Diamonds Resources
We want you to be confident with your Novori
diamond purchase. On these Diamond
Education pages you will learn diamond basics
and what to look for before you make a diamond
purchase.
Many of us don’t even know that the term diamond cut does
not refer to its shape. Sure, you have to cut
a diamond to make a shape but when gemologists
say, "diamond cut," they are talking
about a gemstone's proportions, such as its depth
and width and the uniformity of its facets –
all characteristics that control brilliance, durability
and other features we look for in a diamond.
What does diamond
clarity have to do with a diamond? A lot.
There are many who believe that simply owning
a diamond places them in an elite club. The truth
of the matter is not all diamonds are created
equally.
What exactly is diamond
color? While most people think of the classic,
transparent diamond, which happens to be the most
rare and valuable, the colors of diamonds actually
range from transparent all the way to a brownish
color.
When shopping for a diamond, you've no doubt
heard references to the 4 C's of diamonds. Diamond
carat is one of those popular ”C's”
to consider when evaluating a diamond. It's a
term used to describe how much the diamond weighs.
If you are in the market to purchase a diamond,
you'll be learning all about the 4 C's of diamonds:
cut, color, clarity and carat. But in the mind
of the average buyer, there is a fifth “C”
that just may be the most important of all them:
the diamond cost.
Synthetic
and imitation diamonds were produced successfully
in the 1950’s by American and Swedish researchers
almost simultaneously. Since then, the production
has increased by leaps and bounds and current
statistics reveal that around 80 tons of these
gems are synthesized every year for industrial
firms by companies like De Beers, General Electric
and others.
For centuries, people have always tried to improve
objects that are a result of nature. We've cross
bred plants and even animals to produce new species,
and we prune and shape trees and bushes to make
them more pleasing to the eye or to create fancy
borders around our yards and in front of our homes.
When it comes to diamonds, many become treated
diamonds by the jeweler, in order to improve
their appearance.
Many people are starting to favor the fancy,
vivid colored
diamond gemstones over the traditional transparent,
or white, diamond. Some diamonds are found in
their natural colors when they are mined, others
become colored by gemologists and jewelers during
a treatment process.
When a diamond is considered to have a flaw,
it is an imperfect gemstone. Something about the
diamond did not form correctly, or there are tiny
imperfections within the stone. Diamond
flaws and inclusions are often not noticeable
to the average person, and you need not worry
about the small inclusions that occur in most
diamonds.
If you want to begin judging
diamond quality, you must first learn and
understand the 4 C’s, which are four characteristics
of diamonds that give the gem stone it’s
overall value. The 4 C’s for judging diamond
quality include the diamonds color, clarity, carats
and cut.
Most people have both jewelry lab certificates
and appraisals for their valuable jewelry, but
the two documents are not one in the same. They
serve different purposes and contain a different
set of information that is helpful to jewelry
owners, as well as to people who are looking for
new jewelry to purchase.
If you thought all diamond shapes were the same,
you may be surprised at the abundant number of diamond shapes that are available.
The first diamonds were mined in India, more
than 2800 years ago. The diamonds that we find
today are all extremely old. In fact, most are
900 million years old or more, with the oldest
known diamond being 3.2 billion years old. Like
snowflakes, each diamond is entirely unique. There
are no two diamonds that are exactly the same.
Diamond certificates from independent organizations such as the Gemological
Institute of America (GIA) provide a diamond grading
report, that gives you valuable information about
the 4 C's that were taken into consideration when
the diamond was priced.
Diamond history varies greatly depending on your source of documentation,
as diamond history is as rich in myths and folklore
as it is in physical facts and records. Diamond
history is one filled with mythical stories, such
as one where snakes guarded a land full of diamonds,
and the history has fascinated people with the
romance and beauty that surrounds our most precious
gemstones; diamonds.
Around the world there are many diamonds that
have been talked about or written about in various
stories and official documents. Famous
diamonds are part of our world's history,
and have been found in various parts of the world,
by all types of people.
Despite their humble origins as plain carbon, cousin
to soot and graphite, diamonds are the hardest substance
known to humankind. This makes them invaluable for a variety
of applications, from drilling in rock to providing the best
polishing powder possible. It seems sheer luck that diamonds
also possess an extraordinary crystalline structure that, when
cut and polished, can outshine the beauty of any other gem.
There are few things that compliment the fire and flare of a fine
diamond more than its color. While many people prefer flawless, completely
colorless white diamonds, they're
very rare and aren't for everyone. |
