Buying a diamond can be stressful.  It is a large purchase most people know very little about.  The old saying, "If you don't know your jewelry, know your jeweler" is still true.  We educate our customers during their experience at Herbert's.  We view this as the most important aspect of shopping for a diamond so our customers can make informed decisions while choosing the diamond of a lifetime.  The quality and price of a diamond equal its value.  These factors are determined by the diamond's clarity, color, cut and carat weight.  These are the Four C's.

Clarity

Clarity is the system we use to determine the presence or absence of imperfections in or on a diamond. If the imperfection is inside the diamond it is called an inclusion. If the imperfection is on the surface of the diamond it is called a blemish. The clarity grade is determined by taking all of the imperfections into consideration. The Gemological Institute of America's (GIA) grading system is widely recognized as the standard of the industry. The system is based on what a trained observer would see under 10x magnification or, in the lower grades, the unaided eye. At Herbert's, we strongly believe in showing each customer the diamonds clarity under a binocular gem microscope at 10x and 30x. If a jeweler is not willing to show you a stone in this way, you are probably in the wrong store. Comparing diamonds of different clarity grades under the microscope is a good way to get a feel for this process and will illustrate the unique and interesting nature of each individual diamond.

Color 

(include color chart along left side of page, adjust chart - J should be in near colorless category.) Color refers to the body color of a diamond, not the sparkle. Most people think of diamonds as a colorless or near colorless gem. The "normal" range of color runs from completely colorless to tints of brown, gray or yellow. Diamonds actually occur in every color of the rainbow. Diamonds of colors other than the normal range are considered a "fancy" color. Fancy colors result naturally as atoms of "impurities" replace atoms of carbon. The Hope Diamond on display at the Smithsonian Museum is a good example of a fancy color, as it is a vivid blue. Some diamonds are treated with irradiation and sometimes heat as well to obtain a fancy color. This treatment creates color changes that are usually permanent. A reputable jeweler should disclose any treatment to the customer. The GIA's system for color grading uses the alphabet. The scale begins with the letter D (colorless) and ends with Z (light yellow).
 

Cut

Cut is the step that a highly skilled artisan adds to unlock the beauty of a diamond. Without cutting even a flawless, colorless diamond would not sparkle. When referring to cut, the shape, style and proportions of a diamond are taken into consideration. Shape is best observed by seeing the outline of a diamond. Some of the more well known shapes would include the round brilliant, princess, emerald, marquise, oval, pear and cushion. Each of these shapes has it's own guidelines for desirable proportions. Style refers to the shape and arrangement of the facets. For example, the round brilliant style is best described as having pavilion facets extending from a center point to the edge of the diamond. Bezel facets are kite shaped while upper girdle and star facets are triangular. A step cut has pavilion and crown facets that are made of parallel straight lines at different angles, such as the emerald or baguette. A mixed cut is a combination of the brilliant and step cut, like the princess or radiant. Proportions are the relationship of the size and angles of the facets of the diamond. Proportions determine how light travels through the diamond. If the proportions are good, the diamond will return the most light possible, allowing the stone to exhibit unparalleled brilliance. Cut can make a large difference in the price of a diamond. A diamond with the same color and clarity grade could be compromised by the quality of the cut, greatly altering its value. There are several systems for grading cut. All start with zero or one, which are the highest grades. As the number goes up, the grade goes down. A knowledgeable jeweler will be able to explain this in detail.

Carat

The carat is simply the unit measure of weight. It is the only one of the four C's not judged by quality. It is equal to .2 of a gram. It is further subdivided into points, ie. 1/100th of a carat. A diamond that weighs 25 points is a quarter of a carat, 50 points is a half carat, etc. The cutting proportions of a stone can make it appear larger from a certain angle, but this is not always indicative of carat weight.