No Matter How You Cut It

Cutting a diamond can only be done with another diamond. The practice is painstaking, one wrong move and the diamond can cleave into pieces destroying its value. A diamond can be cut so that its face is broader and the depth shallower. That makes the diamond “spread” or look bigger than it actually is. Diamonds are cut to increase their brilliance or sparkle and their fire or that rainbow quality. Some cuts favor one characteristic over the other, but in a well cut diamond both should be enhanced.

The cut of the diamond refers to the precision and expertise of the finished shaped stone. A good cut can enhance a mediocre quality diamond and a bad cut can literally destroy the value of a good stone. Diamonds are cut in facets, or flat planes. Each should be precisely in alignment. Modern diamonds are always faceted to play up their inherent qualities. Other gems can be rounded like a star sapphire, that particular shape is known as cabochon.

The facets reflect light back through the diamond and causes the glitter and rainbow effect so characteristic of diamonds. Beautifully cut diamonds display the most vivid fire with the least loss of brilliance.

The classic round cut has 58 facets. It allows the most light to be reflected back up through the diamond. The face of the diamond is the flat surface you see when looking directly down at a diamond. It is surrounded by 33 facets. The girdle is the rim around the crown of the diamond. The pavilion is the bottom portion of the diamond and has 24 facets plus the tiny facet at the point of the pavilion called a cutlet.

The crown portion of the diamond should measure 1/3 of the depth of the pavilion. Diamonds are always faceted to play up their inherent qualities. Choosing the right cut can enhance a diamond's color (yes diamonds do come in colors) and hide flaws. A poorly cut diamond can be more prone to shearing or shattering.

Diamonds can be cut to look larger by decreasing the pavilion and increasing the crown. In other words the diamond is broad but shallow.

Small diamonds can be cut with only 17 facets and are known as single cuts. Swiss cut can be used for small diamonds as well and have only 33 facets.

There are other cuts for diamonds. The quadrillion is a square cut known as the princess cut. A round diamond can be cut with 144 facets. And a marquise shaped diamond, (think of a football with pointed ends) can have a dream cut.

The cut of a diamond is one of the four factors that determines the value of the stone.

Diamonds are Valued on Weight

Contrary to what you might think diamonds aren't valued on how big they are, they're valued on how much they weigh. At least that's one of the factors. The other factors are cut, color, and clarity.

Carat: Diamonds and other precious gems are valued on weight, or carats. A carat is 1/5 of a gram. Sometimes diamonds under a carat are valued in points. One carat is 100 points, so a quarter carat diamond can be referred to as 25 points. Diamonds are not valued on their apparent size, since the size can be either enhanced or diminished by the cut. for example: A broad cut shallow diamond would look larger than a traditional round cut but would weigh the same. The offset to cutting a diamond to look larger is that some brilliance may be lost. Different gemstones have different densities. An emerald is lighter than a diamond and a ruby is heavier. A one carat diamond, one carat emerald, and one carat ruby would be three different sizes if they were all identical shapes and cuts.

The more the diamond weighs the more valuable it is. The price of a diamond is based on carats, but the more the diamond weighs, the higher price it has per carat, all other things being equal, meaning the diamonds are the same in color, cut and clarity. In other words, a one carat diamond may be priced at $10,000 per carat, while a two carat diamond will be priced at $20,000 per carat. The one carat diamond costs $10,000 and the two carat diamond costs four times as much or $40,000. The discrepancy increases the higher the carat weight.

Diamonds of one carat or more can be graded by an independent lab as to the quality of the cut, weight, color, and clarity. The certificate is often available at the diamond seller’s.

When you’re buying a diamond you can choose which factors are more important to you. If you want more carats, you can trade off clarity. If it’s important the color is as close to pure white as possible, you can get a stone weighing less carats, or perhaps one that has a minor, but not visible to the naked eye imperfection. If you want the look of a larger diamond consider clustering 5 or 7 smaller diamonds in the place of larger stone.

Just in case you're interested the largest diamond ever found on earth is the 530 carat Star of Africa, that's about the size of a large chicken egg and was cut from a 3,100 carat rough stone. That stone produces 9 other gem quality diamonds. It resides in the crown jewels in London.

Diamonds: How are They Valued?

Diamonds: How are They Valued?

Diamonds, Ice, Sparklies, A Girl’s Best Friend: Whatever you call them how are they valued? The four C’s -- Cut, Clarity, Color and Carats. We'll talk about the first three C's here.

Cut: A diamonds’ cut influences the brilliance, or light reflecting qualities of the gem, at the same time it enhances the fire of the diamond, or that rainbow quality. A good cut enhances both qualities, fire and brilliance, without sacrificing one for the other. A well cut diamond balances the depth of the diamond to the breadth of the diamond. A poorly cut diamond of the same size can look flat and be more vulnerable to cleavage and breakage.

Clarity: Diamonds are crystalline carbon. The clarity of the diamond refers to the purity of the stone and imperfections within the crystalline structure and on its surface. There is no such thing as a flawless diamond in nature. Sometimes this clarity factor is referred to as the cleanliness of the stone. If a stone is viewed under 10x magnification and no imperfections can be seen, either internally (inclusions) or externally (blemishes), the stone is referred to in the trade as flawless. A microscopic speck of carbon, undetectable by the human eye, but visible under 10Xmagnification,can bring down the value of the diamond substantially. There are five commonly used methods for grading clarity. Just keep in mind the cleaner the stone, the more valuable it is, the more it costs.

Color: Diamonds come in colors including black. Most of the darker colors are used for industrial purposes and not for gems. The white-blue color of pure water is the most valued color for white diamonds and these are rated D-F. (There is no A-C on the scale.) As the diamond color progresses toward yellow (K-M) it becomes less valuable. Diamonds that have a noticeable yellow (N-R) to champagne color (S-Z), are the least valuable. Because the color can be influenced by the color of the gem’s setting, the color is judged when the stone is unset.

To complicate matters and value, diamonds that come in colors, called fancies, are very rare and very valuable. Deep blue, red, and green diamonds are among the rarest and most valuable gems on earth.

When purchasing your diamond for your engagement and wedding rings, consider what factors are more important to you. Size might be more important than color so a larger diamond with a barely noticeable yellow tinge might make you happier than a blue white smaller diamond.

Now is Not the Time for Change

Keep your beauty and makeup routine the same. If you use a new facial scrub you could find out you’re allergic and your skin can look blotchy. The same goes for having a professional facial, unless that's part of your regular beauty regime. Stick with the tried and true, now is not the time to find out that false eyelash glue makes your eyes red.

White and off white colors can wash out your makeup. And so can photography lights. Work with a cosmetician to perfect a makeup that looks natural on you but won't fade. Bring a swatch of your wedding gown with you or better yet, find a Tee shirt that matches your gown and wear it while you are being made up and while you practice the makeup. There are different shades of white, some have a hint of blue, some yellow and some are stark white. Your skin tones will look different against each of these "whites".

Have a practice run at the hair salon and bring your wedding veil and head piece. You might think that an updo will be perfect with your veil only to find out it just doesn't work. Don't make any major changes to your hair for at least three months before the wedding date. You've ordered your gown with one hair style, it won't look the same if you drastically change your style or your color. If you are planning on highlights, low lights, a color gloss, or a glaze, have it done two weeks prior to your wedding. Accidents can happen, the color mix can be off, or the stylists can leave it in too long. Give yourself time to correct any mistakes. Besides sometimes a change in color can seem wrong at first and you need time to adjust.

Wear your wedding shoes around the house for an hour or so a few days before the wedding. New shoes rub. You don't want to limp down the aisle. It's also a good idea to bring a second pair of shoes just in case you break a heel. Your shoes are under your dress and most people won't even notice them.

Buy doubles of all the cosmetics you plan on using for the wedding and pack up a bag to take with you. Include eye makeup remover, cotton swabs, and cotton pads as well. If you wear contact lenses bring an extra pair and any paraphernalia you need. You could also include breath freshener, a needle and thread, hairspray, a few hair pins, and super glue. Do NOT apply the super glue yourself, but it will come in handy if a hem rips, or a noticeable bead pops off your dress. Again have someone else do the gluing the only thing you want to be stuck to on your wedding day is your groom.

Tips to Keep You from Tipping the Scale

Ask any bride, the weeks leading up to the wedding can be filled with joy, stress, and tension. Sometimes that stress leads to extra eating. After all the fittings you don't want your wedding dress to be too snug. Here are a few tips to help you keep your weight down.

We all know that drinking water is good for you, but can it also help you take off the pounds? Yes if it’s ice water. If you drink an 8 ounce glass of ice cold water, your body burns up 25 calories to get its temperature back to normal. If you drink 8 glasses of ice water a day, you’ll lose a pound a week

Exercise in the morning, not at night. There is evidence that exercise raises your metabolism about 10% for 4 to 6 hours afterwards. If you exercise at night, a portion of the time your metabolism increases is when you’re sleeping. That’s when you burn the least amount of energy. Change your exercise to the morning and that 10% increase will burn off more energy.

Have a cup of soup before dinner. Soup takes longer to eat and fills you up before you get to the main course. Stick with the broth based soups and away from cream soups.

Where ever you drive, park your car at the far end of the parking lot. You will be amazed at the extra walking that squeezes into your day. Extra walking means more calories burned. Of course stay safe, if you’re in a dark neighborhood park close to your destination and under lights.

Take the stairs if you only need to go up a few flights.

Eat a salad 15 minutes before your dinner. It’s takes about 20 minutes for your tummy to signal your brain that it’s full and has had enough food. If you can kick start the timer by having a nice green salad first, you’ll feel fuller faster.

When you eat out, eat half of what’s on your plate: half of the appetizer, half of the salad, half of the entrée, half of desert. Odds are you’ll be just as satisfied and you’ll have cut the calories in half. If you eat out once a day like most people do, you can drop a couple of pounds a week with just this one change.

If you want something to snack on, drink a glass of water. Sometimes the urge to put something in our mouths isn’t hunger but boredom.

Exchange your potato chips, corn chips and other fried snacks for pretzels. The fat content in pretzels is far lower than the other snacks. And you still get the crunch.

Don’t drink fruit juice, eat the whole fruit instead.