Diamond Buying Guide

The name diamond comes from the Greek "adamas," meaning unconquerable. Made of pure carbon, diamonds are the hardest natural substance known to man. Every diamond is unique, with its own individual beauty. Selecting the finest diamonds is an intuitive art: the work of a connoisseur rather than a scientist. The owners at Simones Jewelry evaluate the diamonds we purchase in two overall ways: QUALITY, as defined by the 4C's, and BEAUTY, which involves going beyond technical grading to discover diamonds that have exceptional fire, life and brilliance. The four most popular factors used to measure the rarity of a diamond are cut, color, carat weight and clarity. The 4C's selection criteria, introduced by DeBeers to consumers in 1939, is a valuable tool that will help educate you so that you can better evaluate the quality of the diamond(s) you purchase.

The way a diamond is cut and polished is vital. It is the precision and delicacy that dictates the maximum amount of light the diamond will refract and reflect. The better it has been cut, the greater will be its brilliance, sparkle and fire.

When a diamond is cut to good proportions, light is internally reflected from one facet to another and then dispersed through the crown, or top, of the diamond. If the cut is too deep, then some light will escape through the opposite side of the pavilion, or bottom, of the diamond. If the cut is too shallow, then some light will escape through the pavilion, or bottom, before it can be reflected. So a fine cut diamond is comprised of facets with the correct angles, which are perfectly placed to maximize the diamond’s brilliance. It is the quality of the cut and its final polish that unlocks the hidden beauty. Diamonds at Simones have been cut to make the best possible use of light and reflect the most brilliance.

There are many shapes and sizes of diamonds. But whatever the shape or size, the cut is the only human element. A well cut diamond will have more value than the one which is not. See the chart below to see the difference in the cuts of each diamond pictured:

Most diamonds look colorless, but there are many subtle shade differences and the closer a diamond is to having no color the more valuable it becomes. A diamond is the only gemstone in which the absence of color makes it more valuable.

Why does the color vary? Due to the extremes of nature that first created diamonds, traces of elements such as nitrogen and boron could have been incorporated into the diamond’s atomic structure.

It is these traces that give a diamond its color - or lack of it. Diamonds with no hint of color at all are very rare. Most gem quality diamonds, seen on their own, may well appear to be colorless. But usually they do have at least a hint of color - this is normally yellow or brown due to traces of nitrogen. See the chart below to see the differences in color:

Diamonds can be found in all shapes and sizes. The size of a diamond is determined by its weight in carats. A carat is divided into 100 points, so a diamond of 75 points is .75 carats or 3/4 of a carat. Larger diamonds command a higher price because they are more rare. While size is an obvious factor in determining the value of a diamond, all 4 “Cs” should be considered. Remember, bigger is bigger and not necessarily better. At Simones, fine quality is found in every diamond regardless of its size.

The diameters and corresponding weights of round, well proportioned, brilliant diamonds are listed below. Certified stones with superior cut proportion will fall within this range and are very rare, and more valuable. See the chart below to see the range in sizing of diamonds:

Most diamonds contain natural imperfections called inclusions. A diamond’s clarity is determined by taking into account the number, size, type, and location of the inclusions. The fewer inclusions in a diamond, the more valuable it is. Inclusions are a natural process and considered nature’s fingerprints on the diamond. The clear passage of light through a diamond is the “key” to its value. All of our diamonds have been selected according to their clarity, color, and cut which insures quality, beauty and value.

Clarity is graded under 10 power magnification by a trained eye. The challenge of clarity grading can be divided into two parts:
A) Finding and classifying inclusions.
B) Evaluating their effect on the clarity grade.

The ability to consistently assign an accurate clarity grade to a diamond is a difficult task that takes many years of experience. Because of this, grades are given. See the chart below to see the difference in each clarity category:

Diamonds come in several shapes along with sizes as mentioned above. Diamond shapes are mainly chosen for personal preference of the buyer. The various diamond shapes include cushion cut, which is a mixed-cut diamond shaped like a square pillow, and: