Diamonds
Reis-Nichols offers the largest selection of loose diamonds in the Midwest. With the right information, it's easy to determine the diamond qualities that are most important to you and that will allow you to stay within your budget.
When choosing a diamond shape, it is best to find out what she likes. There are
many different shapes to suit any personality. You may choose from round,
princess-cut, radiant cut, oval, pear and more. The most traditional and still
most popular shape is the round brilliant diamond. Princess cut has also gained
tremendous popularity over the last several years.
The combination of carat weight, clarity, color and cut, commonly referred to as
the 4Cs, is what determines the beauty and worth of each diamond. A basic
understanding of these characteristics will help you select the diamond that's
right for you.
Cut
Diamonds are usually cut with 58 separate flat surfaces called facets that maximize the diamond's sparkle. Cutting a diamond is a pretty delicate process, so the best-cut diamonds are more brilliant and valuable.
Color
The absolute finest colorless diamond carries a D rating, descending through each letter of the alphabet to Z. Most people find diamonds with a color grade of D through J to be the most visually appealing.
Shades of pink, blue, green, amber, or even red occur naturally in nature. These colors are referred to as “fancies†and are evaluated by a different set of color standards. Because fancies are very rare they are also very valuable.
Clarity
Higher clarity does not always mean a more beautiful diamond. Many inclusions are so small they can only be seen when magnified.
Carat Weight
The carat weight measurement of a diamond relates to it's physical size
A carat is 200 milligrams and it's measurement is divided into 100 "points&qout; so that a diamond of half a carat is described as a half a carat or 0.50 carats
Diamond weight and grade is always measured when a diamond is loose to assure accuracy
