7 C's of Diamonds

About Diamonds

- The 7C's of Diamonds

Carat:One carat is equal to 1/5 of a gram in weightFor diamonds under a carat, each carat is divided into 100 points. For example 0.75ct. = 75 points, 1/2 ct. = 50 points.

Clarity:Diamonds form under tremendous heat and pressure giving them distinguishable internal and external characteristics. These qualities help gemologists separate natural diamonds from synthetics and simulants, and serve to identify individual stones. Inclusions and blemishes are the two types of clarity characteristics. Inclusions are characteristics within a diamond while blemishes are on the surface of the diamond.

Color:Most diamonds used in jewelry are near colorless with tints of yellow or brown. Color grades are determined by comparing each diamond to a master set. Each letter grade represents a range of color and is a measure of how noticeable the color is.

Cut:A polished diamond's beauty is effected by its relationship with light and how light reflects off of the surface, how much enters the diamond, and how the light returns to your eye. The result is a compilation of three qualities. Brightness is the white light reflecting from the surface and interior of a diamond. Fire is the colored flashes that can be seen in a diamond. Scintillation describes the sparkle of light you see, and the overall pattern of bright and dark areas when you look at a diamond face-up. A diamond's proportions affect its performance. This affects its beauty and overall appeal. Diamonds with ideal proportions optimize the interaction with light, and have good brilliance, fire, and scintillation.

Conflict Free - make sure that your jewelry sells conflict free stones. In additon to selling only conflict free stones, Elizabeta Jewelry donates a portion of the sale to http://www.conflictneutral.com/ to help counter the negative effects of the diamond industry.

Cost:GULP! Don't fret... Elizabeta Jewelry offers very competitive prices on high quality cut and graded diamonds. All of our diamonds are graded by independent gem labs such as the GIA, and are guaranteed to be as described.

Customer Service:We at Elizabeta Jewelry make our customers top priority! No order is too big or too small. We welcome any and all of your questions. Call us to chat or shoot us an email. We would love to hear from you!

If diamonds aren't for you, check out colored gemstones or diamond alternatives, such as diamond hybrids and moissanite.

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Diamond Alternatives

While diamonds are beautiful and symbolic, they do carry a heavy price tag. Many couples struggle with justifying such a large expenditure on such a small object. And if the price tag isn't enough to scare you, the origin of the diamond can be shrouded in dubious mystery. If you have seen Blood Diamond or heard of conflict diamonds, you know what I mean. The African diamond trade has long been used to finance civil war, hence the term "blood diamond." At Elizabeta Jewelry, we offer alternatives that will ease your apprehension and save you some serious money. Our diamonds come from suppliers that are in compliance with the The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) which imposes extensive requirements on its members to enable them to certify shipments of rough diamonds as ‘conflict-free’. And for every diamond we sell, we donate a portion of the sale to http://www.conflictneutral.com/, a registry for charitable donations to counter the negative effects of diamonds.

But if you still aren't convinced that diamonds are for you, we have some very attractive and practical options. Elizabeta Jewelry offers a vast selection of colored gemstones in every shape and size. Many couples are using colored gemstones today as they are rich in symbolism and color. And of course, most of them are a fraction of the cost of a diamond. There are certain considerations, such as hardness and toughness to consider if you are putting the stone in an every day ring. If you have any question as to what gemstone would be best for you, please post a comment to this blog.

Another increasingly popular option is moissanite. It is silicon carbide that was originally discovered at a meteor crash site. Now it has been manufactured in sizes large enough for jewelry. It's fire and luster surpass that of the diamond. However, moissanite isn't completely colorless; it is usually equivalent to an H or I colored diamond (which are some of the most common diamond colors in jewelry). It isn't quite as hard as a diamond; it rates 9.25 to diamond's 10 on the Moh's Hardness Scale. The cost is quite attractive and is usually about 1/5 to 1/10 the cost of a diamond.

Diamond hybrids, also known as amorphous diamonds are man-made and "composed of a multitude of tiny diamond crystals all aligned together*". They tend to be equivalent to an F or G colored diamond (colorless to near colorless - very good). They are also flawless in clarity. Hardness is rated a 9 on the Mohs Scale. This option too is far less expensive than a diamond.

So if you aren't comfortable with the price and reputation of the diamond, there are lots of great options to chose from that will offer all the beauty of a diamond.

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Please check back periodically for information on selecting the right engagement ring, wedding bands, diamonds, gemstones, diamond alternatives, and lots of other jewelry related stuff. Or if you have a question for us, please ask and we will get back to you with an answer.