Have you ever wondered how the act of proposing with a diamond engagement ring came about? Dating back to 1477, Archduke Maximillian of Austria was the first known person to present a diamond engagement ring to his love, Mary of Burgundy. Over time, it became a common tradition across the globe to propose with a diamond ring. The symbol of a diamond engagement ring holds great sentiment of a lifetime of love with a partner. The archduke proposing with a diamond ring leads us to the discussion of, well, diamonds.
Luckily, you can choose from many different diamond shapes that match your style and preference. When choosing your perfect diamond it may be important for you to consider the Four Characteristics that determine the quality and value of a diamond. There is a grading system in place that grades the quality and characteristics of each diamond. Those being: Color, clarity, cut, and carat.
Let’s get into it.
1. Color
2. Clarity
3. Cut
4. Carat
1. Color: The color of a diamond is a visible attribute to the grading of a diamond. Color is graded by how visible a hue of color a diamond gives off. There is a range from colorless to yellow or brown. Most loose diamonds found in jewelry stores range from colorless to near colorless. The grading scale ranges from ‘D-Z’ and is categorized. The range of D, E, F is considered Colorless; G, H, I, J are Near Colorless, and K-M, N-Z are Noticeable Color.
2. Clarity: Natural diamonds are created by extreme pressure and heat deep in the earth. Through the diamond formation process, a rough diamond can have internal characteristics caused by organic matter that got trapped inside of the rough diamond. This is where clarity comes into play. Each diamond, to some extent, has internal characteristics. The clarity of a diamond is determined by the type, size, and visible appearance of the natural characteristics that are visible by using 10x magnification. The grading scale ranges from Flawless/Internally Flawless (FL-IF), Very Very Slight Inclusions (VVS1-2), Very Slight Inclusions (VS1-2), Slight Inclusions (SI1-2), and Imperfect (I1-I3).
3. Cut: The cut of a diamond is more than just the shape. There are ten popular shapes of diamonds that can be used as the centerpiece in an engagement ring. Those include: round, princess, cushion, emerald, radiant, oval, pear, asscher, and heart shape. If a diamond shape is anything other than a round diamond, it is considered a ‘fancy’ shape diamond. The only diamond that has a defined ‘cut’ grade is a round diamond. A round cut diamond can have a cut grade of excellent, very good, good, fair, and poor. When a diamond is cut to good proportions, it makes the best use of light. This means light is reflected from one facet to another and dispersed through the top of the diamond maximizing brilliance.
4. Carat: Diamond carat weight is simply the weight of a diamond measured in the unit ‘CT.’ All diamond prices increase as carat weight does. The desirable weight of a diamond is completely based on consumer preference.
Luckily, you can choose from many different diamond shapes that match your style and preference. When choosing your perfect diamond it may be important for you to consider the Four Characteristics that determine the quality and value of a diamond. There is a grading system in place that grades the quality and characteristics of each diamond. Those being: Color, clarity, cut, and carat.
Let’s get into it.
1. Color
2. Clarity
3. Cut
4. Carat
1. Color: The color of a diamond is a visible attribute to the grading of a diamond. Color is graded by how visible a hue of color a diamond gives off. There is a range from colorless to yellow or brown. Most loose diamonds found in jewelry stores range from colorless to near colorless. The grading scale ranges from ‘D-Z’ and is categorized. The range of D, E, F is considered Colorless; G, H, I, J are Near Colorless, and K-M, N-Z are Noticeable Color.
2. Clarity: Natural diamonds are created by extreme pressure and heat deep in the earth. Through the diamond formation process, a rough diamond can have internal characteristics caused by organic matter that got trapped inside of the rough diamond. This is where clarity comes into play. Each diamond, to some extent, has internal characteristics. The clarity of a diamond is determined by the type, size, and visible appearance of the natural characteristics that are visible by using 10x magnification. The grading scale ranges from Flawless/Internally Flawless (FL-IF), Very Very Slight Inclusions (VVS1-2), Very Slight Inclusions (VS1-2), Slight Inclusions (SI1-2), and Imperfect (I1-I3).
3. Cut: The cut of a diamond is more than just the shape. There are ten popular shapes of diamonds that can be used as the centerpiece in an engagement ring. Those include: round, princess, cushion, emerald, radiant, oval, pear, asscher, and heart shape. If a diamond shape is anything other than a round diamond, it is considered a ‘fancy’ shape diamond. The only diamond that has a defined ‘cut’ grade is a round diamond. A round cut diamond can have a cut grade of excellent, very good, good, fair, and poor. When a diamond is cut to good proportions, it makes the best use of light. This means light is reflected from one facet to another and dispersed through the top of the diamond maximizing brilliance.
4. Carat: Diamond carat weight is simply the weight of a diamond measured in the unit ‘CT.’ All diamond prices increase as carat weight does. The desirable weight of a diamond is completely based on consumer preference.