EDUCATION:Diamond

Diamonds are created by carbon that is both heated and compressed, then pushed to the surface of the Earth (or close to it), which results in the colorless stones. Diamonds is composed of a transparent material that lets light pass through it. In history, stone cutters realized that you can get extra sparkle if you facet the diamond and they set about finding out the best combination of facet size and shape and angle to get the most sparkle. There are the four most popular factors, as known as “Four C’s: Diamond Cut, Diamond Color, Diamond Clarity, and Carat Weight”, used to measure diamond quality. This section contains all the information you need with “Four C’s” so that you would be able to find the diamond that's right for you.

A diamond's cut is the most important C of the four Cs because it explains how a diamond's proportions affect its brilliance and fire. Quality of a diamond's cut is graded by its depth percentage and its table percentage. The width and depth of a diamond have effect on how light is deflected within the diamond and also how light exits the diamond in the form of brilliance. Light reflects from one side of the pavilion to the other and then to the crown; it leaves the stone traveling in a direction where it will be seen when the stone is viewed face-up. So regardless of the cut you choose, it will have an impact on the beauty of your stone. Just be sure to look for any flaw(s) that may be more apparent due to a particular shape. Usually, round cuts tend to exhibit the most brilliance and a design with 58 facets has been shown to be the most efficient way to maximize the stone's best qualities and this has become known as the most ideal cut. However, there are many different opinions on the best table size and the best depth for a diamond because these two factors alone are not sufficient enough to accurately judge a diamond's cut. Other factors such as crown angle, girdle thickness, culet size, polish and symmetry all play a role in judging a diamond's overall cut quality.

Polish and symmetry are important because they affect on the overall appearance of a diamond. Polish refers to the quality of the diamond's surface such as polish lines and abrasions. Symmetry refers to the exactitude of the shape and alignment of the facets.

GIA grades polish and symmetry	AGSL grades polish and symmetry
Excellent (EX)	Ideal (ID)
Very Good (VG)	Excellent (EX)
Good (G)	Very Good (VG)
-	Good (G)

Diamond Color

The diamond industry makes a basic distinction among diamonds in normal color range and fancies. The normal range is from colorless and near colorless to light yellow and light brown. A diamond's color is graded by GIA(Gemological Institute of America) on an alphabetical scale from D to Z, with D being absolutely colorless and Z being light yellow and by AGS(American Gem Society) on 0 to 10. Beyond Z-color, a diamond is considered to be a "fancy" color. Fancies include yellows and browns deep enough to be considered attractive and distinct tints of other colors. The colors of most fancy diamonds are not strong and pure. Large, medium-dark, vivid fancy-color diamonds are incredibly rare and red and green are the rarest fancy colors, followed by purple, violet, orange, blue, and pink. Although many diamonds appear to be colorless, the many of them have at least a hint of body color. A diamond's color has a significant impact on its value. When buying a diamond, take into consideration that it is often very difficult to detect the difference between a colorless diamond and a near colorless diamond, especially when it is mounted in jewelry. Diamonds with yellow color grade usually have yellow shading that can be detected by the naked eye; however, a well cut stone with good proportions will still release the brilliance and fire of a lower colored diamond, dispersing light in such a way so as to create a beautiful stone.

Diamond Clarity

Clarity is the degree of which a diamond is free of blemishes and inclusions. Blemishes are external – scratches, small nicks and parts of the rough crystal’s surface left on the finished stone. Inclusions are internal – other mineral crystals or diamond, feathers breaks and other traces of distortion. When light enters a diamond, it is reflected in and refracted out. If anything disrupts the flow of light through the diamond, such as an inclusion, a proportion of the light reflected may be lost. This effect can deviate from the pure beauty of the diamond.

To get the most value, we suggest selecting a diamond that is "eye clean" where no internal flaws are visible with the unaided eye. Most of Diamonds that Anygolds.com has are between SI1 to SI2, but you may not notice a significant difference between these two grades. However, you should consider the number, size, brightness, nature, and position of the inclusions of an SI1 and SI2 graded diamond to ensure that it is “eye clean”. Some inclusions can be hidden by a prong when mounted, thus having little effect on the beauty of a diamond. An inclusion in the middle or top of a diamond, however, could impact the dispersion of light, sometimes making the diamond appear less brilliant.

Our diamond experts can inspect an SI1 ~SI2 graded diamond to ensure that it is eye clean. For assistance, please email us or contact a customer service by phone at 1-877-806-9342.

GIA and AGS Clarity chart
	GIA	FL IF	FL: Flawless No Inclusions or Blemishes are visible to a skilled grader using 10X magnification
	AGS	0
	GIA	VVS1 VVS2	VVS1 and VVS2: Very, Very Slightly Included Inclusions are difficult for a skilled grader to see under 10X magnification
	AGS	1-2
	GIA	VS1 VS2	VS1 and VS2: Very Slightly Included Inclusions are clearly visible under 10X magnification but can be characterized as minor
	AGS	3-4
	GIA	SI1 SI2	SI1 and SI2: Slightly Included Inclusions are noticeable to a skilled grader using 10X magnification
	AGS	5-6
	GIA	I1 I2 I3	I1, I2 and I3: Imperfect Inclusions are obvious under 10X magnification and may affect transparency and brilliance
	AGS	7-8-9

Carat Weight

Diamond weight is measured in carats, one carat equals 0.2 gram – a little more than 0.007 ounce. To visualize how precise this is, consider that a point. Each carat is divided into 100 points. For example, 0.75 carat stone may be referred to as a "seventy-five points". Carat weight is easy to determine due to the use of highly sophisticated measuring equipment.

Many diamonds of equal carat weight might vary greatly in value depending on their cut, color and clarity. This is important because when mounted, one diamond may appear larger than the other, although they actually weigh the same. So we recommend you great cut is more important than the weigh. If the size is the same, to look big for their weight may have reduced brilliance and fire.

An increase in carat weight does not tell the same increase in millimeter or diameter. For example, there is a 25% increase in carat weight from 1.00 carats to 1.25 carats but less than 8% increase in diameter (6.5 to 7.0 mm). This explains why prices increase in order to get noticeably bigger millimeter size. Accordingly, large diamonds are so rare and much valuable, the heavier the diamond, its cost will be much higher If all other factors are equal. For example, the price of a two-carat stone will be several times higher than four 0.50-carat stone of equal quality.

Finally, you should think how much carat weight of diamond are right for your special lady. If you choose a diamond that’s too small, it’s not very impressive to all of her friends. On the other hand, If you buy a big stone, she may not wear it for fear of theft or falling it out. Consider the size of her fingers and the width of her engagement setting. Our Micro pave-setting engagement rings do not only seem to look bigger than single stone engagement rings, are also less risk of losing the big stone.

Diamond Shape

Diamonds can also be cut into different shapes and the shape of a diamond can also influence how valuable it is. All shapes other than rounds are called fancy shapes or fancy cuts. The shape of the rough often determines the shape of the finished stone. Round brilliants are the bread and butter of the industry, but fancy shapes that are generally considered more attractive are still popular. The most popular fancy cuts has been the marquise, pear, oval, and emerald cuts. In these days, princess cut become popular.

Diamond Certification

What is a Certificate?

A diamond certificate is evaluated and issued by an independent third party laboratory and verifies that a diamond is genuine and provides an evaluation of a diamond's characteristics. A certificate will contain a complete quality description of the diamond and will include information on 4c’s ; cut, carat weight, color, clarity, shape, fluorescence, measurements, proportions and overall finish.

Anygolds.com Jewelry Appraisal

An appraisal is a document stating the approximate retail replacement value of an item and is usually necessary for insurance purposes. In case of loss, theft, or damage, your insurance company will use the appraisal to provide an equal replacement of your item. In addition, your insurance company will also calculate your premium based on the retail replacement value in the appraisal. At your request, Anygolds.com will provide a complimentary professional appraisal on diamond ring purchases through e-mail or mail.

Our appraisals are written and signed by our Gemology experts, so you can be sure that the item you purchased is of the absolute finest quality. All stones are also carefully inspected to ensure that they meet the strict standards of high quality set by Anygolds.com In addition, our appraisal for diamond rings contain valuable information, including:
An accurate and complete description of the item being appraised
The precious metal used in the setting and measurements of the center diamond
The cut and shape, carat weight, color, and clarity
The report number
The approximate retail replacement value

If you have any further questions about the appraisal report, please email us or contact a customer service representative by phone at 1-877-806-9342

Cubic Zirconia

Cubic Zirconia is a mineral that is widely synthesized for use as a diamond simulate. The synthesized material is hard, optically flawless and usually colorless, but it may be made in a variety of different colors. Also cubic zirconia is known for its low cost, durability, and close visual likeness to a diamond. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cubic_zirconia)