The quality of a Diamond is influenced by 4 characteristics (the 4 Cs):
weight (carat), colour (colour), clarity (clarity), cut (cut)
THE WEIGHT
DIAMONDS ARE WEIGHED IN CARATS. ONE CARAT IS 1/5 OF A GRAM.
THE COLOR
COLOR CLASSIFICATION IS DONE THROUGH THE USE OF A COLOR SCALE.
-
D
-
AND
-
F
-
G
-
H
-
THE
-
J
-
K
-
N
-
Z
- D WHITE EXCEPTIONAL +
- AND EXCEPTIONAL WHITE
- F WHITE EXTRA +
- G WHITE EXTRA
- H WHITE
- IJ WHITE LIGHTLY COLORED
- FROM K TO Z COLOUR WITH DIFFERENT INTENSITIES.
THE SCALE DIVIDES THE COLORS
STARTING FROM THE LETTER D WHICH IDENTIFIES COMPLETELY COLOURLESS AND TRANSPARENT GEMS (EXCEPTIONAL WHITE +) UP TO THE LETTER Z (COLOURED STONE). IN ADDITION TO THE LETTER Z, STONES ARE CATALOGUED AS FANCY WHICH GO BEYOND THE TRADITIONAL COLOUR CLASSIFICATION AND RECEIVE DIFFERENT EVALUATIONS AND QUOTATIONS.
THE PURITY
ALMOST ALL DIAMONDS PRESENT SOME STRUCTURAL INHOMOGENEITIES OR SMALL CRYSTALS OF DIFFERENT NATURE AND THESE IMPERFECTIONS ARE CALLED “INCLUSIONS”. HOWEVER, IT IS NOT ONLY THE MORE OR LESS CONSISTENT PRESENCE OF THESE INCLUSIONS THAT INFLUENCES THE QUALITY OF THE STONE BUT ALSO THEIR COLOUR, NUMBER AND SIZE. THERE IS A REFERENCE SCALE FOR THE CLASSIFICATION OF DIAMOND CLARITY WHICH DIVIDES THE DIFFERENT DIAMONDS BASED ON THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE INCLUSIONS ABOVE MENTIONED:
-
FLAWLESS
-
IF
INTERNALLY FLAWLESS
-
VVS 1, VVS 2
VERY VERY SLIGHTLY INCLUDED
-
VS 1, VS 2
VERY SLIGHTLY INCLUDED
-
YES 1
SLIGHTLY INCLUDED
-
YES 2
SLIGHTLY INCLUDED
-
P 1, P 2
INCLUDED
-
P 3
INCLUDED
- FL NO INTERNAL OR EXTERNAL INCLUSIONS VISIBLE AT 10X MAGNIFICATION BY AN EXPERT EYE. HIGHEST LEVEL OF CLARITY (THESE ARE THE RAREST AND MOST PRECIOUS STONES)
- IF NO INTERNAL OR EXTERNAL INCLUSIONS VISIBLE AT 10X MAGNIFICATION BY AN EXPERT EYE. THERE MAY BE SOME VERY SMALL EXTERNAL IMPERFECTIONS TO THE FINISH.
- VVS-1 THERE IS A VERY SMALL INCLUSION, VISIBLE AT 10X MAGNIFICATION ONLY TO EXPERT EYES.
- VVS-2 THERE ARE SOME VERY SMALL INCLUSIONS VISIBLE AT 10X MAGNIFICATION ONLY TO EXPERT EYES.
- VS-1 VERY SMALL INCLUSIONS VISIBLE AT 10X MAGNIFICATION.
- VS-2 SMALL INCLUSIONS VISIBLE AT 10X MAGNIFICATION.
- SI-1 / SI-2 MORE INCLUSIONS ALWAYS VISIBLE AT 10X MAGNIFICATION.
- SI-3 INCLUSIONS VISIBLE TO THE NAKED EYE ONLY BY AN EXPERT OBSERVER.
- P-1 INCLUSIONS VISIBLE TO THE NAKED EYE.
- P-2 MANY INCLUSIONS VISIBLE TO THE NAKED EYE AND WHICH HAVE A NEGATIVE EFFECT ON THE SHINING OF THE STONE.
- P-3 MANY INCLUSIONS VISIBLE TO THE NAKED EYE WHICH, IN ADDITION TO HAVING A NEGATIVE EFFECT ON THE BRILLIANCE OF THE STONE, ALSO INFLUENCE ITS STRUCTURE, MAKING IT MORE FRAGILE.
THE CUT
THE CUT IS A CHARACTERISTIC OF THE STONE WHICH, COMPARED TO OTHERS, CAN BE DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE INFLUENCE OF MAN. THE DIFFERENT CUT HAS A DIRECT INFLUENCE ON THE BRIGHTNESS AND BRILLIANCE OF THE STONE. WITH REGARD TO THE CUT, TWO DIFFERENT CONSIDERATIONS CAN BE MADE:
ONE LINKED TO THE SHAPE THAT IS GIVEN TO THE STONE, IN THIS SENSE WE CAN IDENTIFY CUTS SUCH AS:
-
ROUND SHAPE BRILLIANT CUT
-
OVAL SHAPE BRILLIANT CUT
-
MARQUISE SHAPE BRILLIANT CUT
-
DROP SHAPE BRILLIANT CUT
-
HEART SHAPE BRILLIANT CUT
-
EMERALD CUT
ONE RELATED TO THE PROPORTIONS OF THE CUT. WHICH ARE FUNDAMENTAL BECAUSE THEY DETERMINE THE DIFFERENT DEGREES OF SPARKLING OF A DIAMOND INDEPENDENTLY OF THE SHAPE. FROM THIS POINT OF VIEW THE FOLLOWING CAN BE IDENTIFIED:
-
IDEAL CUTS (EXCELLENT)
DIAMONDS CUT WITH PERFECT CUT PROPORTIONS. THESE DIAMONDS EXHIBIT THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF CLARITY AND SYMMETRY. -
VERY GOOD CUTS
DIAMONDS CUT WITH PROPORTIONS THAT MATCH EXACTLY THE REQUIREMENTS REQUIRED TO EMPHASIZE THE FIRE AND BRILLIANCE OF THE DIAMOND -
GOOD CUTS
DIAMONDS CUT WITH GOOD BUT NOT IDEAL PROPORTIONS. THEY HAVE A GOOD LEVEL OF BRILLIANCE AND FIRE AND ARE STILL EXCELLENT QUALITY JEWELRY. -
MEDIOCROSE CUTS
DIAMONDS CUT TO PROPORTIONS THAT MAKE THEM APPEAR DIFFICULT. -
POOR OR FAIR CUTS
DIAMONDS CUT WITH PROPORTIONS THAT ARE FAR FROM IDEAL. STONES THAT HAVE LESS BRILLIANCE AND LUSTER.
