Diamonds: our selection process
Each diamond is unique, within it there are specific qualities that determine the value of each individual stone.
These are the so-called 4C, from the English Carat, Color, Clarity and Cut, respectively, carat, color, purity and cut. The international classification system uses this method to describe a diamond and determine its value.
Carat
To express the weight of the diamond, the carat is used as the unit of measurement. One carat (ct) is equal to 1/5 of a gram (0.200 grams); a 5-carat diamond, therefore, will weigh 1 gram.
Color
Many think that diamonds are only colorless stones, but in reality this is not the case. Each of them has a different shade of color given by its chemical composition. Colorless diamonds are recognized as rarer and more valuable. The international classification system orders the color and consequent quality of diamonds on a progressive scale that goes from the letter D (colorless) to the letter Z (light yellow), in which the D represents the total absence of color and therefore the diamond of greater merit.
Clarity
Purity, that is the quality of a stone to be "inclusions" free, is a further parameter for the price of a diamond. Depending on the number, color, size and position of these internal characteristics, the degree of purity of the diamond is determined according to a descending scale between I.F. (Internally Flawless - no defects visible at 10x) and the I. (Included - inclusions evident to the naked eye).
Cut
The most important feature for us is the cut, that is the process of faceting, polishing and carving of the rough stone in order to maximize the reflection and refraction of light. The secret of a diamond's beauty lies in the complex interaction between stone and light: in the way in which light meets the surface of the stone; in the quantity of it that manages to enter the diamond; and in the way in which and in what form it returns to the eyes of the observer.
The result is a magnificent display of three optical attributes: brilliance, that is the combination of reflections of white light coming from the surface and inside of a diamond; fire, a term that refers to the "flashes" of color emitted by a diamond; and the sparkle, consisting of flashes of light visible when the diamond, the light source or the observer move.
Roberto Callegari's diamonds selection process is defined by the use of gems with the following characteristics: Color (from D to G), Clarity (from VS to SI) and Cut (from Excellent to Very Good).