A Look at Diamond Carat Weight:

Carat is the term used to express the weight of a with one carat equaling 200 milligrams of actual weight.

*Carat Abbreviations
The abbreviation ct is a shortened way to write carat, and refers to the weight of a single diamond.
The abbreviation ct TW means carat total weight, and is used to express the total weight of multiple diamonds used in a piece of jewelry.

*Carat Weight vs. Size
Carat weight is used as a measure for other gemstones, but different gems of the same weight aren't necessarily the same size, because some gemstones are more dense than others--meaning that they pack more weight into a smaller space.

*How Carat Weight Affects Value:
Larger diamonds are more rare and in more demand than smaller diamonds of the same quality, so they can be sold for a higher price. A one carat diamond solitaire ring is nearly always more expensive than a diamond ring made up of multiple diamonds that are similar, but smaller, even though they total one carat or more.
Diamonds that weigh just under the next full carat are typically less expensive than diamonds passing the full-carat hurdle.
Try to find a diamond that weighs 90-points (9/10ths carat), rather than a full 1-carat, or 1.90 carats rather than a full 2-carats, and so on. When set, no one can see the difference, but you'll enjoy a big savings in cost.

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Four major components are considered when determining a diamond's quality and value. They are known as the Four C's: color, clarity, cut, and carat weight. Understanding these four diamond characteristics and how they interact can help you select a diamond that suits your tastes and your pocketbook.

*Judging Diamond Color
Diamonds are not all truly colorless, but it's the colorless, often called white, which are diamonds that other shades are judged against.
The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) has devised a set of guidelines to grade diamond color. The color of graded diamonds is compared to the color of control stones, preselected gems of a specific color.

*Diamond Grading Procedure
Graded diamonds must be loose stones, because the color diamonds in settings can be affected by the metal colors used in the mountings.
Diamonds are placed table-down, pavilion-up and viewed with a 10X loupe.
A lettering system from D to Z is used to identify the amount of color present in each diamond, with D awarded only to rare, totally colorless diamonds.

Other Factors Affecting Diamond Color:
*Fluorescence
GIA diamond reports and many other lab reports indicate whether or not a diamond exhibits fluorescence, which means the diamond's color changes when it is exposed to ultraviolet radiation. Since UV radiation is a component of daylight and is also present in fluorescent lit rooms, diamonds with this characteristic can appear to change color quite often.
Diamonds that produce a blue reaction usually appear whiter, or more colorless, under UV light.

*Stones that fluoresce yellow appear even more yellow under some lighting conditions.

*Diamond Color Treatments
The color of a some diamonds can be dramatically changed by using HPHT (high pressure/high temperature) processing. Unlike diamond treatments used in the past, HPHT changes appear to be permanent.
Coatings are sometimes used to temporarily enhance a diamond's color.

Clarity is a term used to describe the absence or presence of inclusions inside or on the surface of a diamond or other gemstone. A perfect stone with perfect clarity, or clearness, is rare, and most flaws that do exist in jewelry grade diamonds cannot be seen without looking at the gems through a jeweler's magnifying loupe.

Clarity Terms You Should Know.......
Diamond Inclusions

Inclusions, or flaws, inside a diamond:

* Cracks or "feathers"- Some cracks could threaten the durability of the stone, some may not.
* Included crystals- Small crystals of various colors trapped within the stone.
* Graining- An irregular pattern within the atomic plane of the crystal causing a visible distortion.
* Bearding- Tiny feathers along the edge of the girdle.

Diamond Blemishes:
Flaws on a diamond's exterior surface.

Many exterior flaws are the result of the cutting and polishing process.
* Pits, nicks or knots- Holes or cavities on the surface of the stone caused by wear damage.
* Polish lines- Caused by the polishing wheel.
* Scratches- Caused by everyday wear.
The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) grades diamond clarity using 10X magnification.

Consider the Location of Diamond Inclusions
It's important to consider where a diamond's characteristic is located in relation to the stone's cut, because some inclusions are more noticeable when positioned in specific areas. Your jeweler can offer advice about poor positions of inclusions.
In her book "Diamonds, The Antoinette Matlins Buying Guide," the author encourages us to get to know the inclusions within our diamonds, pointing out that since no two diamonds are alike, the inclusions provide an important road map that may help us identify our property.

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Did you know that the term diamond cut does not refer to its shape? Sure, you have to cut a diamond to make it a shape, but when gemologists say "cut," they are talking about a diamond's proportions, such as its depth and width and the uniformity of its facets--all characteristics that control brilliance, durability and other features we look for in a diamond.
A good cut is essential to a diamond's beauty, because even a diamond with outstanding color and clarity will not display the sparkle that diamonds are famous for if its components don't interact with light as they should.A good diamond cut has many characteristics:

Diamond Width and Depth
The proportions of width and depth have a large impact on diamond brilliance, the reflection of white light that we see when we look at a diamond.
*Light traveling through a shallow cut diamond is lost out of the bottom of the stone and does not back into sight. The lack of light play makes shallow cut diamonds appear lifeless.
*Light traveling through a diamond that's cut too deep escapes out the sides, darkening all or portions of the stone.
*Light traveling through an ideal cut diamond bounces back out the top of the stone, bringing its brilliance into view.

Diamond Symmetry
Symmetry is a term that refers to the alignment of a diamond's facets, its flat and polished surfaces. The facets should be cut to achieve the best play of light.
You've seen diamonds flash when you move them in the light--that effect is called scintillation, and it occurs when light bounces among the facets. Light doesn't reflect as it should if facets are misaligned, diminishing the fireworks display.
*Diamonds graded Fair and Poor for symmetry usually have facets that are misaligned enough to affect the play of light.

Diamond Polish
*The surface of the facets should be smooth and polished so that light can pass through them.

Common Problems with Diamond Cuts
*A broken or chipped culet.
*A culet that's missing or one that's off center.
*Misaligned or extra facets.
*A girdle that is too thick or too thin.

Whether you're choosing a diamond solitaire, a ring with a number of stones, or an open-work lattice ring in which the diamonds flow along the lines of the setting, the way the stones are held in the setting is an integral part of its design.

Each setting technique creates a look that is part of the overall style of the ring. You may like one ring rather than another simply because of the setting technique used.

**Prong Settings
A prong setting is the one most often used to hold a solitaire. A prong setting puts the emphasis on the diamond and not the metal supporting it. The purpose of any setting is to hold the diamonds securely in the mounting and at the same time allow light to enter the diamonds for maximum brilliance.
This is obviously a delicate balancing act. The more metal used to hold the diamonds, the more secure they are; the less metal used, the greater the chance for the diamond to reflect light.
Very thin wires of gold or platinum (the prongs) are used to hold the diamond securely in place. The diamond may be raised high up above the shank, to give it a larger, more important appearance, with only a suggestion of metal showing.
In such a setting, the prongs are attached to the central setting of a ring, known as the head or basket. Each prong extends upward and outward from the head, arching over the diamond to form a secure grip.
The ideal prong tapers to a rounded point. The prongs should be placed at the key points of the diamond, typically at four corners or at four, five or six points evenly spaced around the stone -- this diamond setting offers security without interfering with the stone's brilliance.

The prong setting can also be found in a few variations. One such variation, called the V-prong setting, functions on the same basic concept, but it uses prongs which, when viewed from above, appear to be curved into a V-shape. The right angle of the wire is cut to allow the corner of the gem to rest and be held by the wire.

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