If there was one thing that people would do anything for, it is to have precious jewels. These colorful pieces of rocks were used as ornaments by many ancient civilizations. As we moved to the present world, people started treating them as valuables. You may obtain some at a more affordable value. However, some kinds of stones are just too valuable that some of them shaped the way we live right now, one of the best examples of this one is the diamond.
Diamonds were once known as the hardest mineral on earth until it was dethroned by wurtzite boron nitride. However, this does not change the fact that it is still quite hard. Based on this link, Some industries still use it to drill through hard rocks and cut itself as well. As it is useful in a lot of industrial practices, it is still known for one thing only: being a precious stone.
The earliest date that historians could pinpoint as the first use of this rock was 3,000 years ago in India. Some even argue that it is far longer than that. What is a diamond anyway?
What’s In This Rock?
In its most basic form, a diamond is just a combination of carbon atoms. It is hard because of the arrangement of these atoms. They are so tightly packed that it is almost impossible to separate them into parts. It was only recently as well when its properties were also discovered. It is still the most expensive gem in the world. Almost everybody wants to have them, whether it is a shard, stone or embedded in jewelry. No crown on earth would ever be complete without a single piece of diamond.
Most people would imagine these gemstones as clear or brilliant white. However, that is far from the truth. There are many kinds of diamonds that are available in the market but there are some that cannot even be used in jewelry. To those that are being used though, certain grades separate them according to quality. This is judged based on the four C’s: color, clarity, carat weight and cut. Let us discuss each of them.
For us to truly understand these aspects, you need to know that each of them has its scale. The quality of the diamond will depend on which scale will it fall according to these standards. For example, a clear diamond is not the only indication of a good quality gemstone. There are also grades that you need to look into if you want to buy good quality diamonds.
Diamonds and the Four C’s for Quality
1. Color
The first aspect that anyone will notice when it comes to diamonds is its color. Contrary to popular belief, there are many colors of diamonds. As mentioned before, the clearer ones are the most popular. However, they are not automatically the more expensive ones. Some of the rarer colors like pink and blue can get pricier. This does not mean that clear diamonds are more affordable. On the other hand, more imitations are in the market these days and the only way for you to know is to see it under the microscope.
2. Cut
Now, what are diamond cuts, you may ask? This is a classification of a gemstone using the way the shards form across the surface. You may see these as the edges of this stone, and a lot of jewelers would want to sell the best cuts. The best shapes are usually determined by how it was also done by the jewelers themselves.
Most gemstones are rougher and may look like actual stones. However, once they are shaped and carved, this will be one of the determinants of its quality. Among all of these, you must make this more important than the others.
Also Read: Here Is Why You Should Gift Yourself A Diamond
3. Clarity
Another important aspect of the diamond is its clarity. Specifically, you need to see whether the color has been contaminated by anything. There are a lot of reasons why this could happen. For one, it should be able to easily reflect light. This is especially true for the clear or white diamonds as this determines their outright quality. Even some of the colored gems suffer from these kinds of problems and these can be easy to see. Read more about them here: https://geology.com/gemstones/gems/.
4. Carat
Lastly, the carat is one of the most recognizable aspects of most gemstones and precious metals. This refers to the weight of the stone, and it is roughly 0.2 grams per 1 carat. It is to be noted that this does not denote the size.
Some famous diamonds might be smaller but are deemed valuable because of their weight. However, this might be one of the more overrated aspects because you cannot appreciate it unless it is weighed. A combination of all these factors would determine its real value.