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The Four C’s
Each of the Four C’s - Carat, Clarity, Color and Cut: determine
the value of a diamond. By educating yourself on the
combination of the Four C’s, you can determine which
diamond is best suited for you.
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Carat Read more
The term used to measure a diamonds weight. |
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Clarity Read more
The better a diamonds Clarity, the more valuable it is. |
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Color Read more
When least is best. |
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Cut Read more
The more precise the cut the more brilliant the diamond. |
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Confidence Read more
“If you don’t know diamonds, know your Jeweler”.
Confidence in your diamond expert is the Fifth “C”. |
Carat
Carat is often confused with size even though it is actually a measure of weight. One Carat can also be divided into 100 points. A .50 point diamond is the same as 50 points or a ½ carat diamond. Does a 1.00 carat diamond cost exactly twice as much as a ½ carat diamond? NO! Since larger diamonds are found less frequently in nature, they are at the rarest level of diamond size. A 1.00 carat diamond will cost more than twice a ½ carat,
(Assuming color, cut, and clarity remain constant)
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Clarity
Clarity describes the clearness or purity of a diamond. This is determined by the number, size, nature, location and color of the internal inclusions (identifying characteristics) and external blemishes. The diamond is more valuable when it has fewer inclusions. A 10x magnifying loupe or microscope is used with GIA’s clarity grading system. The diamond is graded on a scale ranging from Flawless (FL or IF) to
Imperfect (I). Some inclusions can be hidden by a mounting, thus having little effect on the beauty of a diamond. An inclusion in the middle or top of a diamond can impact the dispersion of light, making the diamond less brilliant.
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Color
Color describes the amount of color the diamond contains. This can range from colorless to yellow with slight tints of yellow or brown. Colors can also range from intense yellow to brown, blue, green, pink, and red. These fancy vivid colors are very rare therefore more valuable. Diamonds are graded on a scale established by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) which ranges from D (colorless) to Z (brownish). Ask your Jeweler to show you a variety of color grades next to each other to help you determine your color preference.
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Cut
Cut refers to the proportions, finish, symmetry, and polish of the diamond. A well cut or faceted diamond regardless of its shape scintillates with fire and light – offering the greatest brilliance with a diamond that is cut to good proportions. Light will reflect from one mirror-like facet to another and disperse through to the top of the stone, resulting in a display of brilliance and fire. Diamonds that are cut too deep or too shallow lose light that leaks through the side or bottom. As a result, poorly cut diamonds will be less brilliant, beautiful, and valuable than a well cut stone.
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Confidence
A reputable Jeweler is the first step to an informed diamond purchase. To find a Jeweler you can trust, ask your family and friends for a recommendation. Your Jeweler should be knowledgeable and trained about diamonds and help you feel comfortable in making your important purchase.
Diamond Facts
- Every diamond is immensely old, formed long before dinosaurs roamed the earth. The youngest diamond is 900 million years old, and the oldest is 3.2 billions years old
- Every diamond is unique; no two are alike.
- The very word “diamond” comes from the Greek term adamas meaning unconquerable.
- Diamonds exist in many colors, the rarest of all being red.
- Diamonds were first mined in India more than 2800 years ago.
- Each stone loses, on average, more than half its original weight during cutting and polishing.
- The word “carat” comes from the carob tree whose seed was used as the standard of weighing precious stones.
- Less than 5% of all the diamonds made into jewelry are larger than one carat.
| Interesting Facts |
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Amethysts and Citrines are the same mineral, only different colors, and excessive heat can change the color from one to the other. |
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 Jewelry Buying Tips
- Buy from someone you can trust
To make sure you get jewelry that you will be happy with now and for years to come follow a simple rule: Buy from a professional Jeweler, someone you can trust. Chose a retailer that has been serving the community for a number of years and has an established reputation.
- Ask about gemstone treatments.
Has this Diamond or gemstone been enhanced and if so, How? Is the treatment
permanent? Does the enhancement affect its value?
- Beware of “too good to be true discounts”
If a jewelry store is continually running huge discounts, be wary. The "discount" price is usually the normal selling price elsewhere. If the price seems "to good to be true" it is usually over-inflated in the first place.
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CLEANING AND CARE OF YOUR JEWELRY
Keeping your jewelry clean is an important part of helping it last and continue to look like new even after years of enjoyment.
Safe Handling of Gemstones
Diamonds can handle nearly any method of cleaning. There are other stones like Emerald that can lose their color, and even crack if subject to too much heat. Or even worse, gemstones like Amber which is really fossilized tree sap can actually begin to melt if subjected to enough heat when trying to clean them.
Using an Ultrasonic Cleaner
An ultrasonic cleaner is one of the best ways to clean your jewelry. Unfortunately it can also destroy your jewelry if it is not used properly. The most important thing is to make sure that the jewelry you are placing in your ultrasonic can handle the vibrations and the heat. Many gemstones will shatter, crack, and even simply vanish when placed in an ultrasonic. If at any time you are unsure what stone you are cleaning or if it is safe, take your jewelry to a qualified Jeweler to clean.
- Arrange your jewelry pieces in a drawer or case so they don’t scratch each other
- Do not wear your jewelry when doing rough work
- Keep your jewelry out of chlorine and bleach
- See your Jeweler at least one a year.
We will always clean and check your jewelry for free, anytime!
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| February's Birthstone - Amethyst |
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A member of the Quartz family, Amethyst comes in a variety of purple shades of varying intensity - from pale lilac... More... |
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Jewelry Education
At Marcozzi Jewelers we believe an important part of our job is to educate
our customers about Diamonds, Gems, and Jewelry. Being an
informed customer will make you feel more comfortable in making your
jewelry buying decisions.
Colored Gemstones
The colored gemstone world is both exciting and beautiful. These gemstones
derive their beauty from a rainbow of available colors. Reds,
Greens, Purples, Blues, and Pinks all occur naturally. Some Gemstones
are treated by heat, some by irradiation, and some by other means to
enhance their natural color. Clarity, cut, rarity, and durability are also
factors to consider when choosing colored gemstones.
ALEXANDRITE – Discovered in 1834 in the emerald mines near the Tokovaya River in the Urals of Russia. It was named for Alexander II since the crystals show the Imperial Russian colors of red and green. Alexandrite in its highest quality is very rare and displays the remarkable ability to change colors from green or blue-green in daylight to a purple-red in incandescent light.
AMETHYST – Amethyst comes in a variety of colors ranging from pale lilac to deep purple. Long considered royal color, purple gemstones have been featured prominently in jewelry from Ancient Egyptian royalty to the crown jewels of Britain.
AQUAMARINE – Aquamarine gets its name from the Latin words meaning “Sea of Water” because of its range of blue colors from a light sky blue to a dark blue or blue-green.
BLACK/GREEN ONYX – Onyx is opaque quartz that can range in color from pale white to dark brown and black. Used as backdrop for other gemstones it has the ability to make them stand out in stark contrast to the black background.
BLUE TOPAZ – Blue Topaz is a treated natural topaz. The treatments usually include irradiation and heating to achieve a light sky blue color that is often confused with aquamarine.
BLUE ZIRCON - Blue Zircon, the stone of prosperity, is the rarer version of Zircon which can also be found in colorless, yellow, pink, red, green and more. Zircon is also the heaviest of the gemstones. When compared with an equal carat weight of another gemstone it will appear smaller because of this.
CARNELIAN – Carnelian is a reddish brown or orange gemstone from the quartz family. Carnelian has been worn as far back as the Greeks and Romans.
CITRINE – Citrine gets its name from the French name for lemon, citron. Citrine’s primary color is a rich lemony yellow, but its color ranges from yellow through gold into orangish brown.
DIAMOND – Diamond, the stone of innocence, is the one stone everyone knows. Taking its name from the Greek work adamas, meaning unconquerable, it is pure compressed carbon and is the hardest substance known to man so far. First given in an engagement ring in 1470, it has become the traditional symbol of love. You can read even more about diamonds in other areas of our learning center.
EMERALDS – Presenting the most intense and radiant green, emerald derives its name from the Greek smaragdos and the French esmeralde and means simply green gemstone.
One of the oldest gemstones, it was mined by the pharaohs of Egypt as far back as 3000 B.C.
GARNET – Garnet is traditionally thought of as red in color, but can be found in colors ranging from green to pale yellow to fiery orange and earth tones. Certain garnets also have the ability to change color, much the same as Alexandrite, when going from natural light to artificial light.
LAPIS LAZULI – Lapis Lazuli gets its name from the Latin word Lapis, meaning stone, and the Arabian Zaul, meaning blue. Its rich blue color is often stricken through with golden highlights of pyrite. The color of Lapis was so intense that ground lapis was mixed with binding agents to create ultramarine blue paint as used by some of the grand masters of art. It wasn’t until 1834 that a suitable artificial color was able to replace Lapis in paint.
MOONSTONE – Moonstone gleams and changes its appearance as it moves and was thought to represent the phases of the moon if you looked for the pattern while moving the stone. Extremely popular during the Art Nouveau period, its popularity has lessened somewhat over time.
MOTHER OF PEARL – Mother of Pearl, also known as Nacre, is actually the smooth lining in the shell of certain types of mollusks. Created by layers of calcium carbonate and crystals, and lustrum, when it is thick enough it can then be cut into gems with a wonderful lustrous quality.
OPAL – Opal reflects nearly every color of the rainbow. It was described by ancient Romans as the “Queen of all Gems” Its value is based on the brilliance and pattern of the
“Play of Color” as well as size.
PEARLS – Pearls are actually an organic gem. They are created when an Oyster tries to protect itself from a foreign substance that has entered the oyster. It coats the foreign object in nacre to separate the object from the tender muscles of the oyster.
PERIDOT – The stone of Friendship is a vivid lime or olive green and symbolizes dignity, fame, and protection. Mined as early as 1500 B.C. by the Ancient Egyptians, Cleopatra had a Peridot collection and it was common in Roman and Greek jewelry.
PINK TOURMALINE – Tourmaline is a multicolored gemstone. Red tourmaline that maintains its ruby like color in various light sources is referred to as Rubelite, while the rest of the red tourmaline is referred to as Pink Tourmaline.
ROSE QUARTZ – Rose quartz is very light, almost powdery looking quartz that ranges from very rare transparent pink to the more common translucent pink.
RUBY – Rubens, Latin for red gives Ruby its name. Extremely rare in its best color and quality, ruby has been one of the most prized gemstones in history.
SAPPHIRE – Sapphire and Ruby are actually from the same family of stones. In fact, all rubies are simply red sapphire, while all other colors are called sapphire. Sapphire also comes in huge variety of colors, from colorless to greens, and blues, to yellows and oranges.
TOPAZ – The gem of the setting sun. One of the most famous topazes in the world is set in the Portuguese Crown and was originally thought to be a diamond.
TURQUOISE – Turquoise has been referred to as “The People’s Stone” for thousands of years. Turquoise inlaid artifacts have been found the world over, from ancient Egypt to Mexico. The word turquoise simply means Turkish Stone.
DRUSY QUARTZ – The word Drusy comes from the ancient Greek word Druos for a gland or bump. In most cases Drusies are double decker quartz that is Quartz crystals deposited over a mineral base. The Drusy used for jewelry comes in geodes, in whose hollow it sometimes forms.
LARIMAR – Larimar is a rare blue variety of Pectolite found only in the Dominican Republic. Also known as the “Jewel of the Caribbean” its color varies from white, light blue, green blue to deep blue.
GOLD QUARTZ – Gold quartz is found in underground hard rock mines that are in the same areas where gold nuggets are found. In Alaska, it was first discovered in 1880 in the town of Juneau. Regions of Sierra County California, Canada and Australia are all known for gold quartz. Gold Quartz is gold formed in quartz deposits by hydrothermal pressure within the earth millions of years ago. Gold remaining in these deposits is called Gold Quartz. It is extremely rare, accounting for less than .1% of all gold found annually.
If you would like to read even more information about colored gemstones, you want to visit The American Gemstone Association website www.agta.com/gemstones
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Pearls
Natural Pearls are made over time inside an oyster, with the Pearl starting out as an irritant. In protecting itself the oyster coats the object (usually a grain of sand) with Nacre, a crystalline substance that builds up over time creating a beautiful, shimmering iridescent Pearl. Man mimics nature in the culturing process. Pearl farmers implant a fine bead into the oyster where it cannot be expelled. The oyster then takes over and creates its prize!
LUSTER – The luster of a good quality Pearl will be bright, not hazy. You should be able to see your reflection on its surface. A Pearl that seems too dull or chalky indicates poor quality.
SURFACE – It is rare to find a blemish free Pearl. The fewer the blemishes on the surface of the Pearl, the more valuable it will be.
SHAPE – Cultured Pearls come in a variety of shapes. However the more round a Pearl, the greater its value.
SIZE – Cultured Pearls are measured by their diameter in millimeters. The average size of cultured Pearls sold today is 6.5 to 7.5MM. Since Pearls over 5MM are more difficult to grow, the larger the Pearl the more valuable it will be.
COLOR - Color of a Pearl is often a matter of personal preference. People with fair skin tones tend to look best in slightly rose or silvery/white Pearls. Creamy color and golden Pearls flatter darker complexions.
Types Of Pearls
Akoya – This is the most familiar type of pearl sold in necklaces. Akoyas from Japan and China are grown in pearl oysters and are known for their shimmering beauty and warm colors which range from rose, cream and gold to silvery white and blue/gray
South Sea – Large (10mm and up) cultured pearls grown in tropical and semi-tropical oysters in the South Seas and around the coast of Australia. Their color ranges from silvery white to gold; they are quite costly due to their size and rarity.
Tahitian Black – Large (10mm and up) cultured pearls grown in black-lipped oysters in French Polynesia. Colors range from silvery gray and green to deep purple and black. Their large sizes and unique colors command premium prices.
Mabe – Large, hemispherical cultured pearls grown against the inside shells of oysters rather than in the oyster’s bodies. Less expensive than round cultured pearls due to their half-round shape, they are most popular in earrings, rings and brooches.
Freshwater – Pearls cultivated in mussels, not oysters, in freshwater lakes and rivers in China, Japan, and the United States. Due to their easy cultivation, freshwaters are fairly inexpensive. Shapes can be freeform, rice shaped, off round or spherical and colors range from milky white, to peach, pink, and lavender.
Keshi – Also know as seed pearls, these tiny pearls can be as small as a grain of sand and from accidentally in many cultured pearl oysters.
Baroque – Cultured pearls that are irregularly-shaped, yet often lustrous and appealing. Due to their shapes, baroque pearls are often less costly than round, cultured pearls.
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