Q. What is a diamond?

A. A diamond is a mineral composed essentially of carbon crystallized at extremely high temperatures and pressures; in nature, diamonds form 150 to 200 kilometers (93 to 124 miles) or more below the earth's surface. Diamond is the hardest of all known natural substances (10 on the Mohs scale); its refractive index is 2.417, dispersion 0.044, specific gravity 3.52, and its luster is adamantine. Diamond forms in the cubic, or isometric, crystal system, has four directions of perfect octahedral cleavage, and shows a step-like fracture surface. Its color ranges from colorless to yellow, brown, gray, orange, green, blue, white, black, purple, pink, and, extremely rarely, red. Transparent and near-colorless in a desirable color, diamond is a highly valued gemstone; poorly colored or heavily included single crystals are used for a wide variety of industrial purposes; polycrystalline material is crushed and used as an abrasive powder.

Q. How do you choose a jeweler?

A. Choose a jeweler as you would choose your doctor, lawyer or any other professional. Ask friends and colleagues for recommendations. Consider how long a jeweler has been in business. Look for GIA diplomas or other verifiable evidence of a jeweler’s education and qualifications. Check for affiliations with jewelry industry groups and professional associations. A knowledgeable jeweler will clearly explain how the “4C's” (Cut, Clarity, Color, and Carat Weight) affect the value of diamonds and will encourage you to compare a number of stones within the same price range.

Q. What are the “Four Cs” of diamond value?

A. The key to a diamond’s value is its rarity, and no two diamonds are alike. Rarity is determined by a diamond's unique characteristics as measured by the Four Cs: Cut, Color, Clarity and Carat Weight. Using these criteria, a small diamond of exceptional quality will likely be more valuable than a larger diamond of lower quality.

Q. What is a “Carat”?

A. Diamonds are weighed using metric carats. A carat weighs about the same as a small paper clip. Just as a dollar is divided into 100 pennies, a carat is divided into 100 “points.” This means that a diamond of 50 points weighs 0.50 carats. But two diamonds of equal weight can have very different values depending on their clarity, color and cut.

Q. What is Clarity?

A. Created by nature, most diamonds contain unique birthmarks called “inclusions” (internal) and “blemishes” (external). Diamonds with few birthmarks are rare —and rarity affects value. Using the internationally recognized GIA Diamond Grading System, diamonds are given a clarity grade that ranges from flawless (F), to diamonds with more prominent inclusions (I3).

Q. What is Color?

A. Colorless diamonds are extremely rare and highly valued. Most diamonds are nearly colorless with yellow or brown tints. The GIA Diamond Grading System uses letters to represent colors, beginning with D (colorless) and ending at Z (light yellow or brown). The GIA Gem Trade Laboratory uses a Z masterstone to distinguish between normal range and "fancy" yellows. If a stone shows a natural yellow color slightly deeper than the Z master, its color is designated as "fancy light yellow" on the Diamond Quality Analysis Report.

Q. What is Cut?

A. The mere fact that there are traditionally 58 tiny facets in a diamond, each carefully cut and sharply defined, and may be only two millimeters in diameter, strikes many in the buying public as little short of miraculous. But this precision is essential to the potential beauty of a diamond. As a matter of fact, overall appearance – the brilliance, fire, and scintillation that makes diamonds uniquely beautiful – depends more on cut than anything else. There are no internationally recognized grades for cut, as there are for color and clarity, and ther are differences of opinion within the trade about some aspects of cut. Even the Federal Trade Commission is vague about it, compared to the rigor with which other aspects of diamond quality are described. But the affect of cut on a diamond's appearance is indisputable. The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) describes cut as the proportions and finish of a diamond or colored stone. Proportions are the size and angle relationships between the facets and different parts of the stone. Finish includes polish and details of facet shape and placement. Cut can also mean shape, as in round brilliant, emerald cut, or marquise cut.

Q. Why do I need an independent diamond grading report?

A. For the ultimate peace of mind, ask your jeweler to provide an independent diamond grading report with your diamond. The most widely used and respected reports are those issued by the independent GIA Gem Trade Laboratory, who provide reports on the world’s most important diamonds. A professional jeweler can arrange to have your diamond graded and even have a personal message or unique GIA Diamond Grading Report number laser-inscribed onto the diamond's girdle (the diamond's outer edge.)

Q. What is diamond inscription?

A. A micro-laser beam can be used to etch a microscopic inscription on the girdle of any diamond weighing 0.25 carat or more. Inscriptions are most often used to give a diamond a unique identification. For example, Diamond Grading Report numbers or other information relating to ownership are often inscribed. However, romantic messages like “Forever Yours,” and “Always and Forever” have recently been etched onto a diamond's girdle. Poetry, symbols, names and special dates are also popular. Since a message can be read only under magnification, you and your special someone can keep it to yourselves or choose to share it with others. The price of GIA's inscription service is based on the weight of the diamond and the length of the inscription. Typically, up to 15 letters or spaces can be inscribed.

Q. What is gem “enhancement”?

A. Enhancement is any post recovery process which alters the appearance, especially the color or clarity of a natural diamond or other gem material. Coating, fracture filling, irradiation, heating (annealing), and lasering are all forms of enhancement. Enhancement can also be referred to as “treatment." Selling enhanced diamonds and gemstones is an accepted practice in the gem and jewelry industry provided that jewelers disclose the enhancement of a stone before it's sold.

Q. What is the difference between “treatment” and “enhancement”?

A. In 1996, the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) revised guides for the jewelry industry and declared that under many circumstances, use of “enhancement” led to deceptive and unfair trade practices. In a report that accompanied the guides, the FTC explained its ruling: “Enhancement is…used by the trade to describe the treatment of gemstones to improve their color or otherwise improve their appearance. However, the Commission has determined that a more accurate term is “treatment “ and has added this term, in lieu of “enhancement “ to the list of attributes that should not be misrepresented.