September 28th, 2008 by Afshin Shaddaie

Summary: Buying antique or estate jewelry? Remember the four Cs: cut, color, clarity and carat weight and be aware of two more: cost & credibility, to be sure you’re getting an antique, not just used jewelry.

When buying antique or estate jewelry, there’s more to keep in mind than just the four Cs (cut, color, clarity and carat weight ). You’ve got to know whether you’re purchasing an actual antique or simply an estate piece. So consider two more Cs: cost and credibility.

Cut: Cut is one of the most important considerations when buying a diamond. The way a gem is cut affects its appearance, its durability and its value. Diamonds are usually cut to best accentuate their clarity and brilliance. The most common shape for diamonds is brilliant (or round); other popular shapes are baguette, marquise, oval, pear and princess (square) cuts.

Color: Diamonds’ grades range from D through Z. Many diamonds may appear to be colorless (or white), but they may have traces of impurities or other elements, which give them a slight yellow or brown tint. D-color diamonds are extremely rare and highly valuable. Color variants in diamonds in the D-F range are often so slight that differentiating among them becomes tremendously difficult in smaller-sized stones. G-rated diamonds are fairly clear; but the further down the alphabet you go, the deeper the color concentration.

Sometimes, diamonds occur naturally in a variety of colors: blues, bright yellows, greens, pinks - even vivid reds. These “fancy” diamonds are extremely rare, expensive and highly valuable.

Clarity: Clarity refers to the size and number of inclusions or imperfections in a diamond. Most of these inclusions are non-crystallized carbon traces, undetectable by the unaided eye. The average consumer would need a microscope (a considerable period of scrutiny and maybe even a trained jeweler) to see them.

The larger and more numerous the inclusions, the greater the chance of light-dispersion interference - which diminishes the diamond’s brilliance. The greater the number and size of the inclusions, the less valuable the diamond; the converse is true as well: The fewer and smaller the inclusions, the more valuable the diamond.

Diamonds are rated according to their clarity under 10x magnification. Diamonds rated IF contain only minor external flaws, which may be removed by polishing. Diamonds rated VVS1 and VVS2 are “very, very slight.” VS1- and VS2-rated diamonds have “very slight” inclusions. Inclusions in SI1- and SI2-rated stones are “slight”; and the I1- I2- and I3-rated stones contain imperfections large enough to be visible to the unaided eye.

Carat Weight: Diamonds are weighed in carats; this doesn’t refer to size, shape or diameter. One carat may be divided into units of 100 points; therefore, a -carat diamond is described as being 50 points or 0.50 carat. The larger the diamond, the more expensive it is, per carat; a one-carat diamond costs more than two half-carat diamonds of like cut and clarity.

Cost & Credibility: The higher the quality of your chosen diamond, the more it is worth. But don’t assume you’re getting a valuable diamond because you’re paying a lot. That’s where credibility factors in. By credibility, we mean, “Are you buying this diamond from a reputable dealer?” and “Are you actually getting what the dealer says you’re getting?” Is this ring being represented as an “antique” when it’s actually “estate” jewelry (a fancy term for pre-owned)? The best way to know for sure is to know your jeweler. To ensure you get the best jewelry for your buying dollar, from a reputable dealer with years of experience, visit Estate Diamond Jewelry. All they do is estate and antique jewelry.