hohoho
this one u must really listen from a gal's point of view...
GIA, CERTIFIED DIAMONDS, gemological institute of america diamond certificate.
GIA Gemological Institute of America Certified Diamonds
GIA certified diamonds are the standard for North American certified diamonds. The GIA or Gemological Institute of America independantly grades and certified diamonds from labs in New York and California.
Certified diamonds from the GIA are typically sold for a premium in retail jewellery stores (thousands more that non certified diamonds). Since the cost to certify a diamond at the GIA is little more than $100, it lead question the poor quality that retail jewellers are selling non certified diamonds.
GIA as being the most strict with its standards. Clarity, color and carat grades on the GIA certified diamonds compare equally to HRD and AGS. However, the highest cut grade on a GIA certified diamond is Excellent polish and excellent symmetry.
Embarking on the 4Cs
Diamonds, one of nature's most precious and beautiful creations, are probably the most valuable of all commodities. For anyone contemplating the purchase of such an exquisite item, it's essential to be able to determine how the beauty and value of one diamond compares against another.
This is where the 4Cs system of grading, developed by the Gemological Institute of America, comes in. By far the most universally accepted of diamond grading systems, the colour, clarity, cut and carat weight of a diamond are used to judge the relative rarity, quality and value of a diamond
Colour
A diamond's colour is dependent on the existence of chemical impurities and structural distortions in its crystal structure, and is an important determinant of diamond quality and price. In fact, a single increase in colour grade could boost a diamond's value by thousands of dollars, depending on the size of the stone.
Unlike other gemstones, diamonds in the normal colour range are graded by how closely they approach absolute colourlessness, that is, the less colour, the higher the grade, and the higher the value. The 4Cs colour scale ranges between D (colourless) and Z grades (light yellow).
An exception to the rule is naturally coloured diamonds, also known as fancy diamonds. These exist in shades of yellow, pink, blue, green, red and black and unlike diamonds in the normal colour range, the brighter and purer the colour, the higher the value.
Clarity
A diamond's clarity is determined by the degree to which it is free from naturally occurring inclusions of minerals, often called 'nature's fingerprints'. Thus the fewer the inclusions, the rarer the stone.
The number, type, colour, size and position of the 'nature's fingerprints' can affect a diamond value. However, most of these are invisible to the naked eye.
Carat
Diamonds are sold by weight, measured in carats. Because diamonds are so precious, this measurement is extremely precise. One carat, the equivalent of 0.2 grams, is divided into 100 points, so a diamond of 0.50 carats is commonly referred to as a 0.50-pointer.
As expected, value increases with the size of the diamond. However, because larger diamonds are more rare, the price per carat becomes correspondingly higher the bigger the stone.
Cut
While nature imbues each diamond with its distinguishing attributes of colour, clarity and carat weight, cut is the unique of human contribution to the beauty of the diamond. In a sense, it is also the most important attribute of a diamond, as the diamond cutter's skill strongly influences the final carat weight, face-up colour and clarity, and overall appearance of the diamond.
A diamond cut to good proportions, regardless of its shape, will scintillate with fiery lights and maximum brilliance. A diamond which is cut too shallow or too deep however, will lose light though the diamond's base.
It is important to note that assessing the quality of a diamond by its carat size alone is meaningless. The cut, clarity and colour of the diamond should also be considered when judging the value of a diamond.
IMHO, I've never step into Diamond in industry because, their cuts doesnt seems appealing to mi. And i do hear from Some peeps that they mix diamonds? which i dun quite understand.
Anyway, i would rather u buy from retailers... :thumbsup: