A Few Thoughts on Cut, Color, & Clarity

Cut: A diamond graded 0 Ideal is the standard of excellence. It is the most brilliant diamond you can buy. What will someone see from across the room? It is the cut, because the cut determines how much light the diamond can reflect. We love Ideal cuts. Diamonds graded 1, 2, & 3 are also beautiful. Our Russian cut diamonds are graded as a 3 and are very brilliant and bright and are excellent values. Learn more about cut

Color: Absolutely colorless diamonds are very rare and the more colorless a diamond is the brighter it will be. Diamonds graded AX to B on the Cross grading scale are beautiful, face up white, and represent great values. It can be thought of like light bulb wattages. 100 watts is the brightest & whitest, like a colorless diamond, while 50 watts emits a softer and warmer glow, like a D or E color diamond on the Cross grading scale.

Clarity: Internal characteristics within a diamond are like fingerprints, no two diamonds will have exactly the same number, position or type of inclusions. The inclusions can therefore be used to identify your diamond from any other diamond out there.

A flawless diamond and a 5, 6 clarity grade, and sometimes even a well chosen diamond graded at 7 look exactly the same face up to the unaided eye. It is only under 10x magnification that one can see the difference between the two. While we carry all clarity grades of diamonds, a clarity of 5 or 6 is particularly desirable as it sells for a fraction of a flawless diamond and performs just as well. As an independent, family owned jewelry store, we have the luxury of being choosy. We take our time reviewing dozens of diamonds to find one that has the optimal combination of cut, color, and clarity to achieve the very best value.

Learn more about the types of diamonds Cross carries.

Free Shipping on all Orders!

© William M Cross, Inc. 2008 - Cross Jewelers® is a registered trademark of William M Cross, Inc.

Cross Jewelers - Portland, Maine