Pet Forum / Birds / Birds / January 2008

When selecting a diamond earring set, it is important to have an
understanding of the 4 C's. But what are the four C's and what in the
world do they actually mean? Here is a brief explanation of clarity,
cut, color, carat weight and what they mean when you are picking out
diamond earrings.

1) The Clarity of a Diamond. Out of the four C's this is probably the
most difficult for an ordinary person to distinguish when looking at a
diamond earring, but is possibly the most important. The clarity
determines how brilliant or dull the diamond will be depending on how
much light can reflect without the disturbances of flaws (also known
as inclusions). There are 12 different symbols that are used to
describe the clarity of a diamond. An "F" denotes that the diamond is
flawless while at the other end of the spectrum, an I3 explains that a
diamond has obvious flaws that are easily seen with the naked eye. The
ten grades in between these two describe how easily flaws can be seen
and with what type of magnification.

2) The Carat Weight of a Diamond. While usually thought to explain
size, the carat weight of a diamond actually is a measurement of the
weight of diamond. One carat is equal to 0.2 grams or 0.007 of an
ounce. It is therefore, not a measure of quality but a measure of
quantity. The larger the diamond, the more valuable since larger
diamonds are more rare than smaller ones. It is also important to
remember that just because one diamond maybe double the weight of
another diamond doesn't mean that the diamond earring will double in
price. The price of diamonds rises exponentially.

2) The Cut of a Diamond. The term "cut" for a diamond has two
different connotations. The more basic of the two, is the shape of the
diamond. Diamonds come in various shapes such as the round, oval,
emerald, pear, heart, and marquis. While these cuts are easy to
distinguish and to choose from, the more difficult "cut" to decipher
is the different angles, proportions, symmetry, finish and polish of
the diamond earring. This plays a large part in the beauty of the
diamond and how well it will reflect light. If it is a "shallow cut"
light will be lost from the bottom while if it is a "heavy cut" light
will be lost from the sides. The goal is to get a "fine cut" where no
light is lost. The quality of the cut depends on the jeweler. A
diamond is usually cut with

http://www.dontplayplay.com/html/Bothsexes/20061002/47408.html