Diamonds are Rare
How rare? Only 1 in 200 Kimberlite pipes contains diamonds in economically viable quantities. Once located, diamonds can be extremely difficult to mine. Approximately 250 tons of ore must be mined and processed with blasting, crushing and advanced X-ray techniques to produce a single one-carat, polished, gem-quality diamond. Although more than 100 million carats are mined each year, only a quarter are of gem quality, while the rest are industrial grade. Large diamonds are quite rare, with those of one carat or more representing just 1% of all gem-quality diamonds. For perspective, consider that all the polished gem diamonds in the world could fit into a double-decker bus!
Grading defines Rarity
The 4C's - carat, clarity, color and cut - are guidelines to understand the physical characteristics of every diamond.
- Carat : the size of a diamond, measured in carat weight. While larger diamonds are rare and desirable, two stones of equal caratage can have very different values, depending on other qualities. Small differences in weight can have a dramatic affect on the price. Larger size enhances all other diamond characteristics.
- Clarity: the amount, size, color, type and location of blemishes found on the surface of a polished diamond and inclusions found inside the diamond. The more closely a diamond approaches flawlessness, the greater its clarity and the rarer, more brilliant and valuable it will be.
- Color: the degree to which a diamond approaches colorlessness. Only the rarest diamonds can be classified under the colorless grades; most are near-colorless or faintly-tinted. By stressing that differences in tone and tint are very subtle, you can help a customer select the color that is most appealing to them.
- Cut: the one human element of the 4C's, reflecting the art of unleashing maximum fire and brilliance. Diamonds cut too deep or too shallow lose light that spills through the sides or bottom, making them less brilliant and less valuable.
While each of the 4C's identifies a specific area of rarity, it is their synergy that determines a diamond's worth. Your staff should be able to explain these synergies and how each diamond has a unique set of quality factors. Customers must decide which factors are most important to them. For instance, one buyer may be willing to sacrifice color for size, while another may prefer the sparkle and fire of a well-cut smaller diamond with superior clarity.
Diamonds are Unique
Like fingerprints and snowflakes, each diamond is unique, marked by its own personal journey from deep within the earth. No other stone is like a diamond – the hardest known substance on earth, so durable it can only be scratched or polished by other diamonds.
Diamonds have a wonderful ability to reflect light, resulting in unparalleled fire and sparkle. Brilliance has made a diamond the most sought-after jewel through the ages. Though it is born from simple carbon crystals forged in fire, a diamond can sparkle like an icicle in the sun or a star in the evening sky.
Diamonds are Always in Fashion
As potent symbols of love, devotion, pride, wealth, fashion, sophistication, elegance, power and strength, diamonds have long been treasured by the rich and powerful. Royalty, leaders and dignitaries have been enamored by diamonds through the ages, and more than a few countries feature diamonds among their crown jewels.
Today's celebrities covet the brilliance and allure of diamonds as much as their predecessors, driving fashion trends that have made diamonds the accessory of choice at red carpet events. Everyone from Marilyn Monroe to Jennifer Lopez has taken the spotlight glittering in the world's most precious diamonds.
Today's celebrities covet the brilliance and allure of diamonds as much as their predecessors, making diamonds the accessory of choice at red carpet events.
