Loose Diamonds are Graded Using Four Categories

Loose diamonds are very beautiful stones used in making a variety of jewelry. These gemstones are graded by jewelers using an industry standard set forth by the Gemological Institute of America. There are four categories to grade certified loose diamonds.

The first is cut. The cut of the stone determines the overall shape of the stone. The cut also includes the many facets cut into the stone in order to make it glisten and sparkle on the light. Every facet must be cut perfectly by a professional or it will compromise the shine of the stone. The second category is clarity. Since diamonds are formed within the earth, they usually have some imperfections. These imperfections are referred to as blemishes and inclusions. Most are not visible to the naked eye, but they still decrease the value of the stone.

The third category is color. Although colorless (or “white”) diamonds are the most popular, there are other colors too, like black, brown, pink, and blue. The final category is the carat weight. This is how jewelers weigh loose diamonds to determine their size. The bigger the carat weight, the bigger the stone. With all of the other categories constant, the price of the stone will increase with the carat weight.

Certified Loose Diamonds as Wedding Gifts

My friends Jayce and Dave got married recently. (Names changed to protect the guilty, oops, I mean innocent.) He proposed to her a few years back, but they were waiting on the economy to get a bit better before actually getting married. Both of them had family across the country, so they didn't want undue travel expenses for their family. Affordable was definitely the byword of their ceremony, as they were both just recently graduated and the student loans had kicked in.

So, Dave proposed to Jayce with an heirloom ring. It was his great-grandmothers. It was beautiful and dainty, just like Jayce. It was a brilliant match and she loved it, but Dave really wanted to get her a bigger ring. He wanted something substantial to start things off right, he said, but he couldn't find anything that was perfect for Jayce. So, as a surprise gift for her new husband, Jayce and her mom scrounged up some money and bought a certified loose diamond. Jayce presented it to Dave, telling him that she looked forward to getting it set when she gave her ring to their grandchildren. It was all the feels, guys.

How do you feel about that? Do you think it's a bit too sweet, that she's making a bit of an assumption here? Personally, as a hopeless romantic, I think it's just perfect.