DIAMONDS 4 "C's"

“Millions of years and millions of volcanic explosions have resulted in something that has enriched many and made many even more very happy.  Inside the depths of the Earth -at more than 100-125 miles, through deep excavations- and along riverbeds and oceans, a stone was found which eventually came to be known as diamant”, with these words Fernando Luis Enríquez begins to develop his theme, a theme that for him has become a passion.

This diaphanous stone, very shiny, clean, colorless, brilliantly carved into facets, front and back, are some of the ways is described this beautiful stone formed by the crystallization of minerals, mostly carbon, under conditions of high pressure and low temperatures.  Enríquez makes clear that in order to find the best quality stones one must know where new mines are being developed, which is usually in remote places such as Africa, Australia, Russia and Brazil.

Once the stone is mined it goes to an expert stonecutter who will apply precise cuts to turn it into gems of different sizes and styles.  Diamonds are classified according to what’s known as the four “C’s”: color, clarity, cut and carats.  To determine the qualities of a diamond, the examiner must have two types of light: natural and artificial, each used for a different purpose.

COLOR

Diamonds come in various degrees of coloration, from colorless –with distinct tonalities of yellow, brown and gray- to intense colors known as “fancy colors” (pink, blue, green, etc.)  The colorless diamond is very rare and therefore is very costly.  The parameters established by the Gemology Institute of America (GIA) and the color scale begins with the letter D and goes to Z, with D being the most colorless. After Z, the fancy are classified according to descriptions of the tones and saturation of the stones. To determine the color in the laboratory, a minimum of five pre-classified diamonds are used for comparison under ideal conditions within the workplace.

CLARITY

This determines the purity and internal as well as external characteristics of the diamond.  The ideal is that have a minimum of possible inclusions, which as with color, are extremely rare to find. Very few stones appear flawless at plain sight or with a 10x magnification; these are very costly.  The scale begins with FL (flawless or perfect) up to I-3 (imperfect).  Taken into consideration are the location, number, size, and color of the characteristics to classify them according to the GIA parameters (F1, IF, VVS 1-2, VS 1-2. SI 1-2 y I 1-3).

CARATS

Unit of measurement used to determine the weight of gems; from the Latin carabs meaning the seeds of the carob tree which were used in the past to weigh diamonds. A one-carat diamond (1.00 = 100 points) equals .200 grams (200 miligrams)  This is used to determine the final value of the diamond.  Two stones weighing the same could vary tremendously in price due to their differences in color, clarity and cut.

CUT

This refers not only to the geometrical cut of the stone, but to the expertise of the diamond cutter in attaining symmetry and polish. When they fall within the ideal parameters, its splendor and brilliance will denote those peculiar characteristics of the diamond.  This is where man, the artist at work on it, applies his knowledge to make the most out of the raw material, leaving it with the most in weight and the least amount of inclusions possible.  The most common cut is the Round cut, because it’s the one best suited for stones as found in their natural state.  It is followed by the Princess cut (square), Pear shaped (tear drop), Emerald (rectangular), Oval, and Heart shaped.

“No matter the definition or processing of the diamond; this is one of women’s best friends and it is highly prized in the world of jewelry and precious stones affirms this gemologist who has continued his post-graduate studies in the art of gemology in California follows in his continuous travels around the world the trajectory of the stone.  Fernando Luis Enríquez recommends that “when you are about to select a diamond, you should consult a gemologist or qualified jeweler so that you may turn a dream come true into an investment that will last a lifetime, because a diamond is forever.”