First Time Buyers Guide to Diamonds from Southside Jewelry and Loan

1. First Time Buyers Guide to Diamonds from Southside Jewelry and Loan Today diamondjewelrystlouis.com, leading Pawn Shop in Jewelry Sales in St Louis, presents a comprehensive first-timers diamond buying guide. In this guide, we will attempt to explain the key points to consider when investing in your first diamond. Let Us Begin! Diamonds are categorized and evaluated according to the following criteria: Cut, Color, Clarity, and Carat. In other words, the most defining characteristics of a diamond are its shape, color, purity, and weight. Diamond Shape The cut, or size, of the diamond, refers to the shape that it acquires after it has been cut and polished. Remember that diamonds are rough stones made out of pure crystallized carbon and extracted from mines around the world, the biggest of which are located in Russia. Diamonds begin to acquire value the moment they are “cut” to enhance their natural luminosity. Each cut provides the diamond with a unique set of symmetrical angles and facets that provide it with brilliance and The most common diamond cuts are: ● Princess ● Square Cushion ● Radiant ● Marquise ● Trillion ● Calf ● Heart And each cut can be grade Ideal, Very Good, Good, or Poor depending on the quality of the cuts. Diamond Color After the cut, color is perhaps the most defining feature to consider when purchasing a diamond. A diamond will be increasingly more valuable the less color, or tint, that can be perceived within it. For example, yellow tones in the stone render it dramatically less valuable than a bright, crystalline piece. The scale used to classify color gradation in diamonds is:

2. ● D, E, and F grades are used for totally colorless stones. ● G, H, I, and J grades are used for nearly colorless stones. ● K, L, and M grades are given to stones in which a faint color can be perceived. ● N through R grades refer to stones with a very light color. ● S through Z grades are given to stones that possess a light color. The best value is found in Diamonds that are G through J grade. It is also important to note that all diamonds on the D-Z scale are considered white. Truly colored diamonds, such as those that possess a pink or blue hue, are graded on a different scale. Diamond Purity Diamond purity refers to imperfections and inclusions that line the outside or inside of a diamond. Defects along the surface of most diamonds are undetectable to the naked eye and typically require high magnification to observe. The fewer imperfections that mar the purity of a diamond, the higher the grading it acquires on the clarity scale. The clarity scale defines the relative difficulty of detecting flaws in purity. The scale is divided into the following grades: ● FL is given to flawless diamonds. ● IF is given to diamonds that are flawless internally. ● VVS1 and VVS2 are given to diamonds that are very, very slightly included. ● VS1 and VS2 are reserved for diamonds that are only very slightly included. ● SI1 and SI2 are given to diamonds that are slightly included. ● I1, I2, and I3 are given to diamonds whose transparency and brilliance are reduced by inclusions evident to the naked eye. Diamond Carat Although many people think of the carat unit as a unit of size, it is actually a unit of mass. Therefore, the higher the carat of a diamond, the heavier the stone will be. Consequently, the price of a diamond often hinges on its carat count, pending the other factors on this guide are identical. For all your Diamond questions, visit the leaders in Jewelry Sales in St Louis, Southside Jewelry at diamondjewelrystlouis.com.