Jewelry Education

If you’re interested in buying stunning fine jewelry pieces for yourself or a loved one, you need the right information to make informed decisions. Follow along with the experts at Pompeii3 as we provide an in-depth exploration of diamond education and diamond facts.

THE FOUR Cs OF DIAMONDS

There are four essential elements that determine the quality of the diamond. Our diamond facts are based on the cut, color, clarity, and carat. As you explore this blog to enhance your diamond education, you’ll find an explanation of each factor in any diamond’s value.

DIAMOND CUT

Among diamond experts, cut is considered to be the most important of the 4 Cs of diamond facts. A well-cut diamond can reflect up to 90% of the light it receives, while a fair or poor-cut diamond will only reflect about 40% of the light around it. 

Diamonds come in many shapes, known as cuts. Cutting a diamond gives it more flat planes to ensure it sparkles from every angle. As light hits the various facets, it refracts to show a range of rainbow hues. A better quality cut means more sparkle, brilliance, and shine. Some of the most popular shapes include:

Brilliant (Round)

Princess

Oval

Cushion

Emerald

Marquise

Determining a diamond’s shape is dependent on the nature of the rough stone. After examining the existing facets and flaws in a diamond, a professional gem cutter will decide how to capture the stone’s essence in a shape suited to showing its best features.

LIGHT HANDLING PROPERTIES OF A DIAMOND

Cut so that the light is reflected back through the top of the stone Too Deep; allowing light to escape through side Too Shallow; allowing light to escape from the bottom

Diamonds are fashioned into a number of shapes, depending on the nature of the rough stone. The seven most popular shapes are princess, marquise, pear, emerald, oval, heart and round (also called brilliant). The round, brilliant cut is the most popular shape.

DIAMOND COLOR

It’s a fact that a diamond’s color can either detract from or enhance its value. A chemically pure and structurally perfect diamond is transparent with no hue or color to allow for maximum refraction. Color in diamonds can be affected by chemical impurities and/or structural defects in the crystal lattice. When a more yellow tint or color is visible in a diamond, the price is discounted, while the more white the diamond, the higher the price.

Diamonds are graded on the “D” to “Z” scale determined by the Gemological Institute. A diamond with a “D” rating means it has a blue/white hue and is the purest possible color. The “Z” rating is given to diamonds with a yellow tint, the lowest rating available.

Diamond Clarity

The clarity of a diamond relates to its internal characteristics, which affect the overall appearance of the diamond. Inclusions, inside flaws in a diamond, and blemishes, defects on the outside of a diamond, are less desirable. Inclusions and blemishes don’t affect a diamond’s performance or structural integrity, but large clouds internally can affect its ability to transmit and scatter light.

Some minor inclusions can be useful, as they can be used to identify each individual diamond, like a fingerprint. Most inclusions are undetectable to the naked eye. However, diamonds without inclusions, known as Flawless Grade, are the most desirable and fetch the highest prices. Check out this chart for a visual representation of these diamond facts.

DIAMOND CARAT

The final C on our diamond education list is the diamond’s carat. A carat is the unit of measurement used to weigh diamonds, which determines the size of the diamond. The diamond's width increases with the number of carats. 

One carat is equal to 0.2 grams, or 200 milligrams. The carat weight of a diamond plays a big part in the price. Diamond prices increase significantly at the half- and full-carat weights. Diamonds just below these weights cost significantly less. At Pompeii3, we supply diamonds ranging from 0.25 carats to over 3.00 carats.

The weight of a diamond is not a foolproof way to determine its value, however. If you look at our overview of the basic diamond facts, you’ll see that a combination of all four Cs is necessary for a precise valuation. So a larger carat diamond with more inclusions and blemishes may cost significantly less than a small carat that’s rated as Flawless.

METAL TYPES

At Pompeii3, we deal solely with gold, tungsten, and platinum metals. We work with the finest materials to ensure the best quality for all of our customers. For this portion of your jewelry education, we focus on the different uses, colors, and compositions of gold, tungsten, and platinum.

SETTING TYPES

After reviewing our precious metals, it’s time to get back to some more diamond facts with settings for our precious stones. The setting is a term that refers to a specific technique to secure a cut gemstone into a piece of jewelry. Below are some of the most popular settings that reliably secure a gemstone in place.

Find More Diamond Facts

When you’re looking to buy a piece of fine jewelry with diamonds, we know you want as much information as possible. If you feel like you need additional diamond education in reference to a specific piece, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our team for guidance and support.

You can connect with us through social media, phone at 847-367-7022, or email at [email protected]. Reach out now to discuss more diamond facts with our expert team!