Leaky Diamonds

You know, there's a lot to know about diamonds. For example, did you know that diamonds can leak? It's hard to believe. A tire leaks, a faucet leaks, but a diamond? Yes. A diamond can leak! A diamond that is not cut in just the right proportions can leak light out of its sides and bottom instead of reflecting it back at your eye. So the diamond lacks sparkle and fire, all because the diamond cutter tried to make a bigger gem out of the raw stone than they should have. Wait! You may be wondering why diamond cutters shouldn't cut the largest faceted stone they can from the raw crystal. Wouldn't that make the finished diamond much more valuable? After all, aren't bigger diamonds better and more valuable?

The answer is no, a bigger diamond is not always more valuable. In fact, often they are less valuable. Diamonds are valued for how rare they are, and there are four qualities that are graded in every diamond to determine its rarity and thus its value. These are the four C's. Color, clarity, carat weight and cutting.

Color refers to the diamond's LACK of color. The color scale runs from D (colorless) to Z (highly colored). A diamond that is colorless is more rare (harder to find in nature) than a diamond that has color. Often the color that a diamond displays is in the yellow tones, but diamonds can be almost any color (more on that at a later time).

Clarity refers to the diamond's LACK of flaws or "inclusions". The clarity scale runs from Flawless to Imperfect, with seven grades in between. A flawless diamond, one without any visible flaws under 10X magnification, is very rare. A highly flawed or imperfect diamond, one with flaws visible to the naked eye, is very common.

Carat weight refers to the size or weight of the diamond. One carat equals .2 grams. Size, or weight, is another rarity factor. There are many more small diamonds found in nature than large diamonds.

The final "C" is Cutting. This is the only "C" that man has any control over. We may not be able to tell Mother Nature to make us a D color, Flawless, One carat diamond, but we can take what Mother Nature gives us and make it more beautiful. This is where cutting comes in. A rough diamond crystal looks very much like a piece of glass. It has very little sparkle or fire. What gives a diamond sparkle and fire is light. Proper cutting allows light to "do its thing" and shine! So when diamond cutters are about to start their work, they have two choices before them. A cutter can cut the largest faceted diamond they can from the rough, or they can cut the diamond to the proper proportions that maximize the light that shines through the top of the diamond. A leaky diamond or a brilliant, fiery diamond! Since cutting a diamond to better proportions means sacrificing size, many cutters make the wrong choice and cut leaky diamonds.

Sad to say, there are a lot of leaky diamonds in the marketplace. But one place you will never find a leaky diamond is at Cormier Jewelers in Southbridge. We hand select every diamond for our customers. We stock diamonds in may grades, shapes and sizes, but we never stock a leaky diamond! And how can we be sure that our diamonds aren't leaky? We have the area's only Sarin Laser Micrometer device that measure for proper proportions and assures a brilliant and fiery diamond every time!

So if you're looking for a diamond, look for us!

Shawn Cormier
Cormier Jewelers
42 Central Street
Southbridge, Ma 01550
1-508-764-7415
www.ecormiers.com
cormierjewelers@aol.com