(800) 648-8494

• Shop
• Designers
• Penn State Jewelry
  • Penn State Bracelets
  • Penn State Charms
  • Penn State Cuff Links
  • Penn State Earrings
  • Penn State Key Rings
  • Penn State Money Clips
  • Penn State Pendants
  • Penn State Pens
  • Penn State Pins
  • Penn State Rings
  • Penn State Tie Tacs
  • Penn State Watches
• Bridal
• Hearts On Fire
• Services
• Jewelry 101
  • Buying a Diamond
  • Knowing Your Metals
  • Caring for Sterling Silver Jewelry
  • Engagement Ring Buying Guide
• FAQ

While not everyone will share the same opinion as to what constitutes beauty, most people want a diamond that expresses their individual taste and personality. Here's what you should consider first, however, before buying a diamond:

Cut

First, don't confuse diamond "cut" with "shape." Shape refers to the general outward appearance of the diamond, (such as round, emerald, or pear). When a diamond jeweler (or a diamond certificate) says "cut," that's a reference to the diamond's reflective qualities, not the shape (or at least it should be, we have found that even some "jewelers" don't appear to know the difference between "cut" and "shape").

The quality of the "cut" does make a difference in how a diamond looks.

Diamond cut is perhaps the most important of the four Cs, so it is important to understand how this quality affects the properties and values of a diamond. A good cut gives a diamond its brilliance, which is that brightness that seems to come from the very heart of a diamond. The angles and finish of any diamond are what determine its ability to handle light, which leads to brilliance.

In grading, cut evaluates the cutters skill in the fashioning of the diamond. Diamonds have a unique ability to manipulate light efficiently. This unique ability can be released and maximized only by cutting and polishing the diamond to an extremely high level of accuracy.

Color

A truly colorless diamond is extremely rare. Most diamonds possess varying degrees of yellow or brown and small, subtle differences in color can make a substantial difference in value. If a diamond is well cut, the diamond's refraction and dispersion often will disguise certain degrees of coloration. Unless a diamond is a fancy color (or any color other than colorless to light yellow or brown), most grades will range from D (the least amount of color) to Z(the most color, usually brown). Because a colorless diamond, like a clear window, allows more light to pass through it than a colored diamond, colorless diamonds emit more sparkle and fire. The formation process of a diamond ensures that only a few, rare diamonds are truly colorless. Thus the whiter a diamond's color, the greater its value.

Clarity

Clarity is the evaluation of a diamond's internal and external characteristics. The fewer inclusions or blemishes, the more desirable the diamond. Inclusions are internal, that is, inside the diamond. Crystals are merely minerals trapped inside the diamond; feathers are breaks in the diamond. Blemishes are usually very small and are only on the surface of diamonds. To locate these tiny characteristics, a grader will use a binocular microscope that magnifies the diamond ten times. Then, evaluating the size, location, nature, number, and color of all the inclusions and blemishes, a clarity grade from Flawless to Included will be given. The full clarity grading chart is Flawless(FL), Very Very Slightly Included(VVS), Very Slightly Included(VS), Slightly Included(SI) and Included(I). There are two grades within the VVS, VS and SI range. There are three grades within the Included range. It is within the Included clarity range that the internal characteristics become visible to the naked eye. Some exceptions above that exist with what are termed black inclusions.

F	Flawless: No internal or external flaws. Extremely rare.
IF	Internally Flawless: no internal flaws, but some surface flaws. Very rare.
VVS1-VVS2	Very Very Slightly Included (two grades). Minute inclusions very difficult to detect under 10x magnification by a trained gemologist.
VS1-VS2	Very Slightly Included (two grades). Minute inclusions seen only with difficulty under 10x magnification.
SI1-SI2	Slightly Included (two grades). Minute inclusions more easily detected under 10x magnification.
I1-I2-I3	Included (three grades). Inclusions visible under 10x magnification AS WELL AS to the human eye. We do not recommend buying diamonds in any of these grades.

Carat

The standard used to measure diamond weight is the carat. A carat equals 1/5 of a gram (or 1/142 of an ounce). Each carat is further divided into points, each point representing 1/100th of a carat. While weight may be the least important of the four Cs in determining value, it may be the easiest of the four Cs to gauge accurately and is the most objective. As diamonds increase in size, their cost tends to increase geometrically. Thus, a one-carat diamond may cost more than twice as much as a one-half carat stone of equal quality. Also, as previously stated, weight does not always enhance the value of a diamond. In fact, when a diamond is improperly cut, added weight may serve only to reduce its brilliance.

Certificate

Having a certificate or grading report with your diamond is very important because there are several things it will tell you about your diamond. First of all, it lets you know that your diamond has been inspected and certified by one of the world known diamond laboratories. The diamond grading labs that you may find a certificate from are HRD, EGL, GIA, AGS, and IGI. These five labs ensure that all characteristics of your diamond such as the cut, carat, color, and clarity of the diamond are defined on the certificate they provide after inspecting the stone. That way you know what it is you're buying. Sending a diamond to get certified by one of these institutes costs money but should give you a boost of confidence in what you are buying. Many jewelers don't consider certificates from the above labs to be equal. What each lab strives for is consistency is their own grading, however some labs are more strict in their grading than others. Moyer Jewelers prefers diamond certificates that originate from the GIA or AGS.