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| DIAMOND SELECTION |
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| Jewelry: Gorgeous Gemstones |
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| The custom of exchanging a band of gold
as a symbol of everlasting love and commitment goes back to the days
of ancient Rome. Couples today have a vast array of metals, settings,
and stones to choose from. The possibilities seem endless and can be confusing unless you have a basic understanding of the famous four "Cs": Color, Cut, Clarity, and Carat. As you will see, there is much more to a diamond than the size of the stone. |
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| The Four "Cs" Explained | |||
| Color | The clearer the
diamond, the greater its value. Though all diamonds appear to be colorless,
many have tints or traces of brown, pink, green, or blue in them.
Stones that are truly colorless are known as "perfect".
Diamonds also come in fancy colors such as red, green canary, blue,
and brown. Because these fancy colors are not as readily available
as the regular "white" diamond you can expect to pay a premium
price for them. |
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| Cut | This refers to the shape of the diamond. The most traditional cuts include round, oval, pear, marquise, emerald, heart shapes and baguette. Cut also refers to the quality of the cut and the accuracy with which it was cut. | ||
| Clarity | Many diamonds look near perfect to the naked eye. Jewelers use a microscope or jeweler's loop to determine the clarity of a stone. At a 10 power magnification most stones reveal imperfections such as lines, black specks, or bubbles. Generally, the more imperfections the lower the value of the stone. A flawless diamond must show no blemishes when viewed at 10 power magnification. | ||
| Carat | The carat is the measure of the size of the diamond. A 1 carat diamond equals 200 milligrams. Keep in mind that the size is only one measure of the diamond's value. Therefore a 3/4 carat diamond that is superior in Cut, Color, and Clarity can easily be more valuable than a lesser quality 1 carat diamond. | ||
| After the Purchase: Important
Details |
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After you've selected the ring of your dreams there are just a
few more items to take care of:
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