Diamonds :

Diamonds, long considered the most prized of gemstones, were first mined in India. Pliny may have mentioned them, although there is some debate as to the exact nature of the stone he referred to as Adamas Currently, Africa and Canada rank among the primary sources.

The British crown jewels contain the Cullinan Diamond, part of the largest gem-quality rough diamond ever found (1905), at 3,106.75 carats.

Now popular in engagement rings, this usage dates back to the marriage of Maximilian I to Mary of Burgundy in 1477.
Diamonds – The 4 C's:

1. Colour
Colourless diamonds are the most prized because they allow more light to pass through the stone. They are also the rarest and the most expensive. Most diamonds have subtle differences in the shade of colour. These differences range from nearly colourless to tinted white to light yellow. Most appear colourless to the untrained eye and when set in gold.

The diamond industry adopts the Gemmological Institute of America's grading system. This is a letter system to grade colour ranging from 'D' (colourless) to 'Z' (light yellow) as shown in the table below.

Colourless D, E, F
Near Colourless G, H, I, J
Faint Yellow K, L, M
Very Light Yellow N, O, P, Q, R
Light Yellow S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z

2. Clarity

Clarity refers to how clear a diamond is. Most diamonds have natural imperfections called inclusions. These inclusions are the diamonds fingerprints and make each diamond unique.

Most are invisible to the untrained eye and most jewellers need magnifiers to view them.

The number and location of the inclusions within the stone determine the clarity grade. Diamonds with no inclusions reflect more light and are very rare and very expensive. Jewellers use the GIA (Gemmological Institute of America) grading system for clarity grading.

IF VVS1 VVS2 VS1 VS2 SI1 SI2 I1 I2 I3
Internally Flawless Very, very slight Inclusions Very slight Inclusions Slight Inclusions Visible Inclusions

 
 
3. Cut

Cut refers to the precise proportions and dimensions (the form of the diamond) and determines how a diamond handles light. The proper angles of cut allow light to internally reflect within the stone and allow the stone to have more brilliance and fire to sparkle better. A poor cut will make the stone dull to the eye.

4. Carat Weight

A diamond's weight is measured in carats, which are divided into points. 100 points equals 1 carat; 1 carat equals 100 points; half a carat equals 50 points and a quarter carat equals 25 points, and so on. The larger the stone, the more rare it's occurrence in nature, therefore the higher its value. However, diamonds of the same weight can have huge differences in value depending on colour, clarity and cut.
 
 
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