| |
| |
|
Attraction Information |
|
|
|
Crack the Clandestine Code of Diamonds
Precious, brilliant and expensive-why wouldn't diamonds be a girl's best friend? When giving the most significant gift of a lifetime, most men, and even the women who receive them, know precious little about diamonds. By the time they're old and experienced enough to know about cut, shape, grade, brilliance, color, weight, and setting, they already have the diamond of a lifetime. Crack the vocabulary, and you'll be on your way to purchasing your first diamond with confidence. The Four Cs Diamonds are not created equally! "The Four Cs of Diamonds"- cut, clarity, color, and carat determine diamond grade. A diamond certificate accompanies each diamond and includes grades for each of the four Cs as documented by a gemologist. Learn what these terms mean to avoid that "deer in the headlights" look when the jeweler uses these terms. Cut refers to the physical cut, not the shape of the diamond, and it affects the brilliance of the diamond. If the cut is too shallow or too deep, the refraction of the light detracts from the brilliance. Grades for cut, from best to worst, include Ideal, Premium, Very Good, Good, Fair and Poor. The Ideal grade applies exclusively to round diamonds. Clarity measures the purity of the diamond. Most diamonds include some flaws, called inclusions. All but the rare flawless diamonds contain inclusions of varying number and size. The Clarity grade measures the purity of the diamond, the relative absence of flaws. Clarity grades the appearance under 10X magnification. Top grades include F (flawless-forget it, you'll never see this), IF (internally flawless, you'll never afford it), VVS1-VVS2 (very, very slightly flawed-not we're getting a little more realistic), VS1-VS2 (very slightly flawed), and SI1-SI2 (slightly flawed). All but the VS1-VS2 and SI1-SI2 diamonds contain flaws that are invisible or barely visible under 10X magnification. Lesser grades include I1- -I3 (flawed and obvious without magnification). If price is a consideration, then invisible to the naked eye is a reasonable tradeoff. Color actually refers to the absence of color in diamonds. The finest diamonds are colorless, which allows them to absorb and reflect more light, displaying more brilliance. White diamonds range from ice white to light yellow. Color is graded on a scale from D-Z, with D-grade diamonds being colorless and Z-grade diamonds containing the most color. Grades G-J are near colorless to the human eye, and offer the best value for the money. Carat refers to weight. Because large diamonds are extremely rare, the price rises exponentially rather than arithmetically according to carat weight. Each of the four Cs affects price. Once you set a budget, determine the attributes most important to you and select your diamond according to your preferences. Learn a few more simple terms, and you're well on your way to demystifying the world of diamonds and carrying on a conversation with your jeweler that will turn the heads of less astute shoppers. Shape also affects price, but only in terms of "shape appeal," how pleasing the shape is to the naked eye. By far, the most popular shape is the Round diamond, and it's the most expensive as well. Fancy shapes such as Emerald, Marquis, Pear, Heart, Oval, Radiant and Princess, are less expensive than Round diamonds. Side by side, fancy diamonds look larger than Round diamonds of equal carat weight. If you want something out of the ordinary, a fancy shape might be right for you. Facets refer to the flat, polished surfaces of the diamond. The round diamond checks in at 58 facets, the most facets of all the shapes. The most important facet is the top or Table facet-the largest facet. Diamonds cut to perfection enable the facets to refract the light brilliantly. Settings should enhance the brilliance and size of the stones, not detract from them. The range of choices is stunning, from the metal to the prong display. Even more than shape, the setting reflects your personal preference and style. Now that you understand the clandestine vocabulary of diamonds, you can relax and have fun while selecting that one-of-a-kind, perfect diamond for you M J Plaster is a successful author who provides information on shopping online for jewelry, diamonds, and more. M J Plaster has been a commercial freelance writer for almost two decades, most recently specializing in home and garden, the low-carb lifestyle, investing, and anything that defines la dolce vita.
MORE RESOURCES:
Attraction - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Five Ways To Create On Purpose By Living In The Moment What can you do to really immerse yourself into living more consciously every day? "We look backward too much and we look forward too much; thus we miss the only eternity of which we can be absolutely sure - the eternal present, for it is always now." - William Phelps 1 - NOW is the only moment that matters. The Metrosexual Male vs. The Cowboy - What Do Women Want? He always looks perfectly put together. He can be in a t-shirt and jeans or heading out to a black-tie event. Are You a Sheep in People Clothing? Many people, who feel that they are independent and communicate well, are actually sheep in disguise. Are you one of them, how do you tell and how do you go about changing if you are?When you are able to confidently stand on your own two feet, you become in control of your own life. What Do You Do? When I go out and talk to business people, I hear them talking about all the things they do from day to day. They talk about the problems they have and their frustrations with a whole variety of things they do. Success, Opportunity, Carl, and Kenny G A couple of weeks ago I celebrated my anniversary by taking my wife to see one of her favorite musicians - Kenny G.Now, I have to be honest, I was dreading the event. The Mirror Man Lady Twilight felt angry. It was one of those days when she was doing her best to be nice to everyone but nobody was being nice to her. Your Mind is a Battlefield Every person should enjoy life in abundance and prosperity, but unfortunately, too many of God's people are living way below their potential. So many have health issues, broken relationships, and/or no money in their bank account. 10 Simple Ways to Honor Your Uniqueness One message we hear from the time we are children is that it is better to give than receive. It is best to be humble. Faith Creates Ideas That Create Wealth For years it seems as though the secrets to obtaining wealth were only for a selected few. Yet the truth of the matter is that these "few" have chosen to apply the principles of prosperity (at least most of the principles) in order to obtain their status, while many chose to ignore them. The Secret of Self Care Wherever you go, there you are. There's no escaping it - your world is a reflection of you and if the view in your mirror doesn't elicit a certain spark perhaps it's time to question the underlying assumptions. To Be Or Not To Be, Visible That Is... Stepping outside your old limitations and 'out of the box' of suppression, habits, and old family patterns, you open yourself to a newer, freer form of expression. This form is more expansive and begins to let people see more of who you really are. Security Is An Inside Job While I was growing up, my dad repeatedly told me that when I completing my schooling, I needed to get a good job. In fact, I should try to land some sort of good paying job, preferably one that was done indoors. Change Thorns into Flowers If you had to write an annual appraisal on yourself how would you describe yourself?? Are you a mental sprinter who sees things quickly and easily? Do you react to things in a flash? Are you capable of making quick decisions?? Do you find yourself watching others and saying to yourself, I could do that so much quicker?? Do you find yourself taking on more work because you felt it was easier and quicker for you to do it? Do you feel that you waste so much time waiting for others to complete work?? Do you feel irritable inside? Do you get frustrated because others don't seem to understand what you are saying and where you are going?? Do you find you always want to hurry things up? Do you feel more comfortable when things are concluded rather than left waiting?? Do you find yourself running out of patience with partner, children, colleagues because they seem to take more time or appear to lack concentration and go off on 'stupid' tangents which have little or no relevance to the project?? Are you the alert, quick acting person who is known as the achiever?? Are you that person who is good at developing ideas and keeping them on track?If you own up to a couple or more of these traits and feel really irritable and impatient with yourself and those around you. If you feel that you are always clock watching. The Magic of Mike The woman stood over the stove stirring a pot of hot soup. She prepared it to ward off the bitter Minnesota cold, a cover-every-inch-of-your-skin cold, the kind that bites you and never lets go, the kind that makes auto engines demand heaters or they refuse to start. Be The Chooser "We choose our joys and sorrows long before we experience them." -- Khalil GibranOur life works and can be full of joy when we make effective choices. Searching for Higher Ground: 24 Hours to a Better Life There's a moment in one of my favorite films, Searching for Bobby Fischer, where 7-year-old chess prodigy Josh Waitzkin's chess teacher knocks all the pieces off his chess board, in an effort to get him to concentrate deeper on the way the pieces on the board were strategically aligned.As the pieces go flying, scattering noisily about the room, Josh is at first stunned that his teacher would have done such a thing. Relationships - 9 Never-Changing Rules In a relationship, your ability to understand and respond to the other person's needs and desires are fundamental. Understanding the nature of relationships themselves may be as important to your success in love as understanding the person with whom you're having the relationship. The Centre of Creative Powers! Evolution is nothing but seeking with clarity, demanding clarity at every moment. Every moment clarify to yourself the greater purpose of everything you do. Creating Your Own Destiny If you don't know where you are going, you won't know how to get there. How can you get a sense of purpose or meaning in life unless you have dreams or visions of what you want to achieve? Goals are dreams with deadlines, which propel you on your journey of self-discovery and self-achievement. Make the Eat and Earn Connection If you've ever thought about wanting to increase your physical energy and wouldn't mind increasing your financial as well, you have to read this right now!Focus #1 - Name Your Hunger/Want/Desire/Achievement? You know what you want to change better than anyone else. It is that nagging voice in the back of your head that speaks to you every time you go against it (i.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2008 |
