Diamond clarity gradation. Which diamonds are considered the best? How color affects the appearance of a diamond

is one of the characteristics that everyone has heard about, but few can give a clear definition of what it is. However, buying jewelry as an investment or as a gift to a loved one, we want to make sure they are of great quality. And then we begin to wonder what the characteristics of diamonds are, how to distinguish them from each other and how to choose a diamond so as not to make a mistake.

Classification of diamonds by purity (clarity)

The purity of a diamond and its clarity are the same evaluation criterion, which English language called Clarity. Depending on the origin and place of purchase, the clarity of the diamond on the tag can be indicated either in English letters and numbers, or just numbers.

The first classification is the value according to the American GIA (Gemological Institute of America) system. According to it, there are 11 classes that indicate the degree of purity of a diamond. The class depends on the number of defects on the outer surface of the stone and inside it, their volume and degree of visibility. External defects are less significant than internal ones, since they can be eliminated by grinding. The GIA system is most often used.

The Russian system is more complex. It takes into account not only the number and size of defects, but also the weight of the stone. The clarity of a diamond on the Russian scale is indicated by a number from 1 to 6 for small stones with 17 facets, from 1 to 9 for minerals with 57 facets, and from 1 to 12 for medium and large stones. Typically this characteristic looks like 4/6B, where clarity is indicated under the number 6. 4 in this case is an indicator of color, and B stands for class B cut quality.

If you are thinking about how to determine the quality of a diamond, first of all pay attention to this designation. A certificate issued by the GIA laboratory is the best guarantee of the specified clarity of the stone. Specialists working using this scale use standards for determination, whereas in the Russian system, diamonds are assessed based on verbal descriptions.

The Russian scale, which determines the clarity of diamonds, and the more common global GIA system are easily comparable to each other. Experienced jewelers can determine the clarity of a diamond by eye, without using reference books. Of course, in most cases this requires a magnifying glass with 10x magnification, but some groups of minerals have inclusions that are visible to the naked eye.

Find out what is considered good diamond clarity: here is an approximate correspondence table, which presents the scale of the Russian and American systems for determining diamond clarity.

So, if you decide to buy a diamond, then its clarity should be at least SI3 according to GIA. This criterion is one of the main ones that indicate the qualities inherent in. Choose carefully and be sure to ask for certificates if you doubt the clarity stated by the seller.

Other properties of the stone

In a jewelry store, carefully examine the tag that comes with the diamond jewelry you choose. It should indicate not only the clarity, but also the type of stone itself. The one we are interested in in Russia is designated by the letters Br. The number of stones in the product is placed before the type, that is, 3Br means that there are three diamonds in the jewelry. Next comes the weight of the inserts in carats (of course, 2 diamonds are better than 5, with a total weight of, for example, 0.3 carats). After this, you can see the letters “Kr” in the line. This means that the cut of the mineral is standard round. There may be other letters instead of them, for example “G” (pear), “Pr” (princess), “M” (marquis), etc.

Another number that is usually paired with clarity (for example, 4/7, where 7 is clarity) is the color of the diamond. In Russia, the colors of diamonds are divided into groups, and their quantity also depends on the weight and number of facets, just like clarity. Thus, the color characteristic can consist of from 4 to 9 groups.

In other countries, the color of diamonds in documents must be deciphered based on the laws of a particular state. But abroad there is no longer any division into groups based on color and weight. The correlation between the Russian and any of the international systems is quite doable for an experienced person.

What color are diamonds?

A real diamond can be white, green, or blue. Fancy colored diamonds (Fancy, bright colors other than white) are highly prized in the jewelry market. The most expensive colored diamonds, each of which is a unique work of nature and art, are bright red.

However, if, say, you inherited a diamond ring from your grandfather, and its color is not white (not transparent), do not rush to rejoice. It may just be a cloudy white. Typically these stones are yellowish or brownish in color. These are not colored diamonds and are generally not considered as valuable as completely clear diamonds.

The most famous types of diamonds

To simplify our story a little, we will dilute it with a description of the most popular stones.

Diamond 1/1

This is an excellent quality mineral that is very rare. Collectors are hunting for it, and a certain public, consisting of fabulously wealthy individuals, seeks to acquire it as a financial investment or an indicator of one's high status.

Diamond 2/2

Slightly more common than the previous one, and slightly less valuable. Let us remind you that it has small sparse spots, but they cannot be seen without a magnifying glass.

Diamond 3/3, 4/4 and others

They are already more popular among ordinary buyers. A diamond's clarity of 4/4 or 3/3 is an indication that there are defects, but they still cannot be seen with the naked eye. Therefore, in the eyes of anyone other than an experienced jeweler, such a piece will be flawless - but its cost is much lower.

It is far from a fact that in any jewelry store you will come across a diamond of a high level of clarity and good color. You need to choose places to buy wisely, consult with experienced people, and most importantly, decide in advance what kind of stone you need. Then you will be able to get a valuable acquisition, the quality of which no one will ever doubt.

If you ask women what gemstone they prefer, most of them will answer: “Diamond!” It is considered a symbol of nobility and prosperity. To distinguish a cheap piece of glass from a noble diamond or to understand which of the two precious stones Better yet, you can use a diamond clarity chart.

Main characteristics of stones

When making such an expensive purchase, it is very important not to make a mistake in your choice and not throw money away. This is exactly why a table of diamonds is needed and will help in this matter.

The price is determined by four parameters: cut quality, carat weight, color and clarity. Several tables have been created based on them to classify diamonds. However, to use them, you need to understand what they all mean.

Its brilliance directly depends on the processing of a diamond. A cut is considered excellent if light rays pass through the crown, shimmer inside and return back. This effect is achieved due to the equality of all faces and their proportional arrangement. After a poor cut, the light inside the stone is lost.

The color is formed due to chemical composition stone, which may contain foreign impurities and shades. Transparency is the standard, the more transparent the edges, the more valuable the specimen.

Diamonds emerge from coal under very high pressure layers of earth. For this reason, a large stone is almost never born under natural conditions; they are all small in weight. Weight is measured in carats. 1 carat is 0.2 grams.

A good gemstone is determined by a letter color classification from D to Z. A degree of yellowness is assigned from perfectly transparent to absolutely yellow, respectively. There is a special category of fancy diamonds that require a separate grading system. They are unique because they contain different minerals and do not fit into the classical parameters of diamonds. Each of them requires a special approach and personal assessment. Such stones are bought by collectors at an incomparably higher price than ordinary diamonds.

Diamond Color Chart:

1. White color with a blue tint.
2. With a barely noticeable golden tint.
3. Slight yellowish tint.
4. With a small but noticeable tint.
5. White color with a clearly visible yellow tint.
6. A clearly visible yellow tint.
7. Completely yellow color.
8. Light brown color.

Certificate of Authenticity and Quality

During the sale, jewelers attach a quality certificate to diamond jewelry, which confirms the naturalness of the product. This official document explains the relationship between quality and price; it always indicates which organization issued it. Many legal entities are involved in certifying diamonds, but only two American companies necessarily provide the highest level of evaluation - the Gemological Institute of America and the Jewelers Association. They have been conducting examinations since the thirties of the last century.

The sample is sent anonymously in a box without the name of the field and other information. After it is measured by experts, a report is drawn up that contains both the price and all the main indicators. A report and a certificate are identical concepts. The main thing is that they both leave no doubt about the value and authenticity of the diamond.

The information in the certificate is the quantity, volume and internal layout defects or their complete absence. The certificate does not indicate the price; it contains only the characteristics of the piece, that is, weight, clarity, cut and color.

The table of diamond color and clarity characteristics will help jewelry lovers purchase a real stone with a certificate. Nothing is more synonymous with flawlessness and perfection than diamonds.

“A diamond of pure water”... Such a familiar expression. What does it really mean? In this article, consultants from the SA&GA Jewelry House will talk about characteristics of diamonds, about how to correctly read product tags.

Every woman wants to have diamond jewelry. And when purchasing, it is important to correctly decipher the characteristics indicated on the tag, because the price of the jewelry depends on them.

Characteristics of a tag on jewelry

A sealed tag for jewelry is a certificate of quality. It must indicate the manufacturer of the jewelry, the main characteristics of the precious stone, encrypted in a special code, as well as the fineness of the metal. The tag is your guarantee for the jewelry.

Now let's take a closer look at what each number means.

Diamond grading system “4c”

In the world there are generally accepted diamond characteristics. We will analyze each in detail.

The 4c ​​system is a classification of diamonds based on their characteristics:

Color – color

Clarity – purity

Carat – weight in carats

Cut – cut

All four of these factors directly affect the beauty and value of a diamond.

Carat(weight) + Color(color) + Clarity(clarity) + Cut(cut) = diamond cost

Color – color

Basically, diamonds are colorless. To a layman, it seems that all diamonds are transparent. But in fact, diamonds have different shades - ranging from pale yellow to brown shades. This can only be determined by a gemologist.

A pure diamond is an absolutely pure diamond without flaws. These are the most highly valued, and they are also the most expensive. Diamonds with a yellowish tint are no longer valued so highly. Diamonds with a sapphire blue tint are quite rare and are very expensive.

According to current technical conditions, the color characteristics of diamonds are indicated by numbers. Thus, diamonds with 57 facets and weighing up to 0.29 carats are divided into 7 groups. Diamonds of the same cut, weighing more than 0.3 carats, are divided into 9 color groups.

The optimal price and quality for a diamond with 57 facets are considered to be third class diamonds.

In the international system GIA diamond grades The color of a diamond is indicated by letters of the Latin alphabet.

Carat – weight

A generally accepted measure of the mass of diamonds, as well as other precious and semi-precious stones It is customary to measure in carats. One carat is equal to 0.2 grams.

Tables have also been developed to roughly estimate the size of a diamond.

Clarity - purity

Diamond Clarity depends on the state of the crystal lattice. Only gemologists can determine it using a special gemological 10x magnifying glass and microscope.

The most ideal option is when there are no inclusions at all either inside or on its surface. These are unique stones that are not found on the mass market, these are auction stones and they are very expensive.

In international practice, it is customary to indicate the purity of a stone with numbers and it looks like this:

In jewelry, the optimal clarity groups are considered to be 2 and 3. For KR-57 diamonds up to 0.29 carats - groups 4 and 5, and for diamonds over 0.3 carats - 4 - 6.

Cut - cut

A sparkling diamond is a skillfully cut diamond. It is the cut that allows you to reveal the magic and beauty of the stone, and it is selected individually.

The proportions of an ideal cut from the point of view of the refraction of light rays were presented by a mathematician of Russian origin at the beginning of the twentieth century, Marcel Tolkowsky, in his work “Diamond Design”. Round diamonds with 57 facets have become considered the world standard throughout the world.

The quality of the cut depends on how the diamond's facets refract and transmit light, and not on the type of cut (emerald, marquise, heart, etc.). Such a magical property of returning light is possible only in a diamond, in its highly skilled artistic and technical cutting work.

According to the technical specifications, the geometric parameters of diamonds are divided into categories - from A to G. The highest quality cut, in which all recognized standard measures are met, is considered “A”.

There are several types of diamond cuts:

Determining the color of a diamond is the most pressing issue, which always gives rise to fierce debate. Why is that? Let's find out! There are several gemological systems, each of which describes the color of a diamond in its own way:

Photos of diamond color standards according to GIA (from D to M)

The international GIA system describes the highest color with the Latin letter D, and then descending colors are E, F, G, H, I, J, K, etc. Everything is simple here: D-E-F – highest group colors, they are called “colorless”. They differ from each other only in a slight tone, which can be seen by a specialist by turning the diamond upside down. This group belongs to very rare and investment diamonds. Such diamonds are supplied only for individual jewelry to order.

Diamonds groups G-H are called “almost colorless” because they have a slight yellowish tint, which can be seen when comparing diamonds of colors D and H. If there is nothing to compare with, then a non-specialist will not notice any tint. For this reason, G and H color diamonds are the most sought after for jewelry making, because... D colors look no less impressive, and are several times cheaper.

The Russian system inherited the Soviet GOST R-52913, where the highest color of a diamond is indicated by the number 1, followed by colors 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. After color 6, complex color ranges begin: 6.1, 7, 8.1-8.5, 9.1-9.4 , which contain up to 16 shades according to GIA. To understand them, you will need special education. In addition, a 1-carat diamond and a 0.29-carat diamond have different color grading rules, which complicates an already difficult situation even more.

How to compare the international GIA and the Russian diamond color description system?

In itself, comparing Russian and international color determination systems is incorrect. From a logical point of view, numbers and letters are different categories that cannot be compared. We can only say that the Russian system for describing the color of a diamond is more scientific and complex; using it, you need to have special knowledge that only rare specialists have. The GIA system is international, unambiguous, simple. It has strict logic and does not allow ambiguous interpretations. That is why it is trusted all over the world and used both in conservative Europe and in high-tech Japan.

It is important to know:

The shade of fancy shaped diamonds will be more noticeable compared to a round diamond. The larger the diamond, the more visible its shade will be. To accurately evaluate a diamond be sure to find out its color according to the international GIA scale.

Today, there are several diamond grading systems in the world. Moreover, the most stringent of them are the Russian Specifications (the so-called “Technical Conditions”) and the GIA (the evaluation system of the Gemological Institute of America). Each of them has its own advantages (in the Russian one there is only one - a more strict assessment of color), but the GIA system is more advanced, since it reflects such important cut characteristics as the quality of polishing, symmetry and the presence or absence of fluorescence, which in Russian certificates never reflected. Moreover, diamonds are sold for export only with a GIA grade, while they enter the Russian market with specifications, since the Russian consumer is not so sophisticated.

Color.

Diamonds are distinguished by color shades - from colorless to yellow-brown. To determine the color of a diamond, the stone is compared to a color standard of the same size, after which it is assigned the appropriate color group. In accordance with international GIA system shades of color are characterized by letter designations from D - colorless to Z - deep yellow or brown. The domestic TU scale provides designation with numbers from 1 (colorless) to 9 (brown). The color scale is divided into groups, it begins with colorless diamonds, then there are smooth transitions with increasing yellow color saturation, and ends with the last group, which has a clear yellow or yellow-brown color. So-called commercial stones have a color of at least 7.

Diamonds, like most other stones of mineral origin, have natural inclusions and defects in their structure. The fewer there are, the more valuable the diamond. Absolutely transparent diamonds are practically never found in nature; we can only talk about the purity of a diamond under tenfold magnification. If no defects are found, the stone is recognized as a pure diamond. When determining the clarity of a diamond, the number and nature of defects are determined, as well as their size and location in the diamond. Diamond clarity is assessed at 10x magnification using a magnifying glass or a special microscope.