Diamonds for Aggierings
need good quality, price
By Susan Hopkins
Battalion Staff
Everyone knows diamonds
are precious gems, but few peo
ple know why. And with the
blooming of azaleas and the
chirruping of birds, wedding
engagements and “senioritis''
wifi undoubtedly inspire many
Aggies to make their first di
amond purchases this spring.
However, buyers should
know exactly what they want
and what to expect when they
begin searching for that "per
fect" stone to go in their ever
lasting Aggie or engagement
rings.
The diamond is the hardest
substance known to man, which
allows its many facets to have a
luster and precision cut unequal
to any other gemstone. It also
has a brilliance, which captures
and returns light to the human
eye in a shower of colors, called
fire.
However, the diamond's pre
ciousness stems not only from
its beauty and chemical com
position, but also from its rarity.
More diamonds are being pro
duced today than ever before.
but only one carat of rough di
amond will be recovered from
250 tons of diamond ore (called
blue ground) blasted in Africa.
With this rarity comes a natu
ral diversity of both quality and
price that every diamond pur
chaser should be aware of. Carat
weight, clarity, color and cut
(known as the "four C's") are
the qualities that determine the
price of each stone.
The weight of a diamond is
measured by the carat. There are
100 points in a carat — like cents
in a dollar — and 142 carats in
one ounce. Thus, a 45-point di
amond weighs a little less than
half a carat. The average size of
an engagement ring in the Un
ited States is about 47 points,
and since larger stones are more
Marquise
wmm
rare, they have a greater value
per carat.
Because they are products of
nature, most diamonds contain
small imperfections. If these in
clusions cannot be seen by the
naked eye, they have little effect
on a diamond's beauty, or the
way light passes through it.
Under Federal Trade Com
mission rules, a diamond can be
called flawless only when no im
perfections are visible to a
trained eye under 10-power
magnification in good light.
Jewelers will normally point out
any inclusions that may be in a
diamond you are considering.
Most "white" diamonds have
a slight tinge of color that adds
warmth to a stone's unique per
sonality. The best way to see the
true color of a diamond is to look
at the stone through its side
against a white background.
Although most diamonds are a
shade of white, they also come
in a variety of colors — pale yel
low, canary, pink, red, green,
blue and brown; these "fancies"
are valued for their depth of col
or, just as white diamonds are
valued for their lack of color.
Cut refers to both the make of
a diamond (the way the facets,
or sides, are arranged), and to its
shape. They are cut according to
an exact mathematical formula,
but for a diamond to have a per
fect make, the angles between
any two facets must be accurate
to within half of a degree. This
produces the greatest fire and
brilliance.
With a basic knowledge about
diamonds, a stone can be
selected (although the searching
is often a long and tiring pro
cess) that will best suit both the
quality and price needs of every
person.
Steve Austin, of Diamond
Brokers International, Inc., in
College Station, said special
prices are offered on stones for
Aggie rings. He said that 10- and
11-point diamonds, starting at
$100, are most popular for
VpjJ
Baguette
smaller $25 to $50 stones for
their more dainty Aggie rings.
Zales, in Manor East Mall,
sells 10-point diamonds for
mens' rings starting at $135,
while three- to five-points for
women start at $50. Teresa
Ramirez, assistant manager of
Zales, said the diamonds they
offer are full cut. They have 58
facets, or sides, which allows
more light to bounce from the
stones.
In contrast, some diamonds
put into Aggie rings by The Bal
four Company, by way of Texas
A&M University's registrar's
office, are single cuts, with far
fewer facets. Tnese and other di
amonds may be mounted in ex
isting class rings, or may be
ordered for less cost at the time a
ring is purchased from Balfour.
the perfect place for
a quiet Sunday
evening of dining
4 p.m.-12 a.m. Sunday
Happy Hour — 4:30-6:30 p.m.
(Mon.-Fri.)
woodstone commerce
—center =====
on hwy. 30
Focus, The Battalion r*
Thursday, March 12, 1981 3
Arizona goes hog-wild over calendars
TEMPE, Ariz. — Miss Piggy, take heart.
When the students of Arizona State University went crazy
over calendars this year, you and yours weren't left out.
First there was the traditional Pikeboy calendar, featuring
"The Girls of ASU" in seductive poses for this annual fraternity
project. It drew protests and cries of sexism.
Then there came the calendar "The Men of ASU," which was
an instant hit with women on campus.
But now, there's the ultimate. Three ASU students have come
up with "The Hogs of ASU," featuring shots of 12 local pigs. The
trio believes the pork-lovers calendar will outsell both of the
others. They've even included six males and six females to avoid
any claims of discrimination.
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