Leonardo Jewelers

Diamond Education

Here at Leonardo Jewelers, we take great pride in offering an exceptional array of pieces of fine jewelry to our customers. Our prices are competitive an our quality is obvious when you first lay eyes on our dazzling inventory. We realize than many of our customers might be buying fine jewelry for the first time and we believe that the best way to instill consumer confidence in our products is to provide a detailed education section. Some shoppers are shy to ask questions, so this entire section is for them! You can research every aspect of buying diamonds, gemstones, pearls and more. Our education section can also provide a wonderful amount of detailed information for the seasoned fine jewelry customer as well. However, if you have any specific questions regarding fine jewelry, our diamond experts are always ready and willing to assist you in your purchase. All you need to do is contact us and we will help in any way that we can. Fine jewelry is a commitment and here at Ellis Fine Jewelers, we take that commitment seriously. So, you have decided to buy a diamond. First off, congratulations! Diamond ownership is a source of pride for many people all over the world. Diamonds are a responsibility, but if managed well, these important purchases often last the owner for the rest of their life. When you are looking to purchase a diamond, understand that this is an investment in a lifelong ownership experience. Diamonds require care and attention in order to keep them at their best. When shopping for your diamond, it is always in your best interest to do some research beforehand in order to understand what to look for in terms of quality. Most of the basics are covered in what we have come to refer to as “the four C"s - color, clarity, cut, and carat weight. If you can remember the four Cs, you are in good shape to start looking at diamonds. We have included additional education on all of your diamond buying basics. Should you have any questions that have not been addressed, please feel free to contact one of diamond experts for assistance.

Diamond Cut
Diamond Color
Diamond Clarity
Diamond Carat Weight

Cut

The cut of a diamond does not refer to geometric shapes. Instead, it defines the style guide used to work out shape of the diamond within the parameters of a design. This involves symmetry and proportioning to prepare the gem for polishing, thus emphasizing the diamond’s brilliance. Even when diamonds are at their roughest point, they allow light through due to the natural transparency of the gem. Faceting is the process by which we attempt to take advantage of that. The cut of a diamond is all about the math. While calculating the best combination of facet size, shape and angle in order to get the most sparkle out of the diamond itself, stone-cutters and scientists eventually settled on the number 58. This cut became known as the ideal, and has quickly become the industry standard. When picturing a diamond, most people first think of the ideal cut. However, there are many other different kinds of cuts available, including brilliant and passion.

1. An excellent proportion cut of a diamond, would reflect light from one facet to another and then get dispersed from the top of the stone.

2. The light escapes from the other side of the facet if the cuts in a diamond are made too deep.

3. When the cuts are made too superficial, then the light escapes even before getting reflected

Color

The way that color factors into a diamond is hugely important. It is good to research and understand the way diamond colors are graded, as the faintness and intensity of hues within the gem have a way of affecting the quality. A diamond that has no additional chemicals added and maintains structural perfection would be colorless with no hues. Diamonds that feature intense coloring tend to have been heavily modified. Fancy color diamonds are often treated in order to bring out coloring, although the term can also refer very rare colored diamonds that are entirely natural. The rarest color found in nature is red. Often, naturally colored diamonds are less intense than colored ones, often colored in very pale hues. This is what you want to look out for if you are not trying to purchase a colored diamond - the faint traces of color that result from imperfections or chemical treatment.

D-F: Absolutely colorless. This is the highest color grade and quite rare.

G-J: Near to colorless. These may appear colorless when mounted in white gold or platinum.

K-M: Diamonds in this category have a visible yellow or brownish tinge. These diamonds are not generally recommended for engagement rings and where large-sized stones are appropriate.

Clarity

The clarity of a diamond relies heavily on the visual appearance. Inclusions and surface imperfection all play a part in the overall clarity of the diamond. Inclusions refer specifically to the internal characteristics of a diamond and that is part of the grading scale. Any presence of foreign material or crystals from another diamond, for example, as well as tiny cracks that give off a clouded appearance. The amount of inclusions and blemishes, size of them, location on he crystal itself, coloring and visibility are all factored in to the relative clarity of the diamond itself. After a thorough examination process utilizing ten times magnification, the diamond is assigned a clarity grade. Grading is a scale from Flawless to Included, in the following order from best to worst quality: Flawless(no inclusions or blemishes detected under intense magnification), Internally Flawless(No inclusions, small blemishes visible on surface), Very, Very Slightly Included(small inclusions difficult to be seen even under intense magnification), Very Slightly Included(Minor Inclusions), Slightly Included (obvious inclusions), Included(very clearly visible inclusions). Here is a chart showing how diamonds are graded for clarity.

Any presence of foreign material or crystals from another diamond, for example, as well as tiny cracks that give off a clouded appearance. The amount of inclusions and blemishes, size of them, location on he crystal itself, coloring and visibility are all factored in to the relative clarity of the diamond itself. After a thorough examination process utilizing ten times magnification, the diamond is assigned a clarity grade. Grading is a scale from Flawless to Included, in the following order from best to worst quality: Flawless(no inclusions or blemishes detected under intense magnification), Internally Flawless(No inclusions, small blemishes visible on surface), Very, Very Slightly Included(small inclusions difficult to be seen even under intense magnification), Very Slightly Included(Minor Inclusions), Slightly Included (obvious inclusions), Included(very clearly visible inclusions).

Here is a chart showing how diamonds are graded for clarity.

Flawless - No flaws internally or externally.

Internally Flawless - No flaws internally. This category of diamonds is also very rare and valued highly.

VVS1, VVS2 - Very, Very Slightly Included: Very difficult to see inclusions under 10x magnification. These diamonds are high quality.

VS1, VS2 - Very Slightly Included: Inclusions are not visible to the naked eye. This category is less expensive than the VVS1 or VVS2 grades.

SI1, SI2 - Slightly Included: Inclusions are visible under 10x magnification. This level of clarity is considered by many to be the best value buy because the inclusions are not visible to the naked eye. The prices for these diamonds are notably lower compared to those in clearer categories.

SI3 - Slightly Included-EGL: This is a category of clarity that is promoted by and is not certified by the Gemological Institute of America or other gemological institutions. Diamonds in this category are likely to be graded by GIA as either SI2 or I1. EGL distinguishes these diamonds as having no black inclusions or cracks that are visible to the naked eye, but they may possess some very minor white inclusions which are visible to the naked eye.

I1 - Included: an I1 clarity diamond will have a visible flaw which can be seen with the unaided eye. If your budget is limited and you can only afford diamonds in the SI3 or I1 clarity, be sure to examine them under 10X magnification yourself before making the purchase. It will help you decide which one to buy. Any reputable jeweler would be happy to show you how to use a magnifier.

I2, I3 - Included: The inclusions in this category of diamonds will be visible to the naked eye. They will have many black spots from the black inclusions and may appear cloudy from the white inclusions and cracks.

Carat Weight

Carat weight is a gemological term referring to the mass of the diamond itself. It is a way that we measure weight. The bigger the diamond, the more weight you will have to work with. Generally speaking, larger diamonds are not as common and more expensive, as they are rare. This is the reason that larger diamonds are more expensive than smaller ones, and value goes up exponentially with the size of the diamond no matter what the cut or clarity happens to be. When you are figuring out the characteristics that you want in your diamond, carat weight can be one of the areas where budget must be more heavily considered. If you are looking to create a visual experience that is very engaging and sparkling and find yourself disappointed by the prices of larger more glamorous diamonds, it is worth considering clusters of smaller high quality diamonds set into a ring

Tips to help you determine the right carat weight
Some considerations you will have to keep in mind: the size of the recipient's finger, any personal preferences, the type of setting and the most important factor, the budget. Try looking at the purchase in the following order. First, decide on to your budget and then explore the various qualities and designs available in that price range. Factor in the shape of the finger. If the fingers are long, a small carat diamond may look even smaller and vice versa. Be sure to match the setting of the diamond ring with the carat size. For example, a wide band can make a stone look smaller than it might with a narrower band. Keep in mind the word "misfit" when matching diamonds with settings and use your own judgment. Here's one more thought regarding setting: choose a setting that gives maximum protection to the diamond. The lifestyle of the person is also something to keep in mind. Someone who is very active will potentially subject a diamond ring to more knocks and scratches than a more sedentary person, particularly if the setting makes the stone stick out a lot. Perhaps the only immeasurable consideration is personal preference. That's because many people don't have any regarding diamonds - "any diamond is a good diamond" - and it can be difficult to find them out without letting the person know you are shopping for one. But if someone says that she really likes champagne diamonds because they really look nice with her skin tone, then that should be a good indicator of how to proceed.

Diamond Cut

Cut