact can be a range of colors and these are usually called Fancies or fancy diamonds.

The next article of the series, is available at www.priceofdiamonds.org There we go into some depth on some of the more important aspects of diamonds and how to choose them.

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Michael Moore
Price of Diamonds

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Choosing A Diamond Wedding Ring

Choosing a wedding ring can be the most fun part of the whole wedding process, second of course to the fitting of the wedding gowns.

When you think about it, a wedding ring is actually more important as this will be worn even after the wedding as a symbol of the couples’ love for each other. Choosing that symbol of love is therefore crucial.

For most people, diamond is the only option. Although there are some that choose emeralds, sapphires and other colored stones, most women still prefer the purity of the diamond’s color and brilliance. There is something about the diamond that beckons to the modern bride.

First stop is of course the price. If you do not have the budget, better settle for a simple wedding band in white gold. This is preferable than buying a diamond wedding ring that is yellowish in color or hazy in its brilliance. It is better to just save your money now and buy a quality diamond wedding ring later when you already have enough. Besides, who needs a diamond wedding ring that is tawdry and cheap looking.

In choosing a diamond wedding ring, here are the things that you have to take into consideration.

Clarity

The clarity of the diamond wedding ring refers to the brilliance and shine of the stone. This includes the imperfections that can seen on the gem and if it is hazy in appearance. There are corresponding clarity scales for each diamond. When you buy, ask the clerk about this as the clarity is one of the things that will determine the value of the diamond you are going to buy.

Color

The whiter the diamond is, the more expensive it is. Like the clarity, each diamond will have a corresponding color scale. Ask your clerk about this and make that you do not buy those in the yellow side.

Carat

This is perhaps the most popular property of the diamond as this corresponds to the size of the stone and the weight. One carat is equivalent to 0.05 grams. The bigger and the heavier the diamond, the more expensive it is of course.

Cut

The cut of the diamond is not really that crucial compared to other properties but some people prefer specific cuts. Among the cuts that they can choose from are the round, oval, pear, marquise, emerald and the princess cut, which may have cuts from 57 to 70 facets.

This content is provided by Low Jeremy and may be used only in its entirety with all links included. For more info on Diamond Ring, please visit http://diamond-ring.articlekeep.com

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Do You Know Why Some Colorless Diamonds Are More Valuable?

Diamonds that are colorless are more valued than those that have color. In fact, diamonds that are colored are considered to be more flawed than their clearer cousins. To rate the level of a diamonds color, retailers and diamond experts use a scale that begins with the letter D, and progresses alphabetically. Why not start with the letter A? It seems that when diamonds were first being graded on their colorlessness, people wanted to leave room for the possibility of a simply flawless, perfect diamond. So the best diamond known at that point was given the letter D, with A, B, and C being left in reserve for a possible marvel that might be discovered. No A, B, or C diamonds have ever been found.

The diamonds that are hardest to find are the ones with the least color. The letters D, E, and F are reserved for them. Between these three levels there is only the minutest difference, which is all but invisible to anyone but an expert in gems. G and H diamonds are labeled as near colorless, and a layperson can tell the difference between them and higher grade diamonds. G-H diamonds can be a very good value. Diamonds that are graded between I and J are also called near colorless, but they have a bit more color than G and H. These also can be had at times for a very good value.

The color letters progress all the way to the letter Z, the level of color increasing along the way. As letters get closer to the end of the alphabet, their quality decreases. It is important to not that the color scale for is for white diamonds, and that it doesn’t apply to diamonds, which are colored.

Colored diamonds are very much sought after by gem-collectors, while discolored white diamonds are not. When two types of diamonds are paired together, the result can be marvelous. The Hope Diamond, perhaps the most famous diamond in the world, is for instance a deep blue color set on a chain with white diamonds. Of all diamonds that are colored, the rarest are red diamonds.

Diamonds get their coloring from mineral impurities that are found in the cells that make up their crystal structure. Technically, these are defects, but they still can be pleasing to the eye. Some of the colors that diamonds can be labeled are brown, purple to pink, green, red, yellow, orange, blue, gray, white, and black.

Take your time when purchasing a diamond. The time you spend will likely save you money and you will be able to find the diamond of your dreams that is within your budget.

Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Florida. Find more about this as well as the custom diamond jewelry at http://www.customdiamondjewelryplus.com

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What Does Fire Mean When It Comes To Diamonds?

If you are in a jewelry shop browsing for a gift for yourself or a loved on, or perusing jewelry ads, you may come across the word “fire” to label a diamond. What does that mean? That the diamond is hot? As fun as a magically warm diamond would be, fire used in reference to diamonds actually means the refraction of light that occurs through a diamond. This creates a band of color like a rainbow. Greeks of the classical period believed that this rainbow fire was a tiny encapsulated portion of the eternal burning of love.

It is best to look for a diamond’s fire in places where the light is low, like over a candle light dinner or in a soft-lighted parlor. Exactly how much fire you will see is dependent on how the particular diamond is shaped. More traditionally shaped diamonds look like they have more fire than diamonds shaped in the modern style, because they have exaggerated angles at the crown, and flat, tabular facets. Some other things to consider when you are looking for fire are brilliance and scintillation. Brilliance is a measure of a how bright a diamond is, and how much interior contrast it presents. This affects how much light returns to the viewer. Brilliance is sometimes called return-of-light in the industry. This is what gives diamonds their trademark sparkle, and is what most people are immediately attracted to in the stones. Hence, many gem specialists believe that it a stone’s most valuable aspect.

Scintillation comes from the Latin for sparks or embers. For diamonds, scintillation is the way in which light scatters off the surface of stone when it is in motion. Brilliance and scintillation are similar, but the former refers to the light reflected while a diamond is sitting still. Both of them are distinct from fire, which is the reflection of light but about a stone’s rainbow making refractions of light.

When a diamond is fashioned into its shape, there are certain decisions that have to be made. Shape determines the amount of fire and brilliance a stone will have, and no stone can have it all. So gem specialists must often choose one or the other. The current trend is to cut stones to enhance their brilliance rather than to increase their fire. Of course, fire, brilliance, and scintillation are important, but the most important thing is how a stone seems to you. When you are choosing a diamond for yourself, the most important thing is that you find that special something in it. If the stone has all the fire, scintillation, and brilliance in the world, if you don’t find it appealing it is worthless to you.

Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Florida. Find more about this as well as the jewelry and diamonds at http://www.jewelryanddiamondsplus.com

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