Every time diamond shopping is discussed, you will here the same thing. A great debate on the four Cs of diamonds, the infamous cut, clarity, color and carat weight. The four Cs are incredibly important, but they are not the entire story.
The four Cs can be dangerous for buyers. Why? Well, most know the terms, but not really what they mean. Thus they end up buying what the sales person is promoting, instead of a good diamond. Looking for diamond flaws often produces better results.
Diamond problems tend to come in two categories. Problems that occurred after mining are known as epigenetic. Problems that arose while the diamond was being formed deep under ground are known as syngenetic.
Pinpoint inclusions are a very common problem with diamonds. They appear as little points of light in the internal area of the diamond, but are actually small crystals. You can see them when you turn the diamond and the light point does not change.
Should you buy diamonds with pinpoint inclusion flaws? Personally, I do not think so, but other people feel they are acceptable so long as the flaw is in an unobtrusive location. You will simply have to evaluate the diamond you are looking at and make up your own mind.
Blemishes are found on the exterior surface of diamonds. They are typically epigenetic in nature, meaning they occurred during the cutting or polishing of the diamond. They can often be ground out by a better quality jeweler.
If you see a diamond with extra facets, you might wonder why? It is there because a problem had to be cut off. There is no way to know if they problem was natural or jeweler error, so you just have to evaluate whether you are comfortable buying it.
The world fracture connotates big problems. The same is true when talking about diamond fractures. It is a break in the diamond somewhere. Avoid these diamonds. Also, be aware that some jewelers will try to fill the fracture and pass them off as regular diamonds.
A scratch is a more mundane diamond flaw. Light scratches are common and can simply be polished out. Deeper scratches, however, can ruin a diamond. They are difficult to polish out without impacting the cut. An extra facet may be need.
And then we get to controversy. Diamonds can suffer from needles. These needles often make slight tweaks to the cut and clarity of the diamond. This can lead to interesting results including extra brilliance and sparkling.
So, what is a needle? It is a microscopic opening in roughly the shape of a needle that runs through the diamond. It is not visible to the naked eye, but will do unique things to the sparkle and color of the diamond. This can be good or bad, of course.
Diamonds come out of the ground, not a press. This means they all have something unique to them, mostly in the form of one flaw or another. What is important is to understand those flaws, know what you can live with and find it.
The four Cs can be dangerous for buyers. Why? Well, most know the terms, but not really what they mean. Thus they end up buying what the sales person is promoting, instead of a good diamond. Looking for diamond flaws often produces better results.
Diamond problems tend to come in two categories. Problems that occurred after mining are known as epigenetic. Problems that arose while the diamond was being formed deep under ground are known as syngenetic.
Pinpoint inclusions are a very common problem with diamonds. They appear as little points of light in the internal area of the diamond, but are actually small crystals. You can see them when you turn the diamond and the light point does not change.
Should you buy diamonds with pinpoint inclusion flaws? Personally, I do not think so, but other people feel they are acceptable so long as the flaw is in an unobtrusive location. You will simply have to evaluate the diamond you are looking at and make up your own mind.
Blemishes are found on the exterior surface of diamonds. They are typically epigenetic in nature, meaning they occurred during the cutting or polishing of the diamond. They can often be ground out by a better quality jeweler.
If you see a diamond with extra facets, you might wonder why? It is there because a problem had to be cut off. There is no way to know if they problem was natural or jeweler error, so you just have to evaluate whether you are comfortable buying it.
The world fracture connotates big problems. The same is true when talking about diamond fractures. It is a break in the diamond somewhere. Avoid these diamonds. Also, be aware that some jewelers will try to fill the fracture and pass them off as regular diamonds.
A scratch is a more mundane diamond flaw. Light scratches are common and can simply be polished out. Deeper scratches, however, can ruin a diamond. They are difficult to polish out without impacting the cut. An extra facet may be need.
And then we get to controversy. Diamonds can suffer from needles. These needles often make slight tweaks to the cut and clarity of the diamond. This can lead to interesting results including extra brilliance and sparkling.
So, what is a needle? It is a microscopic opening in roughly the shape of a needle that runs through the diamond. It is not visible to the naked eye, but will do unique things to the sparkle and color of the diamond. This can be good or bad, of course.
Diamonds come out of the ground, not a press. This means they all have something unique to them, mostly in the form of one flaw or another. What is important is to understand those flaws, know what you can live with and find it.
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