Technical Aspects of Diamond (Tips buying)

The word Diamond comes from the Greek word ‘adamas’. The hardest known substance known to mankind is diamond. The beauty of a faceted diamond depends upon many factors. To a name a few factors based on which diamonds are bought are 4 Cs: Cut, Clarity, Carat, and Color. But the value of the natural color diamond usually depends on the rarity of its color than on any of the other 3 Cs, including carat weight. This is because some colors occur in a wide range of sizes and shapes, while others are rare even in the smallest sizes.

Since natural color diamonds come in such a wide range of colors and no two are identical, it is difficult to develop a grading system that can capture the special character of each individual stone. Experts at both the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and the International Gemological Institute (IGI) have three parameters by which they describe color for these exquisite diamonds:

Hue is one of the main attributes and plays an important role. Hue refers to the dominant color of the stone, such as pink, blue, or yellow. There can also be modifiers, or tints, which impart more one color to a stone. For instance, a purplish-pink diamond indicates a stone with a principal pink hue and a slight purple tint. If no modifiers or tints exist in a stone, then the hue is said to be pure.

Tone refers to how much lightness or darkness a stone appears to retain. Tones can range from light to dark. In case of diamonds the more the diamond is able to reflect the light back, the better quality it is.

Saturation describes the strength and intensity of the hue. The saturation of light diamonds can vary from pastel to vivid to intense. Dark diamonds can range in saturation from dark to deep.