HOW TO BUY GUIDE

Nine times out of ten, you’ll choose diamond jewelry based on the look and feel of the piece, and whether it fits your budget.  However, quality adds or detracts from the look (and the price).  Here in a nutshell are the “Four C’s” – or qualities used to evaluate diamonds:

The Four C’s:

• Cut
  The brilliance of your diamond comes from its ability to reflect light through its many faceted surfaces. Its value and beauty come from reflecting the maximum amount of light possible. This is achieved by proper proportions when a diamond is cut.
• Color
  A diamond's value increases dramatically with each level of color quality. Although many diamonds appear to be colorless, most contain tints of yellow or brown in varying degrees.
• Clarity
  With 10x magnification, you can find microscopic crystals and/or uncrystallized carbon, (called "inclusions") inside most diamonds, caused when the diamond was formed in nature. The size and number of these inclusions makes each stone unique and effects its value.
• Carat-Size
  The most visible factor that determines the value of a diamond, simply because larger stones are rarer than smaller ones. A diamond's size is established by measuring its weight in "carats".  A carat is equal in weight to two-tenths of a gram. A carat is broken down into hundredths or "points," with 100 points equaling one carat.

Pricing for diamond jewelry can vary widely depending on complexity of design and materials used.  For more information or to schedule a consultation, call us at 804.643.0171, e-mail info@dransfieldjewelers.com, or visit us in our store.