Diamond Pawn Shop

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is the carat weight of my diamond?
Diamond carat weight is the measurement of how much a diamond weighs. A metric “carat” is defined as 200 milligrams. Each carat can be subdivided into 100 ‘points’. This allows very precise measurements to the hundredth decimal place. Sometimes when describing the weight of a diamond that is below one carat, it is often referred to by ‘points’ alone. It can also be referred to as a fraction. For instance, a diamond that weighs 0.25 carats is often described as a twenty-five pointer or as ¼ carat. Diamonds weighing greater than one carat are usually expressed as whole numbers decimals shown to two decimal places. All else being equal, diamond price increases with diamond carat weight because larger diamonds are rarer and more desirable. But two diamonds of equal carat weight can have very different values (and prices) depending on three other factors of the diamond 4Cs. It’s important to remember that a diamond’s value is determined using all of the 4Cs, not just carat weight.

What is the cut of my diamond?
Diamonds are renowned for their ability to transmit light sparkle intensely. We often think of a diamond’s cut as shape (round, emerald, pear), but a diamond’s cut grade is really about how well a diamond’s facets interact with light. Precise artistry and workmanship are required to fashion a stone, so its proportions, symmetry, and polish deliver the magnificent return of light only possible in a diamond. A diamond’s cut is crucial to the stone’s final beauty value. And of all the diamond 4Cs, it is the most complex and technically difficult to analyse. To determine the cut grade of the standard round brilliant diamond – the shape that dominates the majority of diamond jewellery –the laboratory carrying out the certificate calculates the proportions of those facets that influence the diamond’s face-up appearance. These proportions allow the assessor to evaluate how successfully a diamond interacts with light and to create desirable visual effects such as: Brightness: Internal external white light reflected from a diamond Fire: The scattering of white light into all the colours of the rainbow Scintillation: The amount of sparkle a diamond produces, the pattern of light dark areas caused by reflections within the diamond The diamond’s cut grade also takes into account the design and craftsmanship of the diamond, including its weight relative to its diameter, its girdle thickness (which affects its durability), the symmetry of its facet arrangement, and the quality of polish on those facets.

What is the clarity of my diamond?
Inclusions and blemishes are structural imperfections which affect the clarity grading of diamonds. Inclusions are largely crystals of diamond or foreign material that have formed within the stone affecting the internal composition, while blemishes are flaws which affect the stone’s surface. The size, number, colour, location, orientation, and visibility of inclusions blemishes are all taken into account when evaluating the clarity of a diamond. When inspected through a ten times magnification jewellers loupe, the following grades are given: FL- Flawless; no inclusions and no blemishes, IF- Internally Flawless; no inclusions (Very difficult for a trained grader to spot), VVS1-Very very slightly included grade 1, VVS2-Very very slightly included grade 2 (Difficult to spot classed as minor), VS1- Very slightly included grade1, VS2- Very slightly included grade2 Inclusions are classed as noticeable, SI1- slightly included grade1, SI2- slightly included grade2 Inclusions classed as obvious may affect transparency, I1- included grade1, I2- included grade2, I3- included grade3.