When Salespeople from Jewelry Stores tell customers that they can
identify their Diamond by the "
Plot", most customers get a glazed-over look. Some even nod.
Even though they might understand that a Plot is like a fingerprint to a Diamond, and that each and every fingerprint or Plot is unique, they still don't fully understand what a Plot is, and they surely don't understand the really big issue at heart here is...
How to read a Diamond Plot!
Knowing what a Diamond Plot is and transferring that into usable, meaningful data, can help you decide whether or not to purchase a Diamond. It's that good!
Rule of thumb: The less Inclusions or Marks drawn on the Plot, the better! Less marks means less Flaws, higher Clarity and higher Quality. (also more expensive!)
So let's break it all down for you the easy way! A plot is a Top-Down view, or diagram of your Diamond with the Inclusions (both visible and microscopic) drawn on it.
That's the gist of a Plot. It's like a drawing of your fingerprint with all its lines, curves and indentations. It's the flaws of a Diamond drawn out.
Every Diamond (unless you have a Flawless) has Inclusions in them. These Inclusions are either visible to the naked eye (You can look at your Diamond and actually see the black spots, lines or clouds), or are only visible under 10x magnification (using a microscope or a Jeweler's Loupe).
It really is like identifying people. We all have moles, birthmarks, freckles, red spots, wrinkles and scars that identify us. You could look at millions of people and compare all those marks and never find any two people that are alike.
That's just like Diamonds. Unique in nature. And nature is far from perfect. That's one reason why grading Diamonds is so difficult. There is not an exact defining line that separates one Clarity group from another. How many Inclusions can a Clarity have? How big must they be? How visible? It makes grading them interesting and a matter of opinion.
Usually a Diamond is graded by at least 3 experts before a final grade is given to that Diamond. Even though the Inclusions in that Diamond remain the same, the Expert's Opinions on the grade may vary slightly. It's not an exact science.
So what does a Plot look like? Read on...
