• The most important considerations in choosing a diamond are quality and value.
• Diamond jewelry is priced according to quality.
• Diamonds can look similar and even have the same carat weight, but differences in quality can result in huge differences in price.

* You need to compare quality before you compare price.

  Every diamond that we present at Millers Fine Jewelry for your consideration, has been screened for quality.

The 4 C's of a Diamond

When you go out to buy a diamond, you must consider the 4Cs of diamonds – Cut, Color, Clarity, and Carat weight, as a base for your decision. These 4Cs will help you to choose the best diamonds on the same criteria on which jewelers use to select them.

      Diamond cut is the most important attribute which increases a diamond’s beauty. It refers to the faceted proportions to which the diamond is finished. A well cut diamond reflects light to maximize the stone's brilliance. The optical beauty of the finished diamond, the way it disperses and reflects light, is determined in large part by its final dimensional properties.

•  A well-cut diamond has more sparkle and brilliance than a poorly-cut diamond. We talk about diamond cut by depth.
• The “ideal cut” is considered the best cut as it reflects most or all of the light that enters in the diamond back to the eyes.

       Diamond color is a vital factor to look for as diamonds are found in almost all the colors. Most diamonds appear white to the naked eye, but they all include trace amounts of yellow or brown color. Slight difference in diamond color can make a substantial difference in value. The diamond color scale goes from D to Z, with D being the most white and Z being the most yellow.

• The best way to see the true color of a diamond is by looking at it against a white surface.
•  Stones in the D-F color grades are the most valuable.

       Diamond Clarity  Most diamonds have physical characteristics, very tiny natural marks within the stone. Clarity describes the absence or presence of flaws inside or on the surface of a diamond. When flaws occur internally, they are called inclusions. When these flaws occur on the surface, they are known as blemishes.  A Diamond’s clarity is based on the number, size, nature and location of imperfections on the finished stone.

•  Clarity of a diamond affects the beauty and value of the diamond.
• A diamonds clarity is based on the number, size, nature and location of imperfections on the finished stone. Clarity of a diamond affects the beauty and value of the diamond.
• You can compromise a bit on clarity as most diamonds contain imperfections which are not visible to the naked eye.
• Choose a diamond with its imperfections hidden deep in the stone or hidden by prongs or bezels.

   Diamond Carat refers to the size/weight of a diamond. A carat may also be displayed in points and 1 carat is divided into 100 points. Therefore, ¼ carat diamond is considered as 25 points and ½ carat diamond is considered as 50 points and so on. The diameter of a well-cut one carat round diamond is about 6.50 mm or .25 inches.

 Diamond Grading is a skill acquired through years of experience. There are various grading systems in place to define the color, cut and clarity of a diamond.

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Conflict Diamonds

We have adopted a zero tolerance policy towards Conflict or Blood Diamonds—which are rough diamonds used by rebel movements to finance wars against legitimate governments. The trade in these illicit stones has enhanced decades of devastating conflicts in countries such as Angola, Cote d'Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Sierra Leone.

In order to stem the flow of Conflict and Blood Diamonds, the United Nations has adopted a resolution in support of the The Kimberley Process  which is now a joint initiative between many international administrative bodies, national governments (including the United Sates), worldwide industry and civil society.

The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme  imposes extensive requirements on its members to enable them to certify shipments of rough diamonds as ‘conflict-free’. As of December 2010, the KP has 49 members, representing 75 countries, with the European Community and its Member States counting as an individual participant. Kimberly Process members account for approximately 99.8% of the global production of rough diamonds. The legal duties imposed by the United Sates Congress in 2003, requires all US diamond retailers to purchase diamonds from manufacturers who have documentation certifying that the merchandise was obtained through legitimate channels.

At Miller's Fine Jewelry, we only purchase diamonds through suppliers who, like us, proudly adhere to and enforce the standards established by the Kimberley Process. If one of our suppliers was unable to produce documentation certifying compliance with the Kimberly Process, we would immediately cease doing business with that supplier.

For further information, please read the White House Statement on the passage of this law or go to www.kimberleyprocess.com