History of formation of diamond:
Every diamond is incredibly old, formed billions of years ago, long before dinosaurs roamed the earth. Each is the result of an amazing natural journey which has turned an ancient element into the world's most sought-after jewel. Diamonds were crystallized at tremendously high temperatures and pressure, deep beneath the earth's crust. There they remained, keeping their precious secrets, until powerful forces carried them upward within volcanic molten lava, only to be concealed again by falling ash and rock. Over millions of years, the wrath of nature in the form of winds, water, heat and cold would rework the landscape time and time again. But awaiting discovery, the stones remained below the earth's surface - their beauty concealed by the very processes that created them.
Clarity describes the clearness or purity of a diamond. This is determined by the number, size, nature, and location of the internal (inclusions) and external (blemishes) imperfections.
The clarity scale is broken down into the following grades:
The above clarity grading scheme is in accordance with the GIA (Gemological Institute of America). It is important to note that the GIA Grading system is not static, and has changed slowly over time.
Be aware! Two methods used to enhance the clarity grade given to a diamond are laser drilling and fracture filling. Laser drilling is the process in which a laser is used to drill a tiny hole into a diamond and the black of the imperfection is then removed. The second treatment is fracture filling. This method is not permanent and therefore not recommended. All clarity treated diamonds must be disclosed as such prior to sale. The Diamond Source USA does not deal with diamonds that have been clarity treated in any way.
Color describes the amount of color the diamond contains. This can range from colorless to yellow with slight tints of yellow, gray or brown. Colors can also range from intense yellow to brown, blue, green, pink and red. These fancy colors are rare and therefore more valuable.
Carat
Carat is the unit of weight for the diamond. A carat is further subdivided in 100 points ( 0.01 carat = l point ). One carat is equal to 0.20 grams. Value per carat increases with carat size, because larger rough diamonds occur less frequently. In other words, 2 half-carat diamonds taken together will not cost as much as 1 one-carat diamond, as the one-carat stone is more rare.
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