by Kristian Krawford

    Easily the most sought-after gems in the world, diamonds are truly unique stones. They are known to be the hardest naturally occurring substance on earth and  the only gemstones made of a single element—carbon.

     First mined in India some 4,000 years ago, they are now found in many parts of the world. Remarkable in their hardness, the only substance that can scratch a diamond is another diamond. Colorless diamonds are the most commonly marketed; but most natural diamonds have a slight yellow or brownish tinge.

     There’s a great deal of mythology surrounding the stones. In ancient times, they were thought to bring victory and strength. Jewish high priests believed that a diamond would dull when held before a guilty person and would shine beautifully when held before an innocent one. Ancient Greeks and Romans believed diamonds were teardrops of the gods or splinters separated from falling stars. Its hardness has given it the moniker the “Stone of Invincibility” and if you were born in the month of April, it is your birthstone.

    The Four Cs are incredibly important when evaluating this gem. Color is first as those lacking hue are the most valuable and rare. Indeed, most diamonds do have slight color (usually yellow or brown) and the fancy-colored ones are less expensive. However, brightly colored yellow “canary” diamonds are highly desired and many diamond wearers also find themselves drawn to “champagne” or “cognac” hues.

    Cut is the most important of the Four Cs. The cut of a diamond determines its beauty, fire, brilliance, and consequently, its value. In an ideal cut, nearly all the light that enters the diamond will be reflected. A well-cut diamond will also appear larger and have enhanced color and clarity. There are three optical effects that determines a diamond’s appeal: brilliance, scintillation and fire. Brilliance refers to the white light that is reflected, while scintillation is the play of light that occurs when the diamond is moved. Fire is the rainbow of colors reflected.

    Clarity is important because the rarest and most valuable diamonds are eye-clean, meaning no visible inclusions to reduce clarity. In fact, only 20% of sourced diamonds make it to market; the rest are too opaque or flawed.

    Carat is the unit weight measurement used to measure gemstones. It only measures the diamond’s weight, not its size. Small diamonds not only cost less but cost less per carat, because they are more commonly found. Larger diamonds are rarer and thus, more valuable. However, carat weight is probably the least important of the Four Cs. This is because two diamonds of the same carat weight can have differing costs due to cut, color and clarity.