Diamond & Precious Metal Expertise
Established in 1931, GIA or Gemological Institute of America is the world’s largest and most respected nonprofit institute of gemological research and learning. Conceived 75 years ago in the august tradition of Europe’s most venerated institutes, GIA discovers, imparts, and applies gemological knowledge to ensure the public trust in gems and jewelry. Below is a plethora of information you can use to help you become a diamond expert!
The Four C's of a Diamond
Welcome to your diamond education- We want to make you a diamond expert! The easiest way to explain a diamond’s beauty is using the FOUR C’s: Cut, Carat, Clarity and Color. These descriptions will help you better understand how each “C” affects a diamond’s beauty.
(1) Cut
The cut is what makes a diamond beautiful. No matter what color or clarity a diamond has it will not be beautiful unless it is cut to perfection. Diamonds are cut according to an exact mathematical formula. A finished diamond has 58 "facets," which are the small, flat polished planes cut into a diamond, so that the maximum amount of light is reflected back to the viewer's eye. This reflection is called "brilliance," and is extremely important in evaluating the quality of a diamond. The widest circumference of a diamond is the "girdle." Above the girdle are 32 facets plus the "table," the largest and topmost facet. Below the girdle there are 24 facets plus the "culet," or point. Cut also deals with the shape of the diamond. Traditional shapes are round, emerald, marquise, pear, oval and heart. Also popular today are cushion cut diamonds. Most service award jewelry will have round, brilliant cut diamonds.
(2) Carat Weight
This is the unit of weight used for diamonds, a word derived from carob seeds used to balance scales in ancient times. This “C” has nothing to do with quality-it is only a measure of weight. A carat is equal to 200 milligrams and there are 142 carats to an ounce. Carats are further subdivided into points. There are 100 points to a carat - just like pennies to a dollar. For example, a 50-point diamond weighs half a carat. A one carat diamond of the highest color and clarity can easily cost as much as a diamond almost twice as large with lower color and clarity. Diamonds for service award jewelry can range in size from 1pt diamonds (or 1/100 of one carat) to 1.00 carat diamonds. Any size diamonds are available for all service award jewelry.
(3) Clarity
Clarity describes what is inside a diamond - the easiest way to think of it is like a birthmark. A diamond's clarity is determined by taking into account the number, size, placement, color and nature of any internal "inclusions"; or external surface irregularities. Inclusions are Nature's birthmarks - characteristics such as crystals, fractures and clouds - included in the stone when it was crystallized from carbon millions of years ago. These marks make each stone unique, for no two diamonds are alike. When inclusions do not interfere materially with the passage of light through the stone, they do not affect its beauty. The fewer inclusions a diamond has the more valuable it will be. The Gemological Institute of America's (GIA) clarity grading scale is the most widely used for grading diamonds in the United States. Clarity is graded according to the relative position of the diamond’s inclusions on the Flawless-to-Imperfect scale. Most diamonds for service award jewelry are SI-1 to SI-2 but diamonds from every clarity category are available.
(4) Color
The best way to see the true color (or lack of color) of a diamond is by looking at it against a white surface. Although most diamonds appear to be white or ”colorless,” they actually range in color from perfectly white to faint yellow. Color is graded using the Gemological Institute of America’s color grading scale. The scale begins at D and continues to Z. Colorless and Near Colorless diamonds are means their “color” is typically undetectable to the unaided eye. Although most diamonds are a shade of white, they do come in all colors - pale yellow, canary, pink, red, green, blue and brown. These are called "fancies," and they are valued for their depth of color, just as white diamonds are valued for their lack of color. The famous Hope Diamond is blue, and the well-known Tiffany Diamond is canary yellow. Most diamonds for service award jewelry come in the Near Colorless category but diamonds from every color category are available.
Precious Metals
Sterling Silver
Sterling silver is an alloy of silver containing 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% of other metals, usually copper. Because it contains 92.5% pure silver – that is why a lot of sterling silver jewelry is marked 925. All of our service award jewelry, if sterling silver, is marked Sterling Silver.
The metal is alloyed with copper because it gives it strength whilst preserving the ductility of the silver and a high precious metal content. This is one of the main reasons that sterling silver is used for service award jewelry. It is an affordable yet durable option for any program.
Gold
Because of its rarity and luster and the ability to resist corrosion, gold has been valued by many cultures for thousands of years. Since fine (pure) gold is too soft for most uses it is alloyed with other metals to achieve a desired hardness. During this process the color, hardness, malleability and melting point can also be altered. Jewelers create yellow, rose, green and white golds by using different alloys. More copper results in a soft rose color; additional silver creates green gold; and palladium produces white. The relative amount of gold in an alloy is called the karat.
Gold pricing is based on four factors: karatage, gram weight, design and craftsmanship. The karatage and gram weight tell you how much gold is in a piece, but other crucial factors determining price are the piece’s construction and design. It is important to remember that each piece of gold jewelry is unique and, if cared for properly, can last a lifetime. For service award jewelry, we have several gold options such as 1/10 10K gold filled, 10 karat gold, or 14 karat gold. Please inquire with a sales representative about other gold options.
Protect your gold jewelry by storing it safely or keeping it wrapped in a soft cloth when not being worn. Clean your gold jewelry with a solution of sudsy lukewarm water, or bring it to your local jeweler and have it cleaned in an ultrasonic machine or high-pressure steamer. Keep gold jewelry free from dust, moisture, perspiration, and makeup.
White Gold
White gold is simply yellow gold that has been treated to look white. But it still has the same properties as yellow gold, and over time will begin to look more yellow. In fact, over time white gold begins to lose its color and has to be re-plated. All karats of gold such as 1/10 10K gold filled, 10 karat gold, and 14 karat gold are available in white gold.
Platinum
The true measure of value is rarity and platinum is one of the world's rarest precious metals. There is very little platinum on this earth and it is found in very few places around the world. This exquisite metal is 35 times rarer than gold. In fact, it is estimated that if all the platinum in the world were poured into one Olympic swimming pool it would be scarcely deep enough to cover your ankles. Gold would fill more than three pools. Platinum's rarity makes it exclusive and distinctive.
A total of 10 tons of ore and six to eight weeks are required to produce just one ounce of platinum. In comparison, only three tons of ore and five days are required to produce one ounce of gold. Platinum weighs 60% more than 14k gold. And a six inch cube of platinum is a weighty 165 pounds. Platinum's purity endows it with a brilliant white luster. Because it is generally 95% pure (18 karat gold is 75% pure), platinum jewelry does not fade or tarnish and keeps its looks for a lifetime. Because of the high cost of platinum, service award jewelry is usually not made with platinum but it is available.
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