Mullett-Hoover Jewelers Provo Utah
PROVO • UTAH

DIAMOND BUYING GUIDE:
THE FOUR C's OF DIAMONDS

Buying a diamond is often a very personal experience. Diamonds can be bought to signify love, significant accomplishments, or milestones in your life or that of a gift's recipient. Unlike when you buy clothing, electronics, or cars, the features of a diamond may not seem quite so obvious to you. At Mullett-Hoover Jewelers, we would like to change that.

The more you know about your diamond jewelry, the more confident you will feel when making your diamond jewelry choices. Take a moment to learn more about the 4Cs and find out how they play a an important role in making your diamond jewelry unique.



DIAMOND GUIDE

1) CUT

The cut of a diamond determines its brilliance or sparkle. Each shape will be cut differently. Before a diamond is cut, the location of inclusions and flaws, the natural coloration, and the original shape of the rough stone are studied extensively.

The stone facets are then mapped out and cut in a way that maximizes size, shape, and clarity. For optimal light performance, you will want a diamond that is cut neither too shallow nor too deep.
DIAMOND GUIDE

2) COLOR

Diamond color refers not to the presence of color within a diamond but to the absence or lack of it. As one of the 4 C's used to describe and determine diamond quality, it is an important factor in a diamond's appearance and value. A technically perfect diamond, like a drop of pure water, is colorless, while others may contain a slight yellowish tint or a fancy color, such as pink or blue.

The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) developed the diamond color scale in the 1940s to standardize diamond color grading internationally. The scale begins with the letter D, which represents colorless, and increases in color presence to the letter Z, which represents as light yellow, grey, pink, or brown.

DIAMOND GUIDE

3) CLARITY

A diamond is distinguished by its natural characteristics, just as a person would be noted for her blue eyes or his brown hair. Notated as a diamond's clarity, these characteristics can be present on the surface (blemishes) or within the stone (inclusions).

The clarity is judged by the number and types of these characteristics and is designated using a scale that runs from Fl, defined as flawless, to I3, defined as inclusions visible with the naked eye. A flawless diamond is truly rare.
DIAMOND GUIDE

4) CARAT

The unit of measure used for the weight of a diamond is the carat. As a matter of reference, a carat is equivalent to .2 grams or .007 of an ounce. Carat weight can also be divided further by using points.

There are 100 points in one carat. So a 1/4 (.25) carat stone can also be expressed as 25 points and mean exactly the same thing. When comparing two diamonds, please note that just because one is twice the carat weight of the other does not mean that it will appear to be twice the size.



Mullett-Hoover Jewelers Provo Utah
PROVO • UTAH

Mullett-Hoover Jewelers offers a range of services to keep your jewelry in excellent condition. From simple ring resizings and prong repairs to complete redesigns and restorations we have the services and skills to meet all your needs.



Mullett-Hoover Jewelers Provo Utah
PROVO • UTAH

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