How a stone is made — or cut — is truly what unleashes the fire and brilliance in the diamond. When a cutter is given a diamond to facet, they are faced with a decision to either save weight or sacrifice weight to achieve ideal or near ideal proportions. When a diamond loses precious carat weight for the sake of ideal proportions, the price of the diamond is usually higher for the finished product, even though it eventually ends up weighing less. Clarity denotes what is going on inside and on the surface of the diamond. Very few things in nature are perfect, and diamonds are no exception. Let’s simplify it this way: What does it look like with the naked eye? First, study it hard without any aid of magnification. Do you see any distinguishing blemishes that distract from the brilliance of the diamond? You shouldn’t, because those diamonds don’t meet the Fink’s Superior Quality ® standard. In fact, diamonds with blemishes are rejected by our diamond buyer. Next comes studying the stone with magnification. A loupe is a viewing tool commonly used at the sales counter. Think about your kitchen window. You can focus your eyes on the window to see the fingerprints and spots on the window or you can look through the window to see who’s in the yard. Do the same thing to the diamond. Look through the windows. Look to see if you see any inclusions or what we call birthmarks. These aren’t flaws in the diamond, but rather unique characteristics that make each diamond special. Sometimes there are little white lines, sometimes there are clouds. While clouds can be line-shaped, feathers are typically white lines within a diamond. The grading scale of clarity CLIF — THE 5TH C There’s a fifth C that isn’t mentioned but is instrumental in setting the standards for Fink’s diamonds — Clif. For nearly 30 years, Clif has single-handedly inspected tens of thousands of diamonds, and he only chooses the best of the best to become a Fink’s diamond. Clif’s favorite saying is, “If it’s not a diamond I would be proud to put on my wife’s hand, then I don’t buy it.” Plain and simple. we don’t keep any diamonds on hand that don’t pass the Clif test. Although every Fink’s diamond is graded by the industry’s most respected laboratories, Clif’s approach to exceeding Fink’s Superior Cut ® and Superior Quality ® standards starts with a personal inspection of each stone. Clif inspects every part of the diamond, ensuring our customers get only the best diamonds, optimal in cut, light performance, brilliance, and even durability. Even if a diamond looks good on paper, if it doesn’t meet or exceed Clif’s standards, then you’ll never see it in a Fink’s showcase. This is how we continue to ensure a high standard of quality in both service and diamond selections.
refers more to how noticeable these characteristics are, rather than to how many are inside the diamond. At Fink’s we only offer diamonds that have no inclusions visible to the naked eye. What size is best? That’s strictly a personal decision. For some, a larger stone is the dream, and they might be willing to give up a little on color or clarity to stay on budget. To others, the color, cut, and clarity trump size. There is no right answer. Beyond the 4 Cs, many other questions have come across our sales counters. A popular topic is shape. What shape is the most expensive? The answer isn’t so simple. In larger diamonds, all things being equal, the round brilliant is still king. It’s timeless. It’s the most brilliant and in the highest demand. As fancy shapes such as princess, emerald, marquise, and pear float in and out of demand, prices may fluctuate based on their popularity.
Fink’s Superior Quality® H color, SI2.
Not Fink’s Quality H color, SI2.
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