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  1. Home
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  3. Diamonds

Learn About Diamonds

We recommend you visit the store and receive a “diamond presentation” where we show you comparison diamonds so you physically can see the attributes of the 4 c’s. Schedule an appointment today for this no obligation learning experience.

Make an Appointment


The Four Cs of Diamonds

Our Four C's of Diamonds guide can help you decide on the most important factors when shopping for a diamond.

  • Carat
  • Cut
  • Color
  • Clarity

The Carat Weight

Diamond carat weight is the measurement of how much a diamond weighs. A metric “carat” is defined as 200 milligrams.

Each carat can be subdivided into 100 ‘points.’ This allows very precise measurements to the hundredth decimal place. A jeweler may describe the weight of a diamond below one carat by its ‘points’ alone. For instance, the jeweler may refer to a diamond that weighs 0.25 carats as a ‘twenty-five pointer.’ Diamond weights greater than one carat are expressed in carats and decimals. A 1.08 carat stone would be described as ‘one point oh eight carats.’

The Cut

A Diamond’s Cut Unleashes Its Light. Diamonds are renowned for their ability to transmit light and sparkle so intensely. We often think of a diamond’s cut as shape (round, emerald, pear), but a diamond’s cut grade is really about how well a diamond’s facets interact with light.

Precise artistry and workmanship are required to fashion a stone so its proportions, symmetry, and polish deliver the magnificent return of light only possible in a diamond.

A diamond’s cut is crucial to the stone’s final beauty and value. And of all the diamond 4Cs, it is the most complex and technically difficult to analyze. To determine the cut grade of the standard round brilliant diamond - the shape that dominates the majority of diamond jewelry – GIA calculates the proportions of those facets that influence the diamond’s face-up appearance. These proportions allow GIA to evaluate how successfully a diamond interacts with light to create desirable visual effects such as:

Brightness: Internal and external white light reflected from a diamond

Fire: The scattering of white light into all the colors of the rainbow

Scintillation: The amount of sparkle a diamond produces, and the pattern of light and dark areas caused by reflections within the diamond

GIA’s diamond cut grade also takes into account the design and craftsmanship of the diamond, including its weight relative to its diameter, its girdle thickness (which affects its durability), the symmetry of its facet arrangement, and the quality of polish on those facets.

The GIA Diamond Cut Scale for standard round brilliant diamonds in the D-to-Z diamond color range contains 5 grades ranging from Excellent to Poor.

Excellent

This is the rarest cut grade and reflects the most light.

Very Good

This cut grade reflects nearly as much light as an Excellent cut grade, but for a lower price.

Good

This cut grade reflects most of the light that enters the diamond, but not as much as a Very Good cut grade.

Fair

This cut grade may appear dull or even glassy, and is very inexpensive.

Poor

This cut grade is not carried by Rolland's Jewelers and is typically not recommended.

Excellent
Very Good
Good
Fair
Poor
Not carried by Rolland's Jewelers

MORE DIAMONDS

The Color

Diamond Color Actually Means Lack of Color The diamond color evaluation of most gem-quality diamonds is based on the absence of color. A chemically pure and structurally perfect diamond has no hue, like a drop of pure water, and consequently, a higher value. GIA’s D-to-Z diamond color-grading system measures the degree of colorlessness by comparing a stone under controlled lighting and precise viewing conditions to masterstones stones of established color value.

GIA’s diamond D-to-Z color-grading scale is the industry’s most widely accepted grading system. The scale begins with the letter D, representing colorless, and continues, with increasing presence of color, to the letter Z.Many of these color distinctions are so subtle that they are invisible to the untrained eye; however, these distinctions make a very big difference in diamond quality and price.

Z-N
M-K
Noticeable Color
J
I
H
G
Near Colorless
F
E
D
Colorless
Z-N
M-K
J
I
H
G
F
E
D
Noticeable Color
Near Colorless
Colorless

The Clarity

Diamond Clarity Refers to the Absence of Inclusions and Blemishes Natural diamonds are the result of carbon exposed to tremendous heat and pressure deep in the earth. This process can result in a variety of internal characteristics called ‘inclusions’ and external characteristics called ‘blemishes.’

The GIA Diamond Clarity Scale has 6 categories, some of which are divided, for a total of 11 specific grades.

Flawless (FL)
No inclusions and no blemishes visible under 10x magnification

Internally Flawless (IF)
No inclusions visible under 10x magnification

Very, Very Slightly Included (VVS1 and VVS2)
Inclusions so slight they are difficult for a skilled grader to see under 10x magnification

Very Slightly Included (VS1 and VS2)
Inclusions are observed with effort under 10x magnification, but can be characterized as minor

Slightly Included (SI1 and SI2)
Inclusions are noticeable under 10x magnification

Included (I1, I2, and I3)
Inclusions are obvious under 10x magnification which may affect transparency and brilliance

Flawless

No inclusions or blemishes are visible to a skilled grader.

Internally Flawless

No inclusions and only blemishes are visible to a skilled grader.

Very Very Slightly Included

Inclusions are difficult for a skilled grader to see.

Very Slightly Included

Inclusions are clearly visible but can be characterized as minor.

Slightly Included

Inclusions are noticeable to a skilled grader.

Included

Inclusions are obvious and may affect transparency and brilliance.

FFlawless
IFInternally Flawless
VVS1
VVS2
Very Very Slightly Included
VS1
VS2
Very Slightly Included
SI1
SI2
Slightly Included
I1
I2
I3
Included

MORE DIAMONDS

Shop Loose Diamonds

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500 North Milwaukee Avenue
Libertyville, IL 60048
(847) 918-7300
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