Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Fine Jewelry: Is It Cut Over Clarity?

Is cut more important than clarity when evaluating diamonds? You could spend hours speculating on the merits of one over the other. However, to get a definite answer, you need to understand the relationship between the two. More importantly, you'll need to consider what you really value in fine jewelry.

A diamond's cut alludes to its external proportions, as well as the skill of cutting and polishing. Diamonds can be cut in such a way that it attains its highest selling price, or maximizes its capacity for brilliance. The clarity of diamonds, on the other hand, refers to the number of imperfections a diamond has. Fewer imperfections make a higher quality diamond, which will make it both more beautiful and expensive.

Clearly, the skill with which a diamond has been cut will impact its clarity. In the diamond cutting and polishing process, this is one of the few factors which can be controlled. Only the most precise craftsmanship can guarantee that a raw piece of diamond will be recut into fine jewelry.

On the other hand, the clarity of diamonds can be poor independent of the quality of the cut. Clarity is also dependent on the quality of the unpolished diamond. As a buyer, you need to be attentive to this and inspect any diamonds you'd like to buy under a microscope or loupe to check for flaws yourself.

When you look at a round cut diamond, you'll realize how critical it is to cut a diamond with a reasonable amount of skill. It will also become more evident just how closely cut and clarity are connected to each other. Round cuts are known for having the most potential for brilliance above all other cuts. Any blunders in the cut or internal flaws, even minor, will lower that potential considerably.

Do you like fine jewelry? Do you think it's the diamond with the best cut, or the highest clarity? You have to look at both factors. However, you can examine the cut first, since it affects clarity, as well as carat weight. Prioritizing one of the four C's over the others is pointless, if you don't know enough about diamonds to start with.

A diamond's cut alludes to its external proportions, as well as the skill of cutting and polishing. The clarity of diamonds, on the other hand, alludes to the quantity of imperfections a diamond has. When you look at a round cut diamond, you'll realize how critical it is to cut a diamond with a reasonable amount of skill. Only the most painstaking craftsmanship can assure that a raw piece of diamond will be turned into fine jewelry.

-Lorraine Jacobs

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