How to Classify Diamonds
Diamonds are the hardest substance on earth. They are used not only in jewelry, but also for industrial purposes. They are extremely rare, and very expensive. Only the best ones are used in jewelry--others are used as tools to cut very hard items--including other diamonds. The ones used in jewelry are classified using the 4 Cs: cut, clarity, color and carat. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Make Sure it's a Diamond
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1
Run the gem along the mirror trying to scratch it. A diamond will noticeably cut the glass, a cubic zirconia may only scratch it, if it damages the mirror at all.
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2
Hold the magnifying glass up to the gem and look for flaws. Cubic zirconia are made to look perfect. A diamond will have tiny flaws in it.
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3
Look at the color of the gem against the paper. Diamonds, no matter how high the quality, will have a slight yellow or brown tinge to them. A cubic zirconia will be entirely clear.
Classify the Diamond
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4
Look at the diamond against that piece of paper again. The clearer the better. A diamond with a D, E or F rating is of the highest quality and is colorless. One rated G, H, I or J is near-colorless. A K, L or M-rated diamond has tiny traces of yellow. The yellower it becomes, the lower the rating, for an N through Z. An extremely yellow diamond is called a fancy diamond.
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5
Hold the diamond up to the mirror again and pay close attention to how the light hits it. The refraction will determine how well the diamond is cut. One that bounces the rays of light back evenly is ideal.
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6
Hold the ruler up to the diamond, then place it on the scale. A .05 carat diamond only measures 2.5 mm, while a half-carat diamond is 5.2 mm across. If you are lucky enough to have a larger one to measure, a 2-carat diamond is 8.2 mm. A 1-carat diamond weighs 200 mg. Use the combined measurement and weight to determine the carat of your diamond (see References).
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7
Use the magnifying class to look at the imperfections in the diamond. This determines its clarity. A diamond with very few flaws is rated an F1 or flawless diamond. One rated an SI-2 has several small imperfections in it. Those ranked lower than an SI-2 are used for industrial purposes.
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Tips & Warnings
Please keep in mind that when you buy a diamond ring at a jewelry store, you should receive a certification on the stone showing where the imperfections are, what rank the color and clarity are, and the size (carats).
References
Resources
- Photo Credit diamond image by sumos from Fotolia.com
