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ON BUYING A DIAMOND
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and Pique (meaning more than one bad spot in the
stone)
3rd Pique (meaning a severe defect in the stone)
That
isn't all there is to judging a diamond. If it is a matter of a flaw or
a matter of color the best thing to do is to avoid dark or dull days or
artificial light—although more will be said about that presently in
referring to statements of the American Gem Society. It is well to
remember that false color stones may command prices beyond their worth
unless real color is detected. Keep in mind that few even of the
highest-priced fancy blue gems are really blue in body color. In clear
sunlight on a bright dry day they may appear beautiful enough, but
placed under lights they seem overpowering in their gorgeousness.
There are a number of trade names for flaws. One, forv instance,
is the carbon or carbon spot. If a carbon spot shows to the unaided eye
you can be sure the diamond is not good. But if spots are few and
slight, it may be a very good stone and, if the color itself seems
fine, it well may be a better stone than a flawless one of bad color.
Some
diamonds have "cracks." They are detrimental because they bring the
reflection of light from the broken surface within the stone and thus
cause a loss or misdirection of light. Small cracks are called
"feathers," these usually being hardly noticeable, and therefore
unimportant so far as the general beauty of the stone is concerned. You
also may find "cavities," empty or filled with liquid or bubbles.
There is a belief that some are filled with carbon , dioxide gas, but
that is unimportant, even though they are the stones that are said to
burst. The number of "burst" stones, as remarked in a previous chapter,
is rare, so rare as to be almost newsworthy. "Naturals" refers to bits
of the
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