Answers to the most frequently asked questions about diamonds.
Can diamonds break?
Diamonds are carbon compounds in the form of an octahedron. Rough diamonds are cleavable. Smaller stones are split off from larger ones. Diamonds are the hardest stones on the planet, but they can still break. Facets can break if the shape of the stone is struck particularly hard.
Important note: Diamonds can only be cut with diamonds.
What does “conflict-free” mean in the context of diamonds?
Conflict-free diamonds are stones from verifiable sources that are subject to the Kimberly Agreement.
What does Wesselton and Top Wesselton mean?
Wesselton stands for the color “white” in diamond science – a near-colorless stone. Denoted by the color H.
Top Wesselton stands for the color “Fine White” in diamond lore, letters G,F in diamond lore. This is even more colorless than the H stone. The best color is D = River.
How much does a diamond cost?
The value of a diamond depends on the 4 C’s: Carat, Clarity, Cut and Color.
What is fluorescence in diamonds?
Fluorescence indicates whether a diamond glows blue under a UV light lamp. The fluorescence is rated from None = not present, to weak and strong fluorescence. This means light or strong bluish glow under a UV lamp. The glow is not intentional and can be value-reducing.
How are diamonds polished?
Diamonds are the hardest carbon compounds on our planet. Therefore, diamonds can only be polished with diamonds.
What does the abbreviation “VS” or “VSi” stand for?
This value relates to the evaluation characteristic of the purity (Clarity).
“VSi” stands for Very Small Inclusions.
The gemologist evaluates whether the diamond has inclusions. Depending on the quantity and size, a distinction is made. VSi stones are stones with very few and very small inclusions that the expert can see under the 10x loupe. VSi is further divided into VSi-1 and VSi-2. VS-2 stones have more inclusions in the stone than VS-1.
What is a one carat stone?
A single carat is a diamond cut to at least 1.00 ct. The term “single carat” says nothing about the shape (brilliant, princess, heart..) or the further quality.
What does the abbreviation ct. stand for?
ct. stands for carat. Carat refers to the weight of a diamond. 1 ct. corresponds to 0.2 g.
What are the 4 C’s?
The 4 C’s are the grading criteria of a diamond. They are divided into Carat, Color, Clarity and Cut.
