HC-Diamonds

The word alone conjures up a thousand images: rare, precious, desirable, beautiful, sparking tokens of love... Created deep within the core of the earth more than 3 billion years ago and brought to the surface by volcanic eruption, most of the diamonds sparkling on fingers today are more than 100 million years old!

Beauty - The colorless beauty and inner fire of the diamond has made this precious gem prized for centuries. Each stone's complex characteristics cannot be duplicated and no two diamonds can ever be the same. Each stone, like its owner, is endowed with a personality and character uniquely its own.

Durability - A diamond is the hardest substance known to man, making it resistant to deterioration. When cared for properly, diamond jewelry can be worn every day and passed on as a heirloom to the next generation.

Purity - Although new resources for diamonds are being explored and discovered, the supply of these gems remains limited. This is understandable once you learn that more than 250 tons of ore need to be blasted, crushed and processed to yield just one carat of rough diamond. Further, only 20 percent of all rough diamonds are suitable for gem cutting.

Enduring Value - Like many precious products, diamond prices fluctuate. But it is important to know that these sparkling gemstones still retain value after years of being worn and enjoyed.


Carat - This word for the measurement of a diamond's weight is derived from the carob seeds that were used to balance scales in ancient times. A carat is equal to 200 milligrams and there are 142 carats to an ounce. Carats are further divided into points. There are 100 points in a carat. A half-carat diamond may be referred to as a 50-point stone (about 100 milligrams). Because large diamonds. are rare, they generally have a greater value per carat.

Color - Diamonds come in every color of the spectrum, but the most popular gems are white. Truly colorless, icy-white diamonds are extremely rare and therefore the most costly. Stones are graded by color and given designations dependent on how far they deviate from the purest white. Colorless stones are graded D. Color grading continues down through the alphabet, with each letter designating a yellower tint. The best way to see the true color of a diamond is by looking at it against a white surface. Although the great majority of diamonds come in shades of white, the gems also come in a specturm of majestic colors, from red and canary yellow to blue, green and brown. These colorful diamonds, known as fancies, are valued for their depth of color, just as white diamonds are valued for their lack of color.




Clarity - A diamond's clarity is affected by any external irregularities and internal imperfections created by nature when the diamond was formed. Imperfections such as spots, bubbles or lines are called inclusions. Although these marks make each stone unique, the fewer the inclusions, the more valuable the stone. Inclusions can interfere with the passage of light through the stone, diminishing the sparkle and value of the diamond. According to the quality analysis system of the Gemological Institute of America. Clarity is graded on a scale ranging from flawless (FL or IF) to imperfect (I). To magnification in good light.

FL-IF	No inclusions visible (by an expert) under 10x magnification. FL=Flawless IF=Internally Flawless
VVS1-VVS2	Minute-extremely difficult to find under 10x VVS=Very, Very slightly Included
VS1-VS2	Minor - difficult to find under 10x. VS=Very Slightly Included
SI1-SI2	Noticeable - relatively easy to find under 10x. SI=Slightly Included
I1-I2-I3	Obvious under 10x - just visible to the naked eye. I=Imperfect

Cut - Each diamond is cut according to an exact mathematical formula. The most common cut, the round brilliant, has 58 facets, or small, flat, polished planes designed to yield the maximum amount of light to be reflected back to the viewer. This reflection, known as brilliance, is an extremely important factor in evaluating the quality of a diamond. A poorly-cut diamond will actually loose light and appear dull. The widest circumference of a diamond is known as the girdle. Above the girdle of a brilliant cut diamond are 32 facets plus the table, the largest and the topmost facet. Below the girdle are 24 facets plus the cutlet, or point. Cut is also used to describe the shape of a diamond. In addition to the round brilliant, other popular cuts include emerald, marquis, pear, oval and square.

Diamonds can be polished into numerous shapes and cutting styles other than the traditional round brilliant cut. While round diamonds are cut to exacting proportions, this is not true of fancy diamonds. Two important factors are that the facets should be well aligned, and that the shape outline should be visually pleasing. While the round brilliant cut is by far the most common and the most brilliant, the selection of one shape over another is a matter of personal choice.

The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) is one of the most trusted names in the industry. The GIA is an unbiased, non-profit organization which established the world's most recognized and accurate system for grading diamonds. While GIA is the most widely known laboratory, there are numerous other laboratories which are both reputable and accurate, including the American Gem Society (AGS), the European Gemological Laboratory (EGL), the Diamond High Council (HRD) and the International Gemological Institute (IGI). these certifications are quality reports and do not establish values.

Confidence in your jeweler - When you are ready to choose your diamond, our jewelers are the experts who will be happy to explain the 4C's to you in more detail. We will also be able to show you beautiful diamonds in many sizes and can tell you the difference between various qualities of diamonds and how these difference affect the price you pay. Established jewelers prize our good reputation, and know you are making one of your most important purchases. We can help you select the very best your money can buy.

Herman's Creations Jewelers East Inc. - 28885 Gratiot Ave. - Roseville, MI 48066 - USA

Phone: 586-776-3200 - Fax: 586-776-3201