Rings with Celtic designs adorned with diamonds are particularly eye catching. The eternal interconnectedness of Celtic knot design and the eternal nature of diamonds make these rings very popular as wedding rings.
We will discuss the quality of gold in another entry in this blog (10K gold being less than 1/2 gold and 24K being pure gold). Diamonds also vary in their quality. The are rated vis a vis Clarity, Color, Cut, and Carat Weight. Clarity has to do with internal and external blemishes ranging from F (flawless) to 13 (obvious inclusions that are easy to see without any form of magnification).
Color is assessed via comparison with a set of master stones or via a computer assisted method. Thus, a stone can be graded via its color.
Cut refers to the proportions, finish, symmetry, and polish of the diamond. These factors relate to fire and brilliance of the diamond. As with color, the cut of a diamond can now be accurately assessed using a computer program.
Carat is the unit weight of the diamond. One carat is equal to 0.20 grams. Value per carat increases with carat size because larger rough diamonds occur less frequently in nature. Put differently, two 1/2 carat stones are not worth as much as a 1 carat stone because 1/2 carat stones are much more readily found than are one carat stones.
These factors taken together determine the overall value of a given stone. A large stone with a number of flaws might grade out to be less valuable than a smaller stone with minimal flaws. If you are purchasing an expensive diamond, the seller should provide you with an assessment of the color, cut, clarity, and carat value of the stones you are considering and be able to point out clearly why one stone is more valuable than another (don’t just accept carat size as the determining factor…. it is just one of 4 important characteristics).
