Wallace Jewelers

Wallace Jewelers is celebrating our 50th year of providing the finest

jewelry designs, repair, appraisal, and customer service.  This page is

dedicated to the care and cleaning of your Diamonds and Pearls. 

Understanding how to clean and store these precious gems will

add many decades to the enjoyment of ownership.

Understanding Diamonds

When shopping for diamonds it is important to understand that there are four characteristics that you should look for: carat weight, color, clarity and cut.  Here is a guide of the 4 C's to help you.

    Carat:  A diamond's size is measured in carat weight.  Each carat is made of 100 points just as there are 100 pennies to a dollar.  Certain sizes are sought after marks, such as a 0.75 points-which is the same as a 3/4 carat diamond.

    Color:  Diamonds are graded by color, starting at D and moving through the alphabet to Z.  Evaluating a diamond's color for grading purposes is done by measuring the degree to which a diamond's color approaches colorlessnes.  When searching for a "ring quality" diamond, we suggest that you keep the color within D-I ranges for a pleasing look.

    Clarity: Clarity refers to the internal characteristics of the diamond.  With fewer numbers of inclusions, the diamond will be able to show greater brilliance.  Virtually all natural diamonds contain some identifying characteristics (inclusions), most of which cannot be seen by the untrained and/or unaided eye.  Jeweler's grade diamonds with a 10X magnifying loupe or a microscope.  The number, color, type, size, and position of inclusions affect the diamond's appearance and value.  Some very rare diamonds may be Flawless or Internally Flawless, however, most have some form of birthmark.  These are graded from VVS (very very small inclusions) to I (included).  Most times when looking for a "ring quality"  diamond we suggest anywhere from VVS-SI clarities.

    Cut:  A well cut or faceted diamond, regardless of its shape, scintillates with fire and light-offering the greatest brilliance.  When cut to good proportions, light will reflect from one facet to another and disperse through the top of the stone, resulting in a beautiful display of brilliance and fire.