Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Diamond Heart Jewelry: Check For Imperfections

The round brilliant cut is considered the gold standard for diamond cuts. Designed to maximize the potential of a diamond's brilliance, this cut is also known as the most wasteful, with over half of the raw diamond thrown away to get to this ideal shape. Not to say that diamonds should exclusively come in this shape only. In fact, the diversity of diamond cuts boosts their overall allure.

And diamond heart jewelry is as appealing as it gets. Heart cuts have a lot in common with the pear cut, but vary in height and width. The heart cut retains some brilliance found in the round brilliant cut, but also flaunts the diamond's other qualities, like clarity. Bear in mind that this shape was not invented carelessly. The heart cut is essentially the pear cut with a cleft added in.

Admittedly, diamond heart jewelry may not appeal to everyone. Some people may feel that it is too trifling to use in their wedding rings. Still, it is hard to question the romantic appeal of the heart shape. Since it is a relatively new cut, there are less regulations in making heart cut diamonds compared to round brilliant.

In comparison, with round brilliant cut diamonds, your primary consideration really is just the brilliance of the piece. Diamond makers built on Tolkowsky's Ideal Cut, the original standard for the round cut. Thanks to advances in the science of refraction and manufacturing technology, they're able to utilize a raw diamond's potential to reach maximum brilliance.

It is crucial that you do a quality check before you acquire any diamond heart jewelry. Particularly, you need to check that it does not have any blemishes, cracks or other imperfections. Some imperfections are not distinguishable to the naked eye, but still affect the diamond's value. These imperfections do become apparent under the microscope, and are considered when the finished diamond is graded and priced.

If you prefer to get more value for your investment, you should be on guard for enhanced diamonds. These are treatments performed on diamonds after they have been cut and polished, to remove these imperfections. Government regulations require that any enhancements be divulged to potential buyers. These treatments lessen their value and are only performed on seriously flawed diamonds.

It is imperative that you do a quality check before any purchase of diamond heart jewelry. Particularly, you need to check that it does not have any blemishes, cracks or other imperfections. With round brilliant cut diamonds, your primary concern really is just the brilliance of the piece. You should watch out for enhanced diamonds. These are treatments performed on diamonds after they have been cut and polished to remove these imperfections and reduce their value.

-Lorraine Jacobs

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