Learn How to Select a Diamond

Familiarize yourself with the 4Cs of diamond buying. They are: Cut, Color, Clarity and Carat Weight. WhiteFire offers a wide selection of diamonds in many shapes and sizes.

You should purchase a diamond that is ideal for by way of price and quality. Cut - The cut of the diamond can affect its price by as much as 50%. However, please know that Cut does NOT mean the shape of the diamond.

By shape I mean popular cuts like the Round Brilliant, Princess, Oval, Radiant, etc. Cut refers to symmetry or how well a diamond is proportioned. Another term used within the diamond industry is "make" of the diamond. The Cut or Make of the diamond determines how a well-proportioned diamond will sparkle after it is fashioned and polished for the end user.

Again, a well-cut diamond will command a higher price at market. A poorly cut diamond will not be as "fiery" or "brilliant" and will be less costly. Color ? Color is another important factor in determining the value of a diamond.

A diamonds body color or color grade is determined by using a letter grading scale developed by the Gemological Institute of America. The color grading scale starts with the letter D of the alphabet and goes down to the letter X. Starting with the letter D, the diamond will be at its whitest color and is also referred to colorless. As you move further down the grading scale towards X, the diamond will gradually become less colorless and typically have more yellow color. White or colorless diamonds are rare and therefore more valuable or costly. The more color or yellow a diamond has, the least costly is.

The color grading scale is basically broken down into four categories. Colorless- consisting of D to F in color, Near Colorless- G through J in color, Faint Yellow- K to in M in color and Very Light or Light Yellow- meaning N to X in color. Beyond that point is what is classified as Fancy Yellow and that is a totally different ballgame. Here is a good buying tip to keep in mind. Diamonds are best viewed when they are loose. It is difficult to tell color when a diamond is in the ring setting, even for a professional.

Most diamonds will face up as a whiter color when they are already set in the ring mounting. Clarity ? Clarity refers to how clean the gem is of inclusions. Inclusions are naturally occurring characteristics within the diamond, kind of a fingerprint of the diamond if you will. Just as no one will ever have your finger print pattern, no two diamonds will ever have the same inclusions oriented in the same way. It is extremely unlikely. The more inclusions a diamond has, the less valuable it is.

Inclusions seen to the unaided eye are even less costly. Fewer inclusions in a diamond command a higher price, as they are rarer than included diamonds. Carat Weight - The higher the carat weight of the diamond, the more you will pay. A Carat is the unit of measurement used for weighing gemstone. The smaller unit of measurement under a carat is a called point's. One carat is equal to 100 points.

Half of a carat is equal to 50 points, so fourth and so on. Obviously diamonds come in many different weights. The key is determining what you budget allows.

If your future fiancé has small hands it may be that a larger diamond is not necessary for her hands. If she has larger hands, then you may have to go with a larger diamond. Talk to her, feel her out and try to get an idea of what she prefers. Or if you are trying to keep it a surprise, ask a family member or close friend of hers what she might desire. In doing so, you are sure to buy her a diamond engagement ring she will cherish for a lifetime!.

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