Main characteristics of a diamond that you should know

Diamonds are one of the most sought after precious jewels, but to make a good choice you must first know their main characteristics. We tell you what they are...

Diamonds are always a good choice to give to a special person. It is a classic and elegant detail. That is why the diamond is considered one of the precious jewels par excellence in the world of jewellery.

However, not everyone knows diamonds and their characteristics well... In this article we are going to tell you what are the main characteristics of a diamond, how they can be classified and other important aspects you should know if you are thinking of buying a diamond soon.

Take note and make sure you don't fail in choosing your favourite diamond.

What is a diamond

First of all, it is essential that you know what a diamond is in order to differentiate it from other precious or semi-precious stones.

differentiate it from other precious or semi-precious stones.

Indeed, as we have mentioned before, a diamond is a precious stone and the hardest mineral that exists in our nature. This is the main reason for its peculiarity and what makes it one of the most sought-after and sought-after jewels in the world of jewellery.

How to measure the quality of a diamond: the 4 Cs

It never hurts to clarify that not all diamonds are the same. I'm sure you already know this, but do you really know the criteria by which they are distinguished? Do you know what their main characteristics are?

Surely this is of interest to you if you have thought about buying a diamond in the coming days or if you are a regular consumer of jewellery. Don't worry because if you are not yet an expert in gemmology in this article you will find some concepts that will be of great help in your next purchase.

First of all we need to clarify what the 4 C's are. It's simple, it's a popular way of naming the four quality criteria of a diamond. These characteristics are: Carat (Weight/ Carat), Colour (Colour), Clarity (Clarity) and Cut (Cut or Cut). Its acronym in English is 4 Cs and hence the origin of its name.

Now, let's see the weight that each of these characteristics have when defining the quality of a diamond and consequently its price.

Carat

The weight of diamonds is measured in carats (ct). - 1ct is equivalent to 0.2 grams.

Diamonds are mainly traded on a price per carat basis, i.e. the higher the weight, the higher the price. However, it does not only depend on this.

At this point it is important to note that the weight of a diamond should be in accordance with its size. This indicates that the cut is of high quality.

Colour

Colour is possibly one of the most important characteristics when choosing a diamond, not only because it is more in line with our taste, but also because it is a clear determinant of its quality.

It is important to know that the more colourless a diamond is, the more beautiful and valuable it is considered, as well as scarce. To determine the transparency or clarity of a diamond, a scale established by the GIA (Gemological Institute of America) is used internationally. In this scale, a series of computer colours are established with letters from D to Z, D being the most transparent colour and Z the most yellowish or brownish tone, which indicates that it is of lower quality.

In addition to this standard scale, there are also diamonds of other colours (red, blue, green, etc.), the so-called ‘fancy diamonds’. In this case, different criteria are followed. When the shade is rare and the intensity is higher, the diamond is considered to be of better quality and therefore the price increases. Fancy diamonds are the most valuable, the most exclusive and therefore the most expensive.

Clarity

When we talk about impurities in diamonds, we refer to those ‘flaws’ that may be visible as small specks called inclusions. To be able to see and classify the purity of a diamond, there is also a scale that uses the acronym FL (Flawless) for the purest diamond and I3 for a diamond in which the inclusions are very visible and therefore its purity is very low.

Apart from these two extremes, there are other levels:

VVS: (Very Very Very Small Inclusions)

VS: (Very Small Inclusions)

SI: (Small Inclusions)

These are the intermediate levels, each of which has two further sub-levels within it. It must be taken into account that the imperfections of a diamond are analysed with magnifying glasses of up to 10x magnification, therefore they are considered to be very small or very very small depending on the magnification needed to appreciate the inclusion.

Cut

The importance of this characteristic may be because it is the only one in which the human factor is involved and therefore depends on its activity. When we talk about the cut of a diamond, we refer to the way it is cut and the quality of this work.

 

The quality of the cut will allow us to appreciate the brilliance of the diamond and therefore its quality. If a diamond does not have the correct proportions after being cut, it will not be able to bring out its full brilliance because the light does not reflect on it in the same way, therefore its value is devalued. When valuing the cut of a diamond, its original shape and rough weight are also taken into account.

Now that you know what the quality criteria of a diamond are, it is important for you to know that there is no single characteristic by which we can be guided, but that all of them must be taken into account to correctly define whether it is a quality diamond or not.

If you still have more doubts about how to choose a diamond for you or for a special person in Pedro Rodriguez Joyeros we will be happy to welcome you in our shop to advise you.

Our team has extensive experience in the jewellery and diamond sector. We have great professionals who select one by one each diamond that we exhibit. Our goal is to give our customers the best value for money.

Customer Service Department

Contact our customer service department if you need personalised advice. We will be pleased to help you.

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If you wish, you can make an appointment with us on the day and time of your choice. You can schedule your appointment through:

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