Diamond Blemishes and Their Types

While judging the quality of a diamond, several things have to be considered including its Four Cs. Among them, the clarity feature determines the purity of the stone. Diamonds with lower clarity have impurities which may be either inclusions or blemishes. This classification is based on the position of the impurity i.e. internal or external. Internal impurities are referred to as inclusions in the diamond, whereas external impurities are blemishes.

Image Source: http://www.wholesalediamonds-1st.com/wp-content/themes/fgala/images/logo_diamond.jpg

Diamond blemishes could either be naturally present or occur when the diamond is cut or polished and also when worn. The different types of blemishes are Scratches, Nick, Pits, Naturals, Polishing lines and Extra Facets.

Scratches: It refers to fine lines on the diamond surface. They can occur when the stone is accidently or purposely rubbed against harsh materials. They can be easily polished away.

Nicks: They are the cuts or chipped away section of the diamond. They are mostly found near the girdle of the stone. They are usually introduced when the diamond is set in jewelry and stress is applied on it. Nicks can be repaired by polishing and creating extra facets. But too many extra facets spoil the overall appearance of the stone; hence nicks should be taken off the diamond with real care.

Pits: They refer to the holes on the surface of the diamond. They aren’t usually noticeable but if they appear on the diamond table, then it could be visibly clear. If the pit is too deep then it could be difficult to get rid of it but shallow pits can be polished away easily.

Naturals: They are those sections of the diamond which are left unpolished. They are usually left near the girdle. If naturals are found on the girdle then it doesn’t affect the quality of the stone. However, if it is extended towards the pavilion or crown then they can be noticed easily and hence degrades the diamond.

Polishing Lines: They are marks which appear on the surface of the stones. They are usually the result of cutting and polishing process.

Extra facets: Sometimes the diamond is cut to remove certain blemishes on the diamond. This cutting process results in creation of extra facets spoiling the diamond’s look.

Usually minor blemishes do not have any effect on the diamond value or appearance, since they are moreover unnoticeable to the naked eye. But while buying the diamond, the buyer should be informed about any kind of presence of blemishes.

Princess Cut Diamond – The Unique Shape

After round brilliant, princess cut is the next most preferred diamond shape. This unique cut has been liked highly because of the brilliance it emits. This shape is moreover chosen by buyers who prefer unique looking jewelry especially unique engagement rings.

Princess Cut Diamond

This shape is simply a square shaped diamond with sharp corners and high amount of brilliance. This brilliance is the result of extra faceting and an attempt to create something similar to an upside down triangular pyramid. The princess cut diamond has wide pavilion facets at the culet and narrowed ones towards the girdle. It was created in the 1960s and became popular in the 1970s. It is also recognized as square modified brilliant since it consists of the sparkle of the round brilliant cut and the shape of a square. However the princess cut has a lower amount of brilliance as compared to the round shape in order to gain its square shape.

The setting of the jewelry should be such that the corners of the diamond are protected from any kind of damage. Minimum of four prong setting is required to hold this diamond safely. The sharp corners can get chipped or scratched with a slight hit or smack. To avoid this, many jewelers or manufacturers “chamfer” the corners such that the shape doesn’t change or create “clipped corners”.

The price of princess cut diamond is lower than that of round brilliant ones. Reason behind this being that in princess cut moreover the original rough diamond is retained since this cut doesn’t need to be smoothed to gain attractiveness unlike the round shape.

While choosing a princess cut diamond, the color and clarity features have to be taken care of. The ideal color for this cut would be above I whereas if you are looking out for an affordable diamond color, then H or I would be the ideal choice. For a decent clarity, VS2 or SI1 can be chosen comfortably.

Pink Diamonds – A Rare Diamond

Pink diamonds is a type of fancy diamond and is one of the valuable and rarest colored diamonds. Because of its rarity, its price is higher than other colored and colorless diamonds.

Image Source: http://finediamonds.com.au/images/categories/Pink%20diamonds%20scattered.jpg

These diamonds are produced at Argyle mine which is located in Western Australia and produces around 95% share of world’s pink diamonds.

They are available in different shades of the color pink: Brownish pink, Purplish Pink, Pink Champagne, Orange Pink and many more. Like other colored diamonds and gemstones, the color quality of pink diamonds is judged based upon the color intensity and consistency across the diamond. More intense and consistent it is, more costly will the diamond be. But it should also be noted that even lighter shades of pink diamonds are costly because of their rarity.

Engagement rings with pink diamonds have become highly popular since Jenifer Lopez was given a pink diamond engagement ring. Moreover, these diamonds have been the favorite of many celebrities and trend setters because they bring a unique factor into the jewelry.

They are available in various styles and settings. But if the desired design is not available with the retailer, then they would always welcome a pink colored loose diamond and a setting to create a custom jewelry with this rare diamond. They are moreover appreciated when set into white gold or platinum metal, since these metals enhance their beauty.

Fancy Color Diamond Grading

Fancy color diamonds come in all colors and shades of the rainbow. Among them, yellow ones are most common. They are usually used in fashion jewelry.

Image Source:http://www.glimmerocks.com/standardimages/DJ/fancy_colored_diamonds.gif

Diamonds being very precious and expensive, certain factors should be taken care of before buying them. As known to all, the Four Cs are the most important characteristics to be considered for judging the quality of a diamond. But these factors differ slightly for fancy colored ones.

Diamond Color Grading

The color grading technique for fancy color diamond is slightly similar to that of colored gemstones. The two basic aspects to be considered while judging the color of the colored diamond are Hue and Intensity. Hue refers to the color of the diamond which may include pink, red, blue etc. Intensity means how light or dark the color is. The more intensity, more beautiful will the diamond look and more expensive it will be.

Diamond Cut Grading

Like colorless diamonds, the most excellent/ideal cut colored diamonds emits maximum brilliance. A colored diamond with a good cut derives its most intense color, hence increasing its worth and beauty. Facets add more color to the diamond and if cut properly, gives the best appearance to the stone.

Diamond Clarity Grading

For a colored diamond, clarity is not the most factor for judging its quality. Even a lower clarity diamond will appear inclusion-free depending on the color intensity. Secondly, if the color of the inclusion is same as that of the diamond, then it will be nearly invisible. Also the appearance of the inclusions (if any) will be noticed only if they are present directly on the table of the diamond. Usually fancy colored diamonds with higher clarity are rarely found.

Diamond Carat

Carat weight of a colored diamond is computed or analyzed in the similar way as that of the colorless ones. The more carat weight, more expensive it will be.

Diamond Certification

Apart from the four Cs, the certification of the diamond should also be taken care of. All the major gem laboratories like GIA, IGI, and EGL certify and provide report for fancy color diamonds. The certificate ensures that the diamond is naturally colored and an not enhanced one.