Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Diamond Simulant Quality Assessment

What You Need to Know About Man Made Diamond Quality

Something that is important to know when you are beginning the process of selecting a diamond is to understand what you are buying. Bigger is not always better and smaller is not always cheaper which are definitely characteristics you don't expect. The quality of a diamond directly impacts the retail price and overall value.

Whether you are purchasing a man made diamond or a natural diamond, the quality rating scale is the same, allowing a buyer to consider the standards side by side. Even more importantly regardless of your preferred diamond type, you should understand the impact of the quality standards on the overall price of a diamond. You might start out looking for the biggest diamond but instead decide to search for the best diamond.

Man Made Clarity

There are a total of about eleven categories for clarity ranking which all revolve around the quantity and severity of blemishes, scratches or imperfections on a diamond. The clarity of diamonds is ranked beginning with F's for flawless diamonds which are free of any scratches or blemishes all the way to I3 which is a quality mark for a diamond with visible blemishes that are seen without the aid of a magnifying tool. The rankings for the in-between categories can include man made diamonds that are ranked IF for internally flawless or SI2 for diamonds with a noticeable blemish that is very easy to locate with a magnification tool.

Quality Diamond Cuts

The cut of a diamond is more than just the shape of the stone. The technique of the cut can cause a high clarity, excellent colored diamond to appear dark or dull and muddy. A fair cut that is shallow will create a cloudy appearance for a diamond while a deep cut will darken the appearance of the stone. A cut that is done well will show the brilliance and sparkle of the diamond. Understanding the type of cut will help you to make a better buying decision about your diamond.

White Diamonds That Are Actually Yellow

Ranking a diamond's color will help the buyer to understand what they are getting as well. With a letter scale that begins with D for colorless white diamonds and R for very light yellow diamonds, the difference may be difficult to see looking at man made diamonds one at a time. It is not until you place a P or Q diamond by a G or H diamond that you may really see a distinct difference. Man made diamonds can achieve the highest color quality levels with innovative techniques.

Diamond Appraisal Cards

Natural diamonds can be accompanied by an official appraisal card of authenticity from a Gemological Lab. The MiaDonna Diamond Simulant appears to be the only man made diamond company to issue these cards. This card looks like a credit card and is graded using the same qualifiers as earth mined diamonds (color, clarity, carat and cut).

Before you head out shopping for a diamond, take the time to understand the quality ratings of diamonds to ensure you know where your money is being spent. The higher the quality the higher the diamond cost in general. What is important to know, is that man made diamonds are held to the same standards as natural diamonds. You can be assured you are looking at the same level of quality by getting an official appraisal card of authenticity from a world renowned Gemological Lab and if you can't get one of these with your diamond simulant it is not made from diamond.

Brittany Taylor writes on fashion, culture and society.

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