Diamond Buying Guide

Whatever the occasion - birthday, anniversary, declaration of love or proposal of marriage, diamonds commemorate those special moments and create a memory for a lifetime.

Choosing a diamond is a very personal decision. Be sure to see a selection of diamonds and choose the diamond that is most beautiful to you. The 4 Cs provide a way to compare and evaluate diamonds, but cannot describe a diamond's unique and captivating beauty. We invite you to call or visit a Ben Bridge store to make an appointment with a Personal Jeweler to see the beauty & brilliance for yourself.

CUT

Cut is responsible for the bright sparkle of a diamond.

Superior cut reveals the fire and brilliance of the diamond. A diamond with excellent light performance is extremely eye-catching and can even look bigger than its actual carat size. On a classic round brilliant-cut diamond, the fifty-eight facets must be precisely aligned and proportioned for maximum brilliance. When a diamond is cut too deep or too shallow, light escapes from the bottom of the diamond instead of reflecting back to you, which explains why some diamonds are so much more brilliant than others. The Gemological Institute of America uses an 'Excellent', 'Very Good'', 'Fair', 'Poor' grading scale.

The cut also determines the shape of the diamond.

COLOR

Diamond color is the determination of the saturation or lack of color within a diamond.

Gem-quality diamonds occur in many hues, with most ranging from light yellow or light brown to colorless. In this normal color range, the most valuable diamonds are colorless as the absence of color allows the most natural light to pass through the diamond and a truly colorless diamond is extremely rare. Most diamonds possess varying degrees of yellow or brown, and small, subtle differences in color can make a substantial difference in value. The Gemological Institute of America uses letters from D to Z for its color grading scale, D being colorless.

Diamonds with a color other than colorless to light yellow or brown are called fancy. Fancy colored diamonds can be yellows or browns with color saturations more than a Z on the color scale, or can be nearly any hue imaginable from blue to pink to green.

CLARITY

Diamond clarity refers to the absence of inclusions and blemishes.

Natural diamonds are the result of carbon exposed to tremendous heat and pressure deep in the earth. The process can result in a number of natural particles, called 'inclusions' being trapped in the diamond crystal when it is forming. When evaluating clarity, the grader uses magnification and specific lighting and considers the effect these characteristics have on the diamond's appearance and durability. The Gemological Institute of America grades clarity ranges from Flawless to Included, with Flawless stones having no inclusions. The higher clarity grades are more valuable; however, many people consider that inclusions add character to the diamond.

CARAT

The carat is the standard used to measure diamond weight, and is also a reflection of its size. 

One carat equals 200 milligrams in weight. Each carat is divided into 100 points, similar to pennies in one dollar. A one carat diamond is 100 points, therefore a 1/2 carat diamond is .50 ct, or 50 points.

Larger diamonds are rarer than smaller ones, and as the carat weight increases, the value of the diamond rises. However, the increase is not directly proportionate to the size. For example, a one-carat diamond will cost more than twice that of a 1/2-carat diamond (assuming color, clarity, and cut are identical). Weight does not always enhance the value of a diamond, either. Two diamonds of qual weight may be unequal in value, depending on other factors such as cut, color, and clarity.

CERTIFICATION

Each diamond is beautiful and unique, with its own quality features. Diamond grading systems have been developed and standardized, and diamond reports are routinely issued in order to provide information on the characteristics of the diamond. Ben Bridge Jeweler offers diamond reports and certificates for all diamonds over .46 carat. Our diamonds are certified by laboratories that are among the most respected in the diamond industry and are known for their consistency and unbiased diamond grading systems: Gemological Institute of America (GIA), American Gem Society Laboratory (AGSL) and the Forevermark Diamond Institute. Diamonds that are accompanied by these grading reports are the most highly valued in the industry.

COMMITMENT TO ETHICAL SOURCING, CONFLICT-FREE

Our customers can be confident that comprehensive measures have been taken to assure that the diamonds that we sell are conflict free. Even before the Kimberley Process was enacted into law, Ben Bridge has required our vendors to pledge to buy and sell only conflict-free diamonds. Since 2003, we have supported the Kimberley Process, an initiative between world governments and the diamond industry that controls the production of rough diamonds by tracking the from the source, and the System of Warranties, an industry program of self-regulation. The standards and values of Ben Bridge are well known and respected throughout the global jewelry industry.

You have the assurance and commitment of Ben Bridge Jeweler in providing the very best in fine jewelry values with a caring concern for people - in our communities and in the world where we live and work. For more information about our Corporate Social Responsibility and Practices, please e-mail us at info@benbridge.com.