by Afshin Shaddaie
Summary: Buying antique or estate jewelry? Remember the four Cs: cut, color, clarity and carat weight and be aware of two more: cost & credibility, to be sure you're getting an antique, not just used jewelry.
Buying antique or estate jewelry? Be sure you keep in mind the all-important four Cs (cut, color, clarity and carat weight ). But, you've got to know whether you're getting a real antique or simply a piece of pre-owned jewelry. That said, you'll want to consider two more Cs: cost and credibility.
Cut: The way a diamond is cut affects its appearance, durability and worth. Diamonds are cut into shapes that show off their individual brilliance and clarity. The most popular cut for diamonds is round (brilliant). However, other popular styles are the baguette, marquise, oval, pear and square (princess) cut.
Color: Diamonds' grades range from D through Z. Many diamonds may appear to be colorless (or white), but they may have traces of impurities or other elements, which give them a slight yellow or brown tint. D-color diamonds are extremely rare and highly valuable. Color variants in diamonds in the D-F range are often so slight that differentiating among them becomes tremendously difficult in smaller-sized stones. G-rated diamonds are fairly clear; but the further down the alphabet you go, the deeper the color concentration.
Sometimes, diamonds occur naturally in a variety of colors: blues, bright yellows, greens, pinks - even vivid reds. These "fancy" diamonds are extremely rare, expensive and highly valuable.
Clarity: Clarity refers to the size and overall number of inclusions or minor imperfections within a diamond. Most of these inclusions are traces of carbon that didn't get crystallized during the formation of the diamond. The majority of inclusions are undetectable by the naked eye; the average consumer would need a microscope (and probably a trained jeweler to point them out) in order to see them.
The more inclusions in a diamond, the greater the interference with light dispersion; this diminishes the brilliance of the gem. Large or numerous inclusions will also decrease a stone's value. The converse is also true: The fewer or smaller the inclusions, the more valuable the diamond.
Diamonds are rated according to their clarity under 10x magnification with a jeweler's loupe. Diamonds rated FL are completely flawless; these are extremely rare and costly. Those rated IF contain only external flaws, which may be removed by further polishing. Diamonds rated VVS1 and VVS2 have very, very slight inclusions. VS1 and VS2-rated diamonds have very slight inclusions. SI1 and SI2-rated stones have slight inclusions; and I1- I2- and I3-rated diamonds have large, visible blemishes, visible to the naked eye.
Carat Weight: Diamonds are measured in carats; this measurement doesn't refer to their size, shape or diameter - just their weight. Because one carat may be divided into units of 100 points, a 3/4-carat diamond is described as being 75 points or 0.75 carat. The larger the diamond, the more expensive its per-carat cost; expect to pay more for a one-carat diamond than for two half-carat diamonds of similar cut and clarity.
Cost & Credibility: The better the quality of your diamond, the more it is worth. But don't assume you're getting a valuable diamond because it's pricy. This is where credibility is crucial. Are you buying this diamond from a reputable dealer? Are you really getting what the dealer says you're getting? Is this ring an "antique" or is it really just "estate" (a fancy term for pre-owned) jewelry? The best way to know for sure is by knowing your jeweler. To get the best quality for your dollar - from a trustworthy dealer with years of experience - visit Estate Diamond Jewelry. All they do is estate and antique jewelry.