The factor of colour is given an importance unequalled in the evaluation of any other gem. By far, most diamond gems appear colourless to the untrained eye and only a few gems display decided hues such as one expects to see in varieties of corundum, for example; these are ‘fancy’ diamonds, very rare and very costly. The apparently colourless gems are painstakingly subdivided into numerous if somewhat artificial, colour grades, the nuances between which are seldom apparent when gems are mounted in jewelry. Nevertheless, some form of colour grading is employed by every dealer in diamonds and affects directly and substantially the price that is charged.

The grading of diamonds for colour is the art of classifying them on a scale from colourless to obviously yellow. This statement is based on the fact that most diamonds encountered in the trade range from absolutely colourless to some tinge of yellow or faintly smoky. Those that are decidedly yellow or coffee in hue are fancies and sold as such.

The overly free use of the term ‘blue-white’ is much less evident now than several decades ago when jewelers used this term more freely in their advertisements and were rightly regarded with suspicion because of the very real rarity of diamonds, which actually display some tinge of blue. A survey by the Gemological Institute of America some years ago showed that only one diamond out of 500 examined under scientifically adjusted lighting conditions actually qualified for the term ‘blue-white’. Needless to say, diamonds of this hue command a very high price. Even higher prices are asked for fancies, particularly those, which are blue to rich blue, red, pink or green, with lesser prices asked for golden, yellow and rich browns, greens and blues.

The factor of clarity refers to the absence of inclusions or flaws. The term ‘perfect’ is now seldom used; instead, those diamonds which do not reveal inclusions or flaws when examined by an expert eye under 10-power magnification rate the term ‘flawless.’

The final factor of cut refers to the mechanical shaping and polishing of a diamond crystal into a faceted gem, giving due regard to proper proportions, symmetrical outlining and placement of facets, accurate meets or junctions between adjoining facets, proper girdling and culeting and surface finish upon facets. Diamonds too deeply or shallowly cut are less brilliant than they could be, sometimes seriously so. Excessively thin crowns (‘swindled’ crowns) cut down dispersion substantially, although brilliance can be quite satisfactory. In general, overlapping facet junctions, extra facets, or uneven facets do not seriously detract from brilliance and dispersion, providing that the basic proportions are nearly correct; however, careless work is usually a sign of poor material and should also be cause for rejection of any stone in which it is glaringly evident. Careless polishing, usually shown by scores or ‘wheel marks’ on facet surfaces, results in some loss in brilliance and dispersion.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Diamonds

Disney Princess Glamour Shoe Case – 4 Pair of Princess Shoes! $45.25 Disney Princess Shoe Boutique give your little princess a bounce in her step! Choose the style of your favorite princess. These royal dress-up play shoes are safe and fun for little girls ages 3 and up….

Adorable Princess Pearls – Silver butterfly pendant with diamond – Pearl necklace, bracelet & ring gift set (in gift box) for girls & toddlers – Pink & Yellow “Little Celebrity” would like to remind you that like all other hair accessories, our products may contain small parts or sharp ends. Because your children’s safety is our biggest concern, all hair accessories should be used under adult supervision for children under the age of 3. Please feel free to contact us if you have any comment or question about our products. Thank you very much….

LIGHT YELLOW BAGUETTE CUBIC ZIRCONIA BRACELET 7 Nickel-free Sterling bracet with lt yellow stones line with czs. Also includes a rhodium plate finish, which gives it its lustrous white gold appearance. All of our cubic zirconia items are also made with Grade A quality stones with a high-shine finish. All of our CZ pieces are always set and never glued on. Depending on the styles, Sparkles uses both machine-cut and hand-cut CZ stones. Sparkles g…

Buying a Diamond – Your Essential Guide $9.95 ‘Buying a Diamond – Your Essential Guide’ is for people who would like to learn about diamonds before making a diamond purchase. Designed to give un-biased easy-to-understand information, this e-book also includes useful diagrams and photographs. As well as information on classic white diamonds, coloured diamond grading is also discussed, including pink diamonds, yellow diamonds, champagne diamond…