When buying a piece of jewellery with one or more diamonds, not only do we have to take into account the design of the piece in question, it is also important that we take interest in the characteristics of the stone itself.
What are the characteristics of diamonds?
The most important aspects are: colour, cut, purity and weight, better known as: carat, colour, clarity and cut, the 4 C´s.
The colour of diamonds:
The scope of tonality that a diamond can adopt ranges from colourless, considered the highest quality, to yellowish, with different scales in between. A scale established by the American Gemological Institute (GIA) and determined by letters, D being the most colourless and Z the most yellow. The most common diamonds in the world of fine jewellery and which are considered very high quality are usually located between classification G and J. It is important not to confuse diamonds with more yellowish tones with so-called “Fancy Diamonds”.
The cut of diamonds:
This is one of the aspects that is often confused with the shape of the diamond in question. It is important to clarify the difference. One the one hand you have cut, a characteristic that will determine the brilliance of the diamond (that is, the light that passes through the stone) and that directly influences the quality of the stone. And, on the other hand, there is the shape that the diamond can adopt. Brilliant, emerald, princess, oval, heart, pear…
The purity of diamonds:
Diamonds, by nature, tend to have small inclusions, or imperfections. The fewer inclusions, the higher the quality the diamond will have. A diamond is considered pure when it has no or very few inclusions. The degree of purity is determined by the number of inclusions as well as by the location of these inclusions.
The weight of a diamond:
Better known as carats, or karats. The weight of a diamond is materialized in carats. The more carats a diamond has, the greater its size and therefore the higher its value.
It is important to be clear that the total value and quality of a diamond is qualified taking into account the totality of all the aspects mentioned. Aspects that must be reflected in a gemological certificate issued and signed by someone with a degree in gemology. The certificate is like the DNA of the diamond, this document will indicate to us the quality and the characteristics of the stone that we are acquiring.
