Friedman's Jewelers
143 Stonebrook Place # F
Jackson, Tennessee 38305
(731) 660-4109

Jostens
219 Us Highway 45 W
Humboldt, Tennessee 38343
(731) 784-4795

efore you visit your selected Jeweler Learn a little about what will make your diamond choice the best for you and your special Bride to Be!

Four important factors that control a diamond's appearance and durability are often lumped together and called the Four Cs: diamond color, clarity, cut and carat weight. It's up to you to combine the Four Cs in different ways to find a diamond that suits your style, your needs and your budget.

Clarity is a term used to describe the absence or presence of flaws inside or on the surface of a diamond or other gemstone. Don't be concerned if the clarity of the diamond you choose is not near the top the scale, because those diamonds are rare — and expensive. Most are tiny imperfections that do not affect a diamond's brilliance

Color is another factor. A lettering system from D to Z is used to identify the amount of color present in each diamond, with D awarded only to rare, totally colorless diamonds. Natural colored diamonds come in all shades, hues and colors of the rainbow, with some of the most popular colors being shades and combinations of pink, blue, brown, yellow, orange, green and red.

The Cut Factor: Did you know that the term diamond cut does not refer to its shape? Sure, you have to cut a diamond to make it a shape, but when gemologists say "cut," they are talking about a diamond's proportions, such as its depth and width and the uniformity of its facets- all characteristics that control brilliance, durability and other features we look for in a diamond. A good cut is essential to a diamond's beauty, because even a diamond with outstanding color and clarity will not display the sparkle that diamonds are famous for if its components don't interact with light as they should.

Carat is the term used to express the weight of a diamond, with one carat equaling 200 milligrams of actual weight. Carat weight is used as a measure for other gemstones, but different gems of the same weight aren't necessarily the same size, because some gemstones are more dense than others--meaning that they pack more weight into a smaller space.

Diamond Shapes

Round Brilliant - Do not confuse with round. The round brilliant is the modern version of the round which has been refined for maximum shine. The round brilliant is by far the most popular and has the best angles for which to shine maximum brilliance.

Oval - Not as popular for solitaires, but very popular for three stone anniversary rings, with two matching diamonds on the sides.

Princess - A square cut diamond that has refractive properties almost near round brilliant. The princess is the preferred square cut shape over radiant.

Emerald - A more traditional shape, the emerald is not as popular as it used as it once was, but has an old world elegance to it.

Radiant - Popular before the princess shape was around, the radiant has more facets than a princess, but has the corners trimmed like the emerald shape. This shape is not widely popular.

Heart - Hard to find due to low demand, but some people prefer a heart shape diamond for sentimental purposes.

Marquise - Like the emerald, the marquise is a traditional shape. This is probably the fourth most popular shape behind the round, princess and oval.

Pear - Mostly used in pendants, the pear shape diamond is shaped in a tear drop shape and has fairly good proportions to refract light well.