Diamonds

Of all the creatures of the earth, only humans adorn themselves. Dating back to prehistoric cultures, humans have crafted and worn jewellery for ornamentation, to depict status, and in the belief that semi-precious and precious stones contain properties that affect the wearer.

Among the different materials used in crafting jewellery, the most renowned is probably the diamond. From the Greek "adamas," which means "indestructible," diamonds have long been coveted, worshiped, and traded. Up until the fifteenth century, only kings were allowed to wear diamonds, as they were a symbol of strength and courage. In more recent times, diamonds have acquired the status as a gift of romance and love. The placement of a diamond ring on the third finger of the left hand has its origins in the belief of ancient Egyptians that the "vena amors," or vein of love, runs from the heart directly to the tip of that finger.

Whether set in gold, platinum, or another metal, the measurement of the worth of an individual diamond generally comes down to "the Four C's:" color, clarity, cut and carat weight. Each of these four aspects is important, but there really is no perfect recipe for the ultimate diamond.

Most people shopping for a diamond prefer one that is as close to colorless as possible, but many jewellery designers are creating fascinating pieces featuring colored diamonds, such as pink or chocolate diamonds. Colorless diamonds, also known as white diamonds, are graded on a scale of D to Z, with the D designation awarded only to rare diamonds which are totally without color.

Clarity describes the presence or absence of flaws (also known as inclusions) inside or occurring on the surface of a diamond. A stone with perfect clarity is very rare, and most diamonds contain tiny flaws that can only be observed with the use of a jeweler's magnifying loupe. The clarity of diamonds is graded on a scale which ranges from Flawless (no inclusions) to I1, I2 and I3 (Included with obvious inclusions that may affect transparency and brilliance).

A diamond's cut does not actually refer to its shape, but rather to its proportions and the uniformity of its facets. An ideally cut diamond is able to reflect light out the top of the stone, enhancing the brilliance of the diamond.

Carat weight is a measure of the actual weight of a diamond; one carat is equivalent to 200 milligrams. Carat weight is also a measure for gemstones other than diamonds, but gemstones of equivalent weights aren't always exactly the same size, since they can vary considerably in density.

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