A well-crafted, premium wedding ring appreciates if taken care of, which will make it a priceless heirloom to bequeath your children. The classic, central component of the wedding ring is the diamond. When shopping for wedding rings in Merrillville, consider the four Cs of diamond quality: color, clarity, cut and carat.
The Quality of Color
When experts speak of diamond color, they don’t mean diamonds of an obvious color, such as blue or pink. Diamond color specifically refers to the lack in gradations of yellow, brown and other colors that naturally occur in seemingly colorless diamonds.
Diamond color grades conform to standards established by the non-profit Gemological Institute of America (GIA). The GIA color scale ranges from letters D to Z, with D representing colorless and Z connoting a diamond with a very light, transparent, yellowish hue.
Clear as the Day: Clarity
Diamond clarity measures a given diamond’s lack of internal flaws and blemishes called inclusions. A diamond’s clarity grade depends specifically on the size, nature and location of its inclusions. Clarity grade can directly affect price, so opt for lower or higher grades depending on your budget.
As with color grades, the Diamond Clarity Scale is also the brainchild of GIA. The scale has six categories: Flawless (F) and Internally Flawless (IF); Very, Very Slightly Included (VVSI1, VVSI2); Very Slightly Included (VSI1, VSI2); Slightly Included (SI1, SI20); and Included (I1, I2, I3).
Making the Cut
The ideal diamond cut results in a stone that is perfectly symmetrical, with 58 facets distinctly and exactly placed. The finished product has luster and sparkle. The sparkle comes from light reflecting internally between the facets, giving the visual impression of a tiny, icy fire or star. GIA cut grades range from poor to excellent.
The Weight of Wonderfulness
If given the choice, most women want as many diamond carats as they can get. Carats are a unit of measurement used for weighing precious stones. A single carat equals 200 milligrams. Official diamond weights typically indicate a weight measured to within 1/1000 of a carat, rounded to the nearest 100th or point.
Stop by Albert’s Diamond Jewelers or visit us online for a vast selection of world-class diamond wedding rings in Merrillville.
