Information About Diamonds

When buying a diamond, an industry rule of thumb is two month’s salary. At Desert Wholesale Diamond we stress purchasing what is comfortable for your budget and you can feel proud presenting. Please take a moment to read the following information about diamond grading and rest assured a professional Desert Wholesale Diamond broker will be happy to answer all of your questions in one of our showrooms, or by phone: 760-568-5722 and 480-397-2450.

A diamond’s appearance and value are determined by the Four C’s of diamond grading: Carat, Cut, Clarity and Color.

Carat Weight is the actual weight of the diamond as measured by the unit carat. The carat information about a diamond is often abbreviated as ct. One carat is the equivalent of 200 milligrams. Carat weight is most often expressed as fractions, a one half carat would be expressed as .50 carat, 1.50 ct equals 1 1/2 carats. Sometimes when a diamond is close to a certain weight, either above or below it may be referred to as heavy or light. For example, a diamond weighing .96 carat may be termed a “light” carat, conversely a .78 carat could be called a “heavy” 3/4 carat. Occasionally you may hear the term “pointer” used when describing the weight of the diamond. It is a short hand version of expressing a diamond’s weight. For example, a diamond weighing 1/10th of a carat or .10 carat would be termed a “10 pointer.” A diamond weighing .53 carat could be called a heavy 1/2 carat, a “point five-three carat” or a “53 pointer.”

Cut is not only the shape of the diamond, but how well the diamond is proportioned. The proportion of a diamond will help determine it’s brilliance. Simply put, the better the cut, the more brilliant the diamond. Generic and trademarked names exist regarding the “preferred-cut” diamonds. The greatest research and information about diamond brilliance relates to the round brilliant-cut diamond. A good rule of thumb here is the “60-60 rule.” If the round diamond has around a 60% total depth and a 60% table it will have “preferred proportions,” allowing for more brilliance.

Clarity is the size, type, position and visibility of the characteristics of a diamond. All diamonds have some type of internal characteristics visible under 10x magnification, except flawless diamonds which are extremely rare. These characteristics or inclusions can be black, white or appear as “bubbles.”. The higher a diamond is on the clarity chart the “clearer” it will be allowing more light to travel through the diamond.

Color represents how little color a diamond shows. Moving up the color chart a diamond shows less color or is considered whiter, while lower on the chart the diamond will show yellow or brown tones. White diamonds are more valuable than yellow ones, unless the diamond is rated a natural fancy yellow which is quite rare. The color chart is alphabetical starting from the lowest Z moving to the highest D

Having the right information about a diamond is always an important aspect of the purchase. Our professional diamond brokers will ensure that you receive a thorough explanation of the Four Cs . However, at Desert Wholesale Diamond we place the greatest emphasis on how the diamond looks to you, not on charts or under magnifiers but to your naked eye. This is how the diamond will be seen everyday. You are the most important factor in determining a diamond’s value. If you like the diamond’s brilliance and beauty then your decision is made easily.