Clarity Color Cut
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Clarity is a measure of internal defects of a diamond called
inclusions. Inclusions may be crystals of a foreign material or
another diamond crystal, or structural imperfections such as tiny
cracks that can appear whitish or cloudy. The number, size, color,
relative location, orientation, and visibility of inclusions can all
affect the relative clarity of a diamond. The Gemological Institute
of America (GIA) and others have developed systems to grade clarity,
which are generally based on those inclusions which are visible to a
trained professional when a diamond is viewed from above, under 10x
magnification.
Diamonds become increasingly rare when considering higher clarity
gradings. Only about 20 percent of all diamonds mined have a clarity
rating high enough for the diamond to be considered appropriate for
use as a gemstone; the other 80 percent are relegated to industrial
use. Of that top 20 percent, a significant portion contains a
visible inclusion or inclusions. Those that do not have a visible
inclusion are known as "eye-clean" and are preferred by most buyers,
although visible inclusions can sometimes be hidden under the
setting in a piece of jewelry. |
Most inclusions present in gem-quality diamonds do not affect the
diamonds' performance or structural integrity. However, large clouds
can affect a diamond's ability to transmit and scatter light. Large
cracks close to or breaking the surface may reduce a diamond's
resistance to fracture.
Diamonds are graded by the major societies on a scale ranging from
Flawless to Imperfect.
Color, A chemically pure and structurally perfect diamond is
perfectly transparent with no hue, or color. However, in reality
almost no gem-sized natural diamonds are absolutely perfect. The
color of a diamond may be affected by chemical impurities and/or
structural defects in the crystal lattice. Depending on the hue and
intensity of a diamond's coloration, a diamond's color can either
detract from or enhance its value. For example, most white diamonds
are discounted in price as more yellow hue is detectable, while
intense pink or blue diamonds (such as the Hope Diamond) can be
dramatically more valuable.
Most diamonds used as gemstones are basically transparent with
little tint, or white diamonds. The most common impurity, nitrogen,
replaces a small proportion of carbon atoms in a diamond's structure
and causes a yellowish to brownish tint. This effect is present in
almost all white diamonds; in only the rarest diamonds is the
coloration due to this effect undetectable. The GIA has developed a
rating system for color in white diamonds, from "D" to "Z" (with D
being "colorless" and Z having a bright yellow coloration), which
has been widely adopted in the industry and is universally
recognized, superseding several older systems once used in different
countries. The system uses a benchmark set of either natural
diamonds of known color grade, or precision-crafted cubic zirconia;
test lighting conditions are also standardized and carefully
controlled. Diamonds with higher color grades are rarer, in higher
demand, and therefore more expensive, than lower color grades. Oddly
enough, diamonds graded Z are also rare, and the bright yellow color
is also highly valued. Diamonds graded D-F are considered
"colorless", G-J are considered "near-colorless", K-M are "slightly
colored". N-Y are usually appear light yellow or brown.
In contrast to yellow or brown hues, diamonds of other colors are
much rarer and more valuable. While even a pale pink or blue hue may
increase the value of a diamond, more intense coloration is usually
considered more desirable and commands the highest prices. A variety
of impurities and structural imperfections cause different colors in
diamonds, including yellow, pink, blue, red, green, brown, and other
hues. Diamonds with unusual or intense coloration are sometimes
labeled "fancy" by the diamond industry. Intense yellow coloration
is considered one of the fancy colors, and is separate from the
color grades of white diamonds. Gemologists have developed rating
systems for fancy colored diamonds, but they are not in common use
because of the relative rarity of colored diamonds.
Diamond cutting is the art and science of creating a gem-quality
diamond out of mined rough. The cut of a diamond describes the
manner in which a diamond has been shaped and polished from its
beginning form as a rough stone to its final gem proportions. The
cut of a diamond describes the quality of workmanship and the angles
to which a diamond is cut. Often diamond cut is confused with
"shape."
There are mathematical guidelines for the angles and length ratios
at which the diamond is supposed to cut at in order to reflect the
maximum amount of light. Round brilliant diamonds, the most common,
are guided by these specific guidelines, though fancy cut stones are
not able to be as accurately guided by mathematical specifics.
The techniques for cutting diamonds have been developed over
hundreds of years, with perhaps the greatest achievements made in
1919 by mathematician and gem enthusiast Marcel Tolkowsky. He
developed the round brilliant cut by calculating the ideal shape to
return and scatter light when a diamond is viewed from above. The
modern round brilliant has 57 facets (polished faces), counting 33
on the crown (the top half), and 24 on the pavilion (the lower
half). The girdle is the thin middle part. The function of the crown
is to diffuse light into various colors and the pavilion's function
to reflect light back through the top of the diamond.
Tolkowsky defines the ideal dimensions to have:
Table percentage (table diameter divided by overall diameter) = 53%
Depth percentage (Overall depth divided by the overall diameter) =
59.3%
Pavilion Angle (Angle between the girdle and the pavilion) = 40.75°
Crown Angle (Angle between the girdle and the crown) = 34.5°
Pavilion Depth (Depth of pavilion divided by overall diameter) =
43.1%
Crown Depth (Depth of crown divided by crown diameter) = 16.2%
The culet is the tiny point or facet at the bottom of the diamond.
This should be a negligible diameter, otherwise light leaks out of
the bottom. Tolkowsky's ideal dimensions did not include a girdle.
However, a thin girdle is required in reality in order to prevent
the diamond from easily chipping in the setting. A normal girdle
should be about 1%–2% of the overall diameter.
The further the diamond's characteristics are from Tolkowsky's
ideal, the less light will be reflected. However, there is a small
range in which the diamond can be considered "ideal." Today, because
of the relative importance of carat weight in society, many diamonds
are often intentionally cut poorly to increase carat weight. There
is a financial premium for a diamond that weighs the magical 1.0
carat, so often the girdle is made thicker or the depth is
increased. Neither of these tactics make the diamond appear any
bigger, and they greatly reduce the sparkle of the diamond. So a
poorly cut 1.0 carat diamond may have the same diameter and appear
as large as a 0.85 carat diamond. The depth percentage is the
overall quickest indication of the quality of the cut of a round
brilliant. "Ideal" round brilliant diamonds should not have a depth
percentage greater than 62.5%. Another quick indication is the
overall diameter. Typically a round brilliant 1.0 carat diamond
should have a diameter of about 6.5 mm. Mathematically, the diameter
in millimeters of a round brilliant should approximately equal 6.5
times the cube root of carat weight, or 11.1 times the cube root of
gram weight. |
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