a guide to earth’s rarest gem
A WORLD-CLASS TEAM OF DIAMOND SPECIALISTS
Clockwise, left to right: RONNIE WENNING Assistant Jewelry Buyer SCOTT MITCHELL Women’s Store Manager/Richards, GIA Certified in Diamonds & Colored Stones LAURIE PALLADINO Women’s Store Manager/Marshs, GIA Certified CHRIS MITCHELL Store Manager/Marshs, GIA Certified MICHELE ROMANO Diamond & Jewelry Specialist/Mitchells JAY HANNA Diamond, Watch & Jewelry Specialist/Mitchells, GIA Graduate Gemologist CLAIRE GLADSTONE Diamond & Jewelry Specialist/Mitchells, GIA Certified LESA JANKLOW Diamond & Jewelry Specialist/Richards PATRICIA KAYLOR Women’s Store Manager/Mitchells JENNIFER FARRINGTON Jewelry Buyer, GIA Certified in Diamonds & Colored Stones JACQUIE CARLINO Diamond & Jewelry Specialist/Marshs, GIA Certified Missing from photo: Naki Halepas Diamond and Jewelry Specialist/Richards
{ Building long-term relationships based on trust. } When it comes to meaningful purchases like diamonds, there is no substitute for working with people you know and trust. Since launching our diamond business in 1993, we have built a stellar team of diamond specialists, all with prior experience in the diamond industry. Most have been with us for many years. All share a passion for building relationships with customers and vendors alike. Many are GIA Certified, some with advanced degrees. We stand behind every piece of diamond jewelry we sell and look forward to helping you celebrate life’s most cherished moments with our diamonds.
K W I AT
AN EXQUISITE COLLECTION OF FINE DIAMOND JEWELRY handpicked for our customer...
GRAFF K W I AT LOUIS NEWMAN OSCAR HEYMAN FRED LEIGHTON K AT H L E E N D U G H I JEWELER
& more
HOW A DIAMOND GETS ITS SPARKLE
{ & what to look for when purchasing one. } A diamond’s legendary sparkle is created by how it refracts light. This is determined by several key characteristics, mainly clarity, color and cut. These, along with “carat” constitute “the 4 C’s,” the GIA’s internationally recognized standards for rating diamonds. When buying a diamond over one carat, it is important to request a document detailing the stone’s rating. This will not only help you compare diamonds more objectively, but these are important documents for insurance and resale. (Of course, the true sign of a diamond’s value is how fast your heart pounds when you put it on!)
star length table size crown angle
girdle total depth crown height
pavilion angle
lower girdle/half facet
pavilion depth
K W I AT
GRAFF
THE ESSENTIAL FOUR C’S
{ Assessing the quality of a diamond. } CARAT “Carat” is the easiest characteristic to assess as it is simply determined by the weight of a diamond. One carat is equal to .2 grams. Each carat is made up of 100 “points,” so a diamond that is “50 points” is .50 carats.
1.00 ct.
2.50 ct.
4.00 ct.
6.00 ct. all sizes are approximated
COLOR Diamonds (except “fancy” colored diamonds) are valued by “colorlessness” or their lack of color. Less color means higher value. At the high end, the scale begins with D (colorless) and continues through the alphabet, with increasing presence of color, to Z.
D
H
N
Z
CLARITY As a product of nature, most diamonds are born with birthmarks called “inclusions” (internal) and blemishes (external). The less marks a diamond has, the more valuable it is. Diamonds are given a clarity grade that ranges from Flawless (FL) to Imperfect (I3).
WS2
VS2
SI2
I
2
CUT “Cut” begins with a diamond’s shape, “round brilliant” being the most common. As a value factor, it refers to a diamond’s proportions, symmetry and polish. For round brilliants, the GIA rates cut from Excellent to Poor. We are proud to carry stones cut by some of the world’s most renowned diamond cutters.
Round
Asscher
Emerald
Oval
Marquise
Pear
Cushion
Princess
Heart
OSCAR HEYMAN
GRAFF
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FANCY DIAMONDS
{ Colorful, breathtaking and increasingly sought after. }
LOUIS NEWMAN
K AT H L E E N D U G H I J E W E L E R
PRECIOUS GEMSTONES
{ Set against diamonds to show off their dazzling color. }
FRED LEIGHTON
OSCAR HEYMAN
THE (NOT SO) BASICS
{ Hoops, studs and “Everyday to Red Carpet” essentials. }
CUSTOM SERVICES Creating precisely what you want. CUSTOM DESIGN As a full-service jeweler, we invite you to come in and design the piece of your dreams. Whether you bring in your own sketch or a photo you’ve fallen in love with, creating custom jewelry is an exciting collaborative process. You can even work with famed design studios such as Kwiat or Oscar Heyman to turn your what’s in your head into something on your neck... or wrist... or ears... or finger! RESETTING YOUR DIAMOND Let us breathe new life into a tired piece of jewelry with an updated setting. It’s the perfect way to turn a sentimental jewel you never wear into an exciting new favorite. TRADE-INS & UPGRADES If you have a diamond or heirloom gem that’s just sitting in the vault or jewelry box, why not trade it into something fabulous? We’ll be happy to give you an objective valuation that can help pave the way toward something you’ll adore!
Mitchells 670 Post Rd.. East Westport, CT 06880
Richards 359 Greenwich Ave. Greenwich, CT 06830
Marshs 270 Main St.. Huntington, NY 11743
Presorted Standard US Postage PAID MITCHELLS | RICHARDS | MARSHS
GRAFF mitchells.com