Your guide to diamond quality and value

A diamond is an investment in beauty for a very special person. It is an investment in individuality, for no two diamonds are alike. It is an investment in the future, because a diamond, the hardest substance known to man, is forever.

So it's good to learn all you can about how to buy and care for a diamond-whether is's an engagement ring or a peice of diamond jewelry that will be equally cherished.

The 4 C's

A diamond is judged by four distinct factors that combine in a number of ways to arrive at its value. These factors are known as the 4 C's.

Cut

Cut Refers to the particular placement and angle of each of the small facets on the surface of the diamond. If the diamond is cut ideally each ray of light that strikes the diamond is reflected back to you and creates brilliancy and sparkle in the diamond. Cardella diamonds are noted for there exceptional brilliance because of there close adherence to the ideal cutting formula.

Carat Weight

A carat is the unit of measurement for diamonds and precious stones. In the carat weight scale there are 100 points to 1 carat, just as there are 16 ounces in a pound. For example, if a diamond weights 50 points, it is a 1/2 carat diamond.

Color

It sometimes surprises people to learn that diamonds can cover the entire spectrum of colors. The majority, however, range from those with a barely perceptible yellow or brownish tint, up to those that are very rare and described as colorless. All Cardella diamonds are in the colorless to near colorless range.

Clarity

Clarity is defined as the absence of internal or external blemishes (called clarity characteristics) in the diamond. The presence or absence of clarity charachteristics is a major factor in determing the value of the stone. no two gems can have inclusions which are exactly alike, so clairty characteristics do serve to identify a stone.

Shape

There are eight principal diamond shapes: Brilliant, Pear, Trilliant, Marquise, Emerald, Heart, Oval, Princess. Persue the shapes below to see which might be the most appropriate.

Definitions:

• Flawless - No imperfections, inclusions or blemishes visible at 10x magnification.
• Internally Flawless - Very insignificatn surface blemishes only.
• VVS1 - Minute inclusions extremely difficult to see at 10x.
• VVS2 - Minute inclusions very difficult to see at 10x.
• VS1 - Minor inclusions difficult to see at 10x.
• VS2 - Minor inclusions somewhat difficult to see at 10x.
• SI1 - Noticeable inclusions easy to see at 10x.
• Si2 - Noticeable inclusions, very easy to see at 10x, and may be visible through the pavillion to the unaided eye.
• I1 - Obvious inclusions at 10x visible to unaided eye.
• I2 - Obvious inclusions easily visible to unaided eye.
• I3 - Obvious inclusions extremely easy to see with unai0ded eye. Usually affects durability.