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Bonded Diamonds understands the difficulty in purchasing
a special diamond. Buying a diamond may seem complicated
and confusing if you do not have an understanding of the
basics. Spend a few minutes reading below to learn the diamond
process. Choosing the right diamond will be easy for you.
REMEMBER there are wide variances in the qualities
of cut, diamonds having identical size, color and clarity
can look markedly different!
COLOR
The Value Of Your Diamond Is In Its Color
The value of your diamond is in its color. Color in diamonds
range from colorless to light yellow. Color is broken down
into grades D through Z. Each letter represents a slightly
different shade (tinge) of color, from D which is colorless,
to Z which is light yellow.
| D E F |
G H I J |
K L M |
N - - - - - - Z |
| Colorless |
Near Colorless |
Faint Yellow |
Light Yellow |
- D, E, F Describe diamonds which are COLORLESS (No Body
Color). These are best described as VERY WHITE and CLEAR
in appearance.
- G, H, I, J appear white and differ only slightly in
hue. g color is the whitest, h the next whitest, i the
next, and j the least white of the four.
- Colors K, L, and M describe diamonds having a light
yellow body color. The color K has a very faint yellow
tinge, while the colors L and M have slightly darker tinges.
COLOR IS THE KING AND QUEEN IN DIAMONDS !!
CUT
The skill with which the diamond is cut has a great influence
on the beauty of the finished stone. It is during the CUTTING
PROCESS that THREE MAJOR CHARACTERISTICS of the diamond
are brought out. These are: SCINTILLATION, FIRE, AND BRILLIANCE.
- SCINTILLATION Refers to the SPARKLES or FLASHES one
sees coming from the various facets of a diamond.
- FIRE Refers to the different SPECTRAL COLORS seen in
a diamond.
- Colors BRILLIANCE Refers to the SHINE or BRIGHTNESS
of a diamond.
Shape is a matter of personel preference. A ROUND shape
is the most popular, other choices include:
MARQUISE
PEAR
PRINCESS
OVAL
RADIANT
EMERALD CUT
HEART
TRILLIANT
CLARITY
Does your diamond have any imperfections? The CLARITY
GRADE relates directly to the presence or absence of "FLAWS"
in your diamond. Forget your " Naked Eye", the industry
standard #10 Power Magnification Loupe is recommended.
| FL |
FLAWLESS |
No imperfections can be seen. The flaws
in these grades range from extremely tiny |
| VVS1 |
VERY/VERY SLIGHTLY |
(VVS1) to IMPERFECT tiny (VVS2) |
| VVS2 |
VERY/VERY SLIGHTLY |
Flaws in both grades are very difficult
to locate. |
| VS1 |
VERY SLIGHTLY |
The flaws in these grades range from
very small (VS1) to small (VS2). |
| VS2 |
VERY SLIGHTLY IMPERFECT |
Flaws in both grades can be difficult
to locate. |
| SI1 |
SLIGHTLY IMPERFECT |
Flaws in the SI1 grade are somewhat small.
Flaws in all (SI) grades are much easier to locate
than flaws in (VVS) or (VS) grades, but are still
not large enough to be seen without magnification.
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| SI2 |
IMPERFECT |
Flaws in the SI2 grade are larger.
Flaws in all (SI) grades are much easier to locate
than flaws in (VVS) or (VS) grades, but are still
not large enough to be seen without magnification.
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SI3
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IMPERFECT
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Flaws in all (SI) grades are much easier to locate
than flaws in (VVS) or (VS) grades, but are still
not large enough to be seen without magnification.
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I1
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IMPERFECT
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Flaws in the imperfect categories range from large
(I1) to very large (I2 and I3).
Flaws in these categories are very easy to see
under #10 power magnification, and can also be seen
with the naked eye!
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I2
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MORE IMPERFECT
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Flaws in the imperfect categories range from large
(I1) to very large (I2 and I3).
Flaws in these categories are very easy to see
under #10 power magnification, and can also be seen
with the naked eye!
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I3
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EVEN MORE IMPERFECT
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Flaws in the imperfect categories range from large
(I1) to very large (I2 and I3).
Flaws in these categories are very easy to see
under #10 power magnification, and can also be seen
with the naked eye!
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CARAT
A full CARAT diamond has "100 points" and equal to 1/5th of
a gram. Generally speaking, the larger the stone, the more
expensive it is. See the chart below for actual size in mm
based on carat size. Because of different monitor sizes, the
chart may not be to scale.
View Actual
Dimensions of Various Weights
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