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SECTION 2 - PAGE If - SUPPLEMENT TO McHENRY PLAINDEALER - TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 1976 Timeless tradition . .. > Christmas diamond:perfect gift of love Christmas Is the time when most girls receive their diamond engagement ring -s and, receiving a diamond for engagement Is a tradition that dates back almost 500 years. " On August 14,1477, Max­ imilian of Austria gave Mary of Burgundy the first diamond engagement ring -- and thus a tradi­ tion was born! Today, four out of five brides-to-be receive dia­ mond rings to seal their engagement. However, un­ like Max of Austria who surprised Mary with a ring, most young couples today shop for the ring together, making It a shar­ ed experience. And, it is a wise well- informed young couple who educate themselves about diamonds before making that all-impor­ tant purchase today. In recent years, the price of diamonds has increased along with everything else, and in today's economy, young men should expect to pay more than their older brothers did in past , years. In choosing a diamond engagement ring, keep in mind that it is the dia­ mond that is forever -- not the mounting into which the diamond is set. If you choose a heavy or wide gold band, you will be getting less diamond, as a greater proportion of the price is going into paying for the band. The thinner and simpler the setting of the ring, the larger or better quality diamond you can expect to buy for your money. For example, a good quality half-carat diamond ring costs $600 and up today. What should you know about diamonds if you plan to buy one this Christmas? How can you be sure of receiving good value for your money? First, educate yourself by knowing something about diamonds. No two diamonds in the world are the same. Each diamond has a personality of its own. That's why prices vary. Even two diamonds of the same size have dif­ ferent qualities of color, clarity and brilliance, and each will be priced differ­ ently. The larger the diamond, the scarcer it Is -- and the higher its price per carat. For example, a two-carat stone costs much more than twice as much as a one-carat stone of the same quality. Second, when you're ready to choose your dia­ mond, the man to see is a reliable jeweler. He's the diamond expert. Let him explain the differences in carat weight, clarity, color and cut that determines the price of each stone. CARAT, the first Of the Four C's, is the unit of weight for diamonds. A carat is equal to 200 milli­ grams, and there are 142 carats in the avoirdupois ounce. The carat is further di­ vided into 100 "points," CHRISTMAS IS THE TIME when most girls receive their diamond engagement ring -- and, receiving a diamond for engagement is a tradition that dates back almost 500 years. The round, or brilliant-cut diamond (shown here) is the most popular choice of about-to-be-engaged couples. Other shapes are the oval, marquise, pear, emerald-cut, heart- shape, and the star-cut, the newest shape. like the cents in a dollar. A 45-point diamond weighs a little less than half a carat. (The average size of an engagement ring in this country is about 47 points.) COLOR is an important factor in determining the price, for diamonds are priced in relation to the intensity of their color, their brilliance and their clarity. And diamonds WiJiinq ijou a OoCMy full of and txtasux&i! aMccJfcmy 2^xaficxy & Caxfiet do. 20% DISCOUNT on different gift items each week November 22 thru 27 -- Table Linens and Bedspreads November 29 thru Dec. 4 -- Towels and Bath Accessories December 6 thru 11 -- Pillows and Bed Rests December 12 thru 18 -- Shower Drapes and Rugs December 19 thru 24 -- ANY ITEM IN STOCK <Mc$e>iviy ¥ 1253 N. Green St. McHenry, III. 60050 385-7531 • come in all colors of the spectrum. Most diamonds describ­ ed as white are nearly colorless but have a slight tinge of color. This color adds warmth to each dia­ mond's unique "personal­ ity." Completely colorless, icy-white diamonds are very rare and are priced accordingly. White diamonds with a tinge of blue -- known as "blue-white" -- are rarer still -- perhaps one in many hundred thousands. The variations in color are often so slight they can be detected only by an expert under special lights. The best way to see the true color of a diamond is to look at the stone through its side against a white background. CLARITY. Most dia­ monds contain natural imperfections -- spots, bubbles or lines included in the stone when it was crystallized from carbon millions of years ago. Where such "inclusions" do not interfere materially with the passage of light through the stone, they do not affect Its beauty. How­ ever, the fewer inclusions in a diamond, the more valuable it is. A "flawless" diamond -- one that shows no Imper­ fections to a trained eye using 10-power magnifica­ tion -- is very rare. Many people believe that a dia­ mond which is not flawless must have flaws or weak­ nesses. Inclusions are im­ perfections, but they are not necessarily weaknesses. A diamond does not have to be flawless to be beau­ tiful. in a sense, the Inclu­ sions in a diamond are its fingerprints, and like fin­ gerprints, no two are alike. CUT. This refers both to the make of a diamond, or the way the facets are arranged, and to its shape. Diamonds are cut ac­ cording to an exact math­ ematical formula that places the facets (or sur­ faces) of the diamond in precise relations to each other. The standard dia­ mond cut has 58 facets. For a diamond to have a perfect make, the angles between any two facets must be accurate to with­ in half a degree. This will produce the greatest fire and brilliance. Anything less reduces both the beau­ ty and value of a diamond. "Cut" also refers to the shape of the finished dia­ mond. The round (or "bril­ liant" cut) is the most popular of all the shapes. The oval Is an elongated round. The marquise Is an oval with points at both ends, and the pear-shape is round at one end and pointed at the other. The heart-shape Is a pear-shape with a notch in the round end. The emerald-cut is rectangu­ lar, with facets on the sides and ends and across the corners. And recently, a new shape has been developed -- the star- shape with either 5 or 6 points. The more you know about a diamond, the more you will appreciate yours-- for each diamond is a work of art, nature's original.