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.
In this article, we talk about looking at diamonds from a different direction. Instead of focusing on the four Cs, which diamond sales people are trained to discuss in depth, we will take a look at typical diamond flaws.
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.
An syngenetic flaw that often occurs is a pinpoint inclusion. This flaw looks like a point of light within the diamond. It is really a crystal that is reflecting the light. If you move the diamond under the light and the point of light remains fixed, you have a problem.
If you see a pinpoint inclusion, should you skip the diamond? Not necessarily. They are very common in diamonds. If it impacts the clarity, then skip it. If not, do not sweat it. All diamonds seem to have some minor imperfection.
Our next problem comes from the jeweler. Blemishes are flaws in the surface of the diamond that happen during cutting and polishing. They usually can be buffed out by another jeweler. Finding blemishes tends to be a bad sign, so check another store.
Along these lines, a diamond may be considered to have flaws if it has extra facets. These are essentially extra cuts to the diamond. They indicate the removal of a blemish or other flaw with the diamond. The extra facets are not a negative per se for many people.
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.
You would think a scratch would be no problem for a diamond. In most cases, you would be right. It would just be polished out. Deeper scratches, however, can be bad news. If you polish too much, the cut can be changed. This can ruin the diamond.
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.
At the end of the day, it is the very rare diamond that does not have some minor flaw. Understanding what these flaws are is critical to the selection process. Figure out what you can live with and then find that special diamond.
In this article, we talk about looking at diamonds from a different direction. Instead of focusing on the four Cs, which diamond sales people are trained to discuss in depth, we will take a look at typical diamond flaws.
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.
An syngenetic flaw that often occurs is a pinpoint inclusion. This flaw looks like a point of light within the diamond. It is really a crystal that is reflecting the light. If you move the diamond under the light and the point of light remains fixed, you have a problem.
If you see a pinpoint inclusion, should you skip the diamond? Not necessarily. They are very common in diamonds. If it impacts the clarity, then skip it. If not, do not sweat it. All diamonds seem to have some minor imperfection.
Our next problem comes from the jeweler. Blemishes are flaws in the surface of the diamond that happen during cutting and polishing. They usually can be buffed out by another jeweler. Finding blemishes tends to be a bad sign, so check another store.
Along these lines, a diamond may be considered to have flaws if it has extra facets. These are essentially extra cuts to the diamond. They indicate the removal of a blemish or other flaw with the diamond. The extra facets are not a negative per se for many people.
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.
You would think a scratch would be no problem for a diamond. In most cases, you would be right. It would just be polished out. Deeper scratches, however, can be bad news. If you polish too much, the cut can be changed. This can ruin the diamond.
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.
At the end of the day, it is the very rare diamond that does not have some minor flaw. Understanding what these flaws are is critical to the selection process. Figure out what you can live with and then find that special diamond.
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