Diamond Buying Guide

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FAULHABER DIAMONDS

Faulhaber diamonds are embodiment of precision and brilliance. Don Faulhaber's expertise is based on 40 years of diamond cutting translating into the captivating beauty of our diamonds. The quality is backed up with a certificate by the Gemological Institute of America and our personal guarantee of your complete satisfaction.

Each diamond possesses a unique combination of traits. To determine its value and rarity the industry measurements called the 4Cs are used. Each of 4Cs describes a diamond’s specific characteristics — Color, Clarity, Carat and Cut. The higher-graded a diamond is on these scales the more precious and rare it is.

COLOR

The perfect diamond is free of color or close to the point of being colorless. Each diamond is assigned a grade to a precise scale from «D» to «Z» which indicate absence of color to fully saturated respectively. Only diamonds of «J» level, near colorless, or higher are offered at Faulhaber.

CLARITY

The Diamond Clarity scale evaluates the presence of internal inclusions and visibility of external blemishes in a diamond under 10-power magnification and correlates directly to its value. The nature, size and position of imperfections determine a diamond’s grade on a scale of «Flawless» to visibly «Imperfect». Faulhaber offers diamonds above the «SI-1» clarity, which imperfections are not visible to the naked eye.

CUT

The cut determines the precision of a diamond’s shape and symmetry of its facets. The ideal cut allows maximum light transmission and sparkle which brings out a diamond’s beauty. The cut grade can range from Excellent to Poor. We don’t sacrifice perfection of the cut to enlarge the weight of a diamond. That is why Faulhaber exclusively offers diamonds of a «Very Good» and «Excellent» rating.

CARAT WEIGHT

Carat denotes the weight of the diamond. One carat equals 0.20 grams. Carat weight alone doesn’t add to value of a diamond unless clarity, color and cut are taken into consideration.

If you are based in San Diego, take advantage of a free consultation with Don Faulhaber, Master diamond cutter and jewelry designer, and learn how to choose a perfect diamond within your budget. 

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