| Current Category is: Attraction | Select Another Category | |
|
|
| Home | Search | Categories | Links | About Us | Contact Us |
|
|
 |
Crack the Clandestine Code of Diamonds
Precious, brilliant and expensive-why wouldn't diamonds be a girl's best friend? When giving the most significant gift of a lifetime, most men, and even the women who receive them, know precious little about diamonds. By the time they're old and experienced enough to know about cut, shape, grade, brilliance, color, weight, and setting, they already have the diamond of a lifetime. Crack the vocabulary, and you'll be on your way to purchasing your first diamond with confidence. The Four Cs Diamonds are not created equally! "The Four Cs of Diamonds"- cut, clarity, color, and carat determine diamond grade. A diamond certificate accompanies each diamond and includes grades for each of the four Cs as documented by a gemologist. Learn what these terms mean to avoid that "deer in the headlights" look when the jeweler uses these terms. Cut refers to the physical cut, not the shape of the diamond, and it affects the brilliance of the diamond. If the cut is too shallow or too deep, the refraction of the light detracts from the brilliance. Grades for cut, from best to worst, include Ideal, Premium, Very Good, Good, Fair and Poor. The Ideal grade applies exclusively to round diamonds. Clarity measures the purity of the diamond. Most diamonds include some flaws, called inclusions. All but the rare flawless diamonds contain inclusions of varying number and size. The Clarity grade measures the purity of the diamond, the relative absence of flaws. Clarity grades the appearance under 10X magnification. Top grades include F (flawless-forget it, you'll never see this), IF (internally flawless, you'll never afford it), VVS1-VVS2 (very, very slightly flawed-not we're getting a little more realistic), VS1-VS2 (very slightly flawed), and SI1-SI2 (slightly flawed). All but the VS1-VS2 and SI1-SI2 diamonds contain flaws that are invisible or barely visible under 10X magnification. Lesser grades include I1- -I3 (flawed and obvious without magnification). If price is a consideration, then invisible to the naked eye is a reasonable tradeoff. Color actually refers to the absence of color in diamonds. The finest diamonds are colorless, which allows them to absorb and reflect more light, displaying more brilliance. White diamonds range from ice white to light yellow. Color is graded on a scale from D-Z, with D-grade diamonds being colorless and Z-grade diamonds containing the most color. Grades G-J are near colorless to the human eye, and offer the best value for the money. Carat refers to weight. Because large diamonds are extremely rare, the price rises exponentially rather than arithmetically according to carat weight. Each of the four Cs affects price. Once you set a budget, determine the attributes most important to you and select your diamond according to your preferences. Learn a few more simple terms, and you're well on your way to demystifying the world of diamonds and carrying on a conversation with your jeweler that will turn the heads of less astute shoppers. Shape also affects price, but only in terms of "shape appeal," how pleasing the shape is to the naked eye. By far, the most popular shape is the Round diamond, and it's the most expensive as well. Fancy shapes such as Emerald, Marquis, Pear, Heart, Oval, Radiant and Princess, are less expensive than Round diamonds. Side by side, fancy diamonds look larger than Round diamonds of equal carat weight. If you want something out of the ordinary, a fancy shape might be right for you. Facets refer to the flat, polished surfaces of the diamond. The round diamond checks in at 58 facets, the most facets of all the shapes. The most important facet is the top or Table facet-the largest facet. Diamonds cut to perfection enable the facets to refract the light brilliantly. Settings should enhance the brilliance and size of the stones, not detract from them. The range of choices is stunning, from the metal to the prong display. Even more than shape, the setting reflects your personal preference and style. Now that you understand the clandestine vocabulary of diamonds, you can relax and have fun while selecting that one-of-a-kind, perfect diamond for you M J Plaster is a successful author who provides information on shopping online for jewelry, diamonds, and more. M J Plaster has been a commercial freelance writer for almost two decades, most recently specializing in home and garden, the low-carb lifestyle, investing, and anything that defines la dolce vita.
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Whats in a Name ? What's In a Name?How often have you thought about the name that you were given? Do you know what your name means? Have you lived up to the wonderful meaning of your name?I haven't given much thought to my name in a long time until recently. For several reasons, my name is giving me a lot of respect in this community that I've joined. The Magnetic, Attracting Power of the Mind The power of the mind draws certain events, circumstances and people into our lives and repels others. In this respect, it resembles a magnet. Success Is In Your Hands - For Things To Change, I Must Change First! Do you know that many people feel they cannot achieve what they want in life because they are not in control of their circumstances? Is it really so?How many times have you heard this: "If only I had creativity like him, I would be able to develop innovative Internet Marketing products," or "if only I had the money to start the e-commerce business, then I would be able to set up a business"? Do you know that all these things are within our control the moment we change ourselves?It sounds unbelievable but it's true! This requires a shift in your paradigm of thinking and it moves you from a powerless state to a state where you can actually take control. We will now take a look at 3 ordinary people like you and me who are able to achieve what they want in life through this simple principle. What Does the World Owe You? Sometimes many of us feel like we've made deposits into society, yet we are unable to make withdrawals. Whenever I have felt that way in the past, I read essays like Ralph Waldo Emerson's essay Compensation, which I made into a free downloadable copy and distributed last week in the special success issue of my ezine. Coping As A Caregiver Few people are prepared for the responsibilities and tasks involved in caring for loved ones who are ill, elderly, or disabled. The success of the relationship between you and your loved one depends on several factors. Hearts Made Strong The heart seems to be one of the most vulnerable in the system because it is the one that has held the most fear, the most old pain, perhaps, and repressed energy. It is the one that is most afraid to open to pure unconditional love, which is indeed where your power lies. Who Do You Think You Are? Are you totally in love with your life?Whatever your current situation I want to give you some food for thought?Your current level of love, passion and intensity for your everyday life is directly proportionate to how close you currently live to the purpose for which you came to this life.Take an office worker. Relationships - 9 Never-Changing Rules In a relationship, your ability to understand and respond to the other person's needs and desires are fundamental. Understanding the nature of relationships themselves may be as important to your success in love as understanding the person with whom you're having the relationship. Mental, Emotional and Physical Prosperity To create true, lasting prosperity, almost any guru can tell you that you must align your physical, mental and emotional states and actions. This all sounds very logical, but when it comes right down to it, most of us are not quite certain how to proceed. 7 Ways To Make a Great First Impression When you have an important event to attend there are 7 great ways to make sure you perform at your very best. These tips are relevant for social events and business meetings. Gratitude: 11 Universal Laws for ThanksLiving The Law of ThanksgivingIt's easy to be grateful around the Thanksgiving holiday. But what if we were able to find ourselves feeling grateful year round? What that might change about your life?The Law of Who PastTo whom in the past are you grateful? Someone who gave you a break, someone who cared about you, inspired you, believed in you, or someone who simply listened to you? Have you ever sought them out to thank them, perhaps just a phone call to say thanks? As someone who has made those kind of calls, it really feels good to express your gratitude. The Keys To Faster Evolution Prosperity is management of positive energy. It's individual capacity to pour energy out in the world and re-circulate back in our life. Living a Values-Based Life What is a values-based life? A values-based life is a self-capable life free of doubt or fear; a life that allows you to take risks, fulfill dreams, capture goals and live to your fullest capacity. Sound wonderful? It certainly is. Reminding Yourself of Prosperity Have you ever heard the phrase, "Thoughts are things and words have wings?" This phrase is the perfect expression of the principle of prosperity. How you think about and talk about your level of prosperity is what actually manifests in your life. Pheromones Myth or Fact. Do Pheromones Work? I did a quick search on the Internet for pheromones.Pheromones are chemicals released by an organism into its environment enabling it to communicate with other in its own species. My Assignment ... If You Didnt Create It, Then Its Not Yours! Life consists of lessons. Living is continual learning. Everyday People Are Accomplishing Their Dreams - Now Its Your Turn! If you can do anything in this time in your life what would you do?I mean the sky is the limit. You have all the money you need, your bills are all paid and right now you have the opportunity to do whatever you want. Taking Charge of Your Inner Movie I first heard about this when I read The New Psycho-cybernetics by Dr Maxwell Maltz and Dan Kennedy. I enjoyed it because it expanded on the importance of Intrapersonal Communication. 3 Steps to Manifesting Your Ideal Life Over the past several weeks I've received dozens of email solicitations for books, CDs and videos that promise to reveal newly discovered techniques to improve my life. These emails promise a wide variety of benefits: how to get rich, lose weight, meet the woman of my dreams and buy a million dollar mansion with no money down. How We Evolved Into An Un-Charming Culture...(And What To Do About It) Charm did not play a very large role in that arrangement. But times have changed (thank goodness) since the days of those primitive humans, and these days, charm can play a tremendous role in a leader's ascension to power, either in politics or business.
|
| Home
| Sitemap
| Disclaimer
| Privacy
| Contact
Us © COPYRIGHT 2011 BRAINBELLY.COM |
