Any of our Celtic engagement rings, Wedding rings, Celtic Pendants or any other item with a stone can be purchased with a genuine diamond in place of any of the stones offered on our site.  It must be understood that the cost of a medium quality diamond can easily cost several times the price of the same item with a regular semi precious stone or a lab created gemstone.  Many of us cannot easily afford to buy diamonds, especially when we are just starting out in life.  For others a price tag of $5,000 or more is easily within their means.  I urge you to order ONLY what you can really afford; stay within your budget.  Overspending is not good for your peace of mind or your financial future; it is also a bad habit that one should not allow to develop. The cost and quality of diamonds varies very widely.  The variation in cost depends on the 4 C's of Diamonds: Color, Cut, Clarity, and Carat Weight.  Certification by one of the leading diamond grading services, such as GIA, is essential to validate the authenticy and value of a diamond.  Here is your primer on the "4 C's" Color Diamond colors range from colorless (most rare and precious) to many shades of yellow (less rare). Slight tints of yellow make a diamond less expensive, but some people prefer the personality it gives a stone. -- If you want the best, regardless of cost -- select "D" color -- If you want the best colorless in appearance, for less money -- select "E" or "F" colors (colorless to the naked eye) -- If you want great color for a little less money -- choose "G" or "H" color -- If you want a larger stone for your money -- go for "H", "I", or "J" colors (officially called near colorless and appear very white, especially in a setting) -- If you like very faint yellow tints -- choose lower colors like "K", "L", or "M" (you can tell the difference but mostly when next to another diamond) Cut (not shape) The cut of a diamond does not refer to its shape.  Diamonds, of course, must be cut to give them a shapes, but gemologists use the term "cut" to refer to the proportions of the stone, to the depth and width and the uniformity of the facets of the stone.  These are characteristics that control brilliance and durability as well as other features that people seek in a diamond. Clarity (visual clearness) Diamond Clarity refers to the presence or absence of flaws inside or in the surface of a diamond or gemstone.  Extremely rare is a stone with perfect clarity, or clearness; it is known as a perfect stone.  Most imperfections (flaws) that exist in jewelry grade diamonds cannot be seen with the naked eye, but can be seen when viewing them with a magnifying glass or jeweler's loupe. The flaws and Imperfections inside a diamond are known as "inclusions", here's more information about inclusions: Diamond inclusions are characteristics that exist inside a stone. Their presence means the diamond is not perfect.  Clarity is judged based on the number, type, sizes, and color of the inclusions as seen with the "naked eye" or with magnification. Inclusions are unique, similar to fingerprints.  They can be used to tell the difference between stones.  This fact is just one of the benefits of buying a stone that comes with a GIA certification.   We provide such certifications with every diamond.  It is good to have such a certificate if the stone is every lost or stolen. Some inclusions affect the clarity of a stone, making it less brilliant by means of partially blocking the light as it passes through the stone. Other types of diamond inclusions can make a gemstone vulnerable to shattering; something like a "fault line" in the earth's crust. There are few perfect diamonds, and the ones that are perfect are quite expensive, so the diamonds we buy all have varying amounts of internal and external flaws. Most jewelers tell us not to worry about diamond inclusions if they do not affect the stone's strength or seriously impact its appearance. Types Of Inclusions (flaws, imperfections) Some diamonds can have very small crystals and minerals imbedded in them. Many sicj imperfections cannot be seen without magnification, but a large chunk or grouping of crystals detracts from the diamond's appearance lowers its clarity grade, and, therefore, its value. There are times that a small crystal can add character to a diamond. A diamond with a small garnet imbedded in it would be a great conversation piece--and a personal choice for someone whose birthstone is a garnet. Pinpoints are very small light or dark crystals in diamonds that appear by themselves or in clusters.  Larger clusters of  pinpoints can create a hazy area in the diamond, called a cloud, which affects the diamond's clarity.  An unnatural diamond inclusion is a laser line. These appear as vapor-like trails which are left behind when lasers are used to remove dark inclusions from diamonds. They resemble tiny strands of thread that begin at the diamond's surface and stretch inward, stopping at the point where the inclusion was removed.  Cracks within diamonds that resemble feathers are called "feathers". Little feathers, typically, do not usually affect a diamond's durability unless they reach the surface on the top of the stone, a location that's prone to accidental impacts. SHAPE Below are eight of most commonly offered diamond shapes being offered by fine jewelers. Round is the most popular.  Remember to close the popup window after viewing, leaving it open will prevent you from viewing the other stone shapes: Round Shape diamonds  Princess Shape Diamond Marquise Shape Diamond Oval Shape Diamond Pear Shape Diamond Emerald Shape Diamond Radiant Diamond Heart Shape Diamond Weight -- Carat vs Karat When talking about Carat weight the first thing to know is that a "Carat" is not a "Karat".  They sound the same but have completely different meanings.  Karat refers to the purity of gold.  Gold purity is commonly reported as 10K, 14K, 18K, 22K or even 24K.  24K is pure gold.  The comparative purity is determined by the percentage of pure gold in the mixture.  By example: 18K Gold is the ratio of 18 divided by 24 or 18/24th.  This equals 75% and indicates that there is 75% of pure gold in the item and the balance is an alloy, another metal, selected for strength and color.  If you do the math you'll see that 14K Gold contains 14/24 pure gold which is 58.3% pure gold with the remainder being an alloy as described above. OK, just remember that "K" or Karat refers to the purity of gold. Carat Carat, generally displayed as ".ct" or just "ct" is a physical weight, like ounces or pounds (.oz or .lb).  Gemstone weights are commonly reported in carats. There is an area of confusion about carat weights because the exact same physical size can have different carat weights.  This is possible because a cubic inch of aluminum weighs much less than a cubic inch of lead or steel or most other metals of the same physical dimensions.  Weight differences are due to different "densities".  Density refers to how closely packed the molecules are for any substance as well as the specific substance itself.  Different substances have different "attributes", aspects, qualities from other substances.  Density is one of these attributes.  Think about gas, for instance.  The molecules and atoms in helium are much further apart than most other substances, including ordinary air.  The molecules are so far apart that helium is lighter than air.  Weather balloons are filled with helium or other lighter than air gases and can float very high up in the atmosphere. Just for comparison: 1 .ct  = .02 grams  or 0.007054792 ounces.  If you want to feel heavy, just weigh yourself on a Carat scale. The carat weight of any particular diamond or gemstone is quite dependent on the shape of the stone.  Compare, in your mind, an oval shape and a pear shape where each has the same length and width.  Which one is likely to have a heavier carat weight?  An emerald shape with the same dimensions will be even heavier. The moral of this lesson is that we should not be too concerned about carat weight.  Make your choice based on your perception of the beauty of the stone and a price that you can afford.  Sadly, our choices must often be greatly influenced based on affordability. There is much more to know about diamonds; we will continue teaching. Certified Diamonds As you will see, a certificate is a "blueprint" of a diamond, it tells you the diamond's exact measurements and weight, as well as the details of its cut and quality. It precisely points out all the individual characteristics of the stone. Certificates also serve as proof of the diamond's identity and value.  A certificate is not the same thing as an appraisal. We have provided a Sample GIA Certification Report which mostly duplicates the report on the diamond described at the Top of this page.  Click HERE to view the report. A certificate is not the same thing as an appraisal. A certificate describes the quality of a diamond, but it does not place a monetary value on the gem. An appraisal places a monetary value on your diamond, but does not certify the quality of the diamond. We will soon be providing copies of other reports that our customers should not do without because they are very important in terms of your insurance protection and knowing, in your heart, that your purchase was entirely legitimate.  Note: you may need to do a little resizing of the GIA certification, using your browser, to view it properly.  Not all browsers are the same.  We use IE version 7 with great success.

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