Diamonds 101
POLISHED GEM QUALITY DIAMONDS
Based on the descriptions above, a polished gem diamond requires the basic 4 C's:
- Carat weight
- Colour
- Clarity
- Cut
CARAT WEIGHT
The size of the polished gem does matter and is further complicated by reaching stipulated price bands, such as 0.25 ct, 0.50 ct, 1.00 ct, 3.00 ct, 5.00 ct, and 10.00 ct and so on. The price difference between a 0.99 carat and a 1.00 carat is very high and this continues throughout all the size bands.
COLOUR
After size, color is the first step to the pricing of a diamond, and as with the rough, the whiter colors are the most sought after. Fancy colors are in a different set of price bands altogether and are affected by the saturation of the color as well as color overtones such as orangey-pink, etc.
CLARITY
The internal quality is very important and there are large price differentials between Internally Flawless and VVS, etc. Therefore, the higher the clarity, the more prized and expensive the polished gem becomes.
CUT
to add
OTHER IMPORTANT FACTORS FOR POLISHED GEMS
The quality of polish and symmetry is vital to achieve maximum brilliance, scintillation ('sparkle') and dispersion ('fire').
