Buying a diamond is a personal experience. Whether it’s bought to signify love, a significant accomplishment, or a memorable milestone in your life, purchasing a diamond is far different from buying clothing, electronics, or a car.
At Rome, we want to ensure that you know all the features of a diamond — because the more you know about your jewelry, the more confident you will be when deciding on your forever diamond jewelry.
By Shape
Don’t confuse the shape of your diamond with the cut.
Match the shape with your style and you cannot go wrong.
The 4Cs are a great place to start. They play an important role in creating unique diamond jewelry.
Cut
A diamond’s cut determines its brilliance or sparkle. Each shape is cut differently. Before a diamond is cut, the location of inclusions and flaws, the natural coloration, and the original shape of the rough stone are studied extensively. The stone facets are then mapped out and cut in a way that maximizes size, shape, and clarity. For optimal light performance, you will want a diamond that is not cut too shallow or too deep.
Color
Diamonds are graded based on how much color they do or do not possess. The scale ranges from D (colorless) to Z (light yellow). A completely colorless diamond is rare and therefore very valuable.
Clarity
A diamond is distinguished by its natural characteristics, no different than a person’s eyes or hair color. A diamond’s clarity characteristics can be present on the surface (blemishes) or within the stone (inclusions). Clarity is judged by the number and types of these characteristics, then designated using a scale that runs from FL — flawless — to I3 — inclusions visible to the naked eye. A flawless diamond is truly rare.
- FL Diamonds
Flawless: No internal or external flaws.
- IF Diamonds
Internally Flawless: No internal flaws.
- VVS1, VVS2 Diamonds
Very, Very Slightly included: Very difficult to see inclusions with 10x magnification.
- VS1, VS2 Diamonds
Very Slightly Included: Inclusions are visible under 10x magnification and may be visible with the unaided eye.
- S1, S2 Diamonds
Slightly Included: Inclusions are visible under 10x magnification to a skilled grader.
- I1, I2, I3 Diamonds
Included: Inclusions are visible with the unaided eye.
Carat Weight
A carat is the unit of measurement for the weight of a diamond. For reference, a carat is equivalent to 0.2 grams or 0.007 of an ounce. Carat weight can also be divided further by using points. There are 100 points in one carat. So a ¼ (0.25) carat stone can also be expressed as 25 points, meaning exactly the same thing. When comparing two diamonds, it’s important to note that just because one is twice the carat weight of the other does not mean that it will appear to be twice the size.
