Fancy colored diamonds are all the rage these days. Gemologists have developed
new ways to create versions that are affordable for the average person – by
treating less desirable diamonds. These less desirable diamonds are treated with
irradiation followed by intense heat. This turns brown and yellowish diamonds into
beautifully colored diamonds that you can afford. This produces stunning greens,
blues, yellows, reds, purples and other colors. These colors are considered
permanent, but there is a possibility they could change during repairs if a high
heat is used.

Treatments like irradiation make it possible for more people to own these vividly colored
diamonds. Most natural colored diamonds are rare and also extremely expensive. When
shopping for colored diamonds you need to assume that any affordable fancy color
diamond has been treated. Ask about the stones origin and request to view a lab
certificate to verify authenticity.
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Clarity is an important aspect of a diamond, and it is important to know how to grade the
clarity of a diamond before you buy one. It is actually quite easy to learn how to grade the
clarity of a diamond. There are basically two things that you must understand: Diamonds
with visual inclusions and blemishes, and those that are ‘eye clean’ meaning that there
are no inclusions or blemishes that can be seen with the naked eye. From there, the
clarity of a diamond is further broken down into subcategories.

Many people mistakenly think that diamond clarity refers to how clear it is. This isn’t so.
Clarity actually refers to the internal and external imperfections of the diamond. The
best diamonds, of course get a grade of FL or IF – Flawless or Internally Flawless –
meaning that it is perfect. A grade of I-1, I-2 or I-3 means that the diamond is imperfect,
with a grade of I-3 being the worst.
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Diamonds are measured in Carat Weight. One carat weighs 200 milligrams. If a
diamond is referred to as four grains, this also means that it is a one carat diamond.
The word Carat comes from the word carob. A carob is a bean that grows on a tree in the
Mediterranean. In times past, if a diamond weighed the same as a carob bean, it was
one carob, or one carat.

However, in the far east, where Carob trees do not grow, rice was used to measure the
weight of a diamond. If a diamond weighed as much as four grains of rice, it was four
grains – or one carat as we know it to be now. The majority of diamond purchases
are for diamonds that are 1/3 of a carat.

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