How to Find Out the Appraisal Value of a Diamond

Find out how much your diamonds are worth.

Diamonds, both old and new, can gain value over the years. There are four factors that will determine how much your diamond is worth, and understanding these characteristics, commonly known as the "four Cs," will help you understand the value of your diamond.

Instructions

1. Understand the color of your diamond. This does not refer to colored diamonds, which are very rare and very expensive. This refers to how "colorless" your diamond is. You could have a five-carat diamond, but if it's considered "yellow" (not to be confused with a canary diamond), it will not be worth very much. The less yellow tint that your diamond has, the more value it will have and retain. The most desired diamonds are the ones that are considered colorless. The color of diamonds are graded by letters, starting with the letter D.

   D - F: colorless, considered the best diamond
   G - J: near colorless
   K - M: traces of faint yellow
   N - R: light yellow
   S - Z: yellow, considered undesirable

2. Understand the clarity of your diamond. Clarity refers to how many (or how few) flaws the diamond has. Diamonds that are considered to have great clarity are flawless diamonds. These diamonds will capture light the best and have a great brilliance about them. A diamond that has large flaws will be dark and murky looking. These diamonds will not be valued very well. Graded by a series of letters and numbers, the most expensive and flawless diamonds in the world are graded with an "F."

   F: Flawless
   IF: Internally Flawless
   VVS1: Very, Very Small Inclusions (Level 1), hard to see flaws under magnification
   VVS2: Very, Very Small Inclusions (Level 2), also hard to see flaws under magnification
   VS: Very Small Inclusions, some flaws noticeable under magnification
   VS1: Very Small Inclusions (Level 1), flaws noticeable under magnification
   VS2: Very Small Inclusions (Level 2), flaws noticeable under magnification
   SI: Small Inclusions, flaws seen easily
   SI1: Small Inclusions (Level 1), flaws seen easily but not visible to the eye
   SI2: Small Inclusions (Level 2), flaws seen easily but not visible to the eye
   LI: Large Inclusions, flaws visible to the eye
   LI1: Large Inclusions (Level 1) large flaws visible to the eye
   LI2: Large Inclusions (Level 2) large flaws visible to the eye
   LI3: Large Inclusions (Level 3) largest flaws visible to the eye

3. Know the cut of your diamond. This should be confused with the shape of the diamond. The actual cut of the diamond are 57 to 58 precise incisions made to the diamond in very specific spots to increase the brilliance of the diamond. These millimeter-sized facets, when done by a diamond craftsman, will add even more sparkle and "fire" to the diamond. If the diamond is not cut to perfection, it will have decrease in sparkle. According to the Gemological Institute of America, the sparkle and brilliance of the diamond come mostly from the cut.

4. Know your diamond carat size. Diamonds are measured by metric carats. The large the diamond you have (meaning a larger carat weight), the larger its value will be. However, bigger isn't always better: a five carat diamond with a color of R, clarity of LI and not cut to perfection, will be worth considerably less than a two carat diamond with a color of D and clarity of F.

5. Get your diamond appraised by a certified diamond appraiser to know the exact value. Taking all of the above steps into consideration, a diamond appraiser will be able to accurately value your diamond. Taking your diamond to an appraiser the best way to find out its value.

References

• Precious Gemstones: Understanding the (GIA) Diamond Grading Report
• Gemological Institute of America: The Essential Four Cs of a Diamond