How Well Do You Know Diamonds?

You have met the girl of your dreams, and you’re ready to buy a diamond engagement ring to mark the beginning of your life together. Before you make this important purchase, take the following five-question quiz on diamonds.

If you don’t find yourself breezing through it, it’s time to shore up your knowledge of this most romantic of gems. Visit us, ask plenty of questions, look through the loupe and ask still more questions. Another good source of information is www.adiamondisforever.com.

1) What color are diamonds?
2) What is the difference between carat and karat?
3) What is clarity?
4) What is the ?cut? of a diamond?
5) And, finally, there is another important C – cost: How much should you spend on an engagement ring?

Answers:
1) Rare pink, blue and yellow diamonds have become more popular in recent years, but most brides choose white diamonds ? which are, to varying degrees, not truly white but actually colorless. The color differences among white diamonds, though very subtle, are graded by jewelers on a scale from D to Z, with D (colorless) being the most desirable grade.

2) A carat is a measure of the weight of a diamond, and, more generally speaking, refers to the size of the stone. Most engagement diamonds weigh in the half-carat to two-carat range. Karat (with a K) is the term jewelers use to describe the purity of gold.

3) Although most flaws or inclusions in diamonds cannot be seen without a jeweler’s loupe, they can affect the brilliance of the gem. The clarity-scale grades range from FL (flawless) and VVS1 (very, very slightly included) to I3 (included, grade 3).

4) Cut is used to describe a gem’s shape, angles and proportions. Popular cuts for diamond engagement rings include round, marquise, pear and oval.

5) The cost of a diamond ring depends primarily on all the other C’s: carat weight, color, clarity and cut. There is no clear-cut rule on how much you should spend on an engagement diamond. Keep in mind, however, that this is not simply a piece of jewelry; it’s a symbolic testament to your deep love and lifetime commitment to each other.