This multi-part series on the engagement ring covers the various aspects of choosing THE diamond. The aspects of a diamond to consider are called the 4 C’s: Cut, Color, Clarity and Carat.

Clarity is essentially a rating of how many inclusions are present in a diamond. Basically, inclusions can be considered something like birthmarks for diamonds. Inclusions are natural and internal. They can range from small crystals of another diamond or something all together non-diamond or they can be structural “birthmarks” such as cracks. Inclusions can appear as tiny crystals, clouds or feathers or just as a white smudge.

Read “The Engagement Ring Basics - Part 3″

This multi-part series on the engagement ring covers the various aspects of choosing THE diamond. The aspects of a diamond to consider are called the 4 C’s: Cut, Color, Clarity and Carat.

While it may be a surprise to most, pretty much all diamonds have traces of color, no matter how slight those traces may be, and even though many look completely clear and transparent. The color of a diamond has alot to do with the structure and chemical makeup. Diamonds that are completely transparent and clear even under the trained eye are chemically pure and structurally perfect. The traces of color come from chemical impurities and/or defects in the crystal lattice structure and can either add to or subtract from its value depending on the hue and intensity of the color. Read “The Engagement Ring Basics - Part 2″

This multi-part series on the engagement ring covers the various aspects of choosing THE diamond. The aspects of a diamond to consider are called the 4 C’s: Cut (and Shape), Color, Clarity and Carat.

The Cut (and Shape) of a diamond is quite possibly the most important of the 4 C’s in choosing an engagement ring. When it comes to the cut of a diamond, the term “cut” actually refers to the quality of the workmanship and the angles the artist used to carve the gemstone from a rough. Essentially, at the core of it all, the cut of a diamond is meant to to fully display and show off the brilliance and gorgeousness of a diamond to evoke the usual utterance of “Ooh, aah” and the occasional gasp here and there. The goal is to maximize the amount of light reflecting through all the facets of a diamond, regardless of the final shape the diamond will take. In the early 1900s, Marcel Tolkowsy developed the perfection of the round brilliant diamond, meant to maximize the light reflected. From that, the GIA (Gemological Institute of America) developed new standards against which to grade diamond cuts with the perfect diamond having 57 total facets (33 on the top half and 24 on the bottom half).

Read “The Engagement Ring Basics - Part 1″