| Brilliance: Diamond brilliance is defined as the reflection of the total bright white light from the facets of the diamond and is determined by the artistry of the cutting and polishing. Each facet must be cut and shaped with precision, and placed with perfect symmetry to maximize a diamond's potential for brilliance.
Clarity: Clarity is an indication of a diamond's purity. When a rough stone is extracted from carbon, deep beneath the earth, tiny traces of natural elements are almost always trapped inside. These elements are called inclusions, though sometimes referred to as birthmarks, because they are formed naturally and are unique to each stone. Skilled diamond artisans (diamantaires) painstakingly examine each rough stone to determine how to cut it in order to eliminate or reduce inclusions. Their goal is to craft a diamond of the highest clarity possible. Because most inclusions are not visible to the naked eye, a jeweler will use a magnifier known as a loupe to reveal a diamond's inclusions.
Color: Color is the natural body color visible in a diamond and is determined completely by nature, not man. As a rule, the closer a diamond is to colorless, the more valuable and beautiful it is. Diamond colors appear in a range . Color grades D, E and F are considered colorless, making them rare. However, even more rare than the colorless are the fancy colored diamonds. These diamonds are beyond the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) color scale. There are well defined colors that include pink, canary yellow, blue and green…highly priced, extremely rare, major showpieces.
Crown : The upper portion of a cut gemstone, which lies above the girdle. The crown consists of a table facet surrounded by either star and bezel facets (on round diamonds and most fancy cuts) or concentric rows of facets reaching from the table to the girdle (on emerald cuts and other step cuts).
Cut: People commonly refer to the shape of a diamond as the cut , but cut really is the craftsmanship applied in cutting the facets of the stone. The artisan attempts to cut a diamond to make the best use of light. When a diamond is cut to good proportions, light is refracted from one facet to another, then dispersed through the top of the diamond. When a diamond is cut too deep, some light escapes through the opposite side of the diamond. If the diamond is cut too shallow, light escapes through the bottom of the stone before it can be reflected. In addition, the facets must be placed with precise symmetry for maximum brilliance . Cut is perhaps the most important of the 4Cs to consider. A well cut diamond – regardless of its shape - sparkles, has more fire and offers the greatest brilliance .
Diamantaire: A highly skilled craftsman or artisan responsible for cutting, polishing and transforming a rough stone into a finished diamond ready for setting.
Eye clean: A term used in the jewelry industry to describe a diamond with no blemishes or inclusions that are visible to the naked eye (i.e. a human eye which is not aided by magnifying devices such as a jeweler's loupe or a microscope).
Facets: One of the smooth, flat polished surfaces cut on a diamond. Each facet is created by grinding the diamond on a horizontal blade as it spins with diamond dust and linseed oil, similar to the cutting blade. The facets allow light to both enter a diamond and reflect off its surface at different angles, creating the wonderful play of color and light for which diamonds are famous. |
Fancy shaped diamonds: Diamond shapes that are cut to be anything other than round are called fancy cut diamonds. Some of the best-known shapes other than round are Marquise diamonds , Pear shaped diamonds , Heart diamonds , Oval diamonds , and Princess cut diamonds .
Fire: Fire is best described as the flash of the different spectrum of colors seen in diamonds as a result of the diamond's ability to separate white light into the spectrum.
Fish eye: This is an image of a fish-eye that is actually a reflection just inside the table of girdle (on the opposite side). If the girdle is not polished and is thick, the effect looks like a BIG circular inclusion, and can be as bad as an I3 (P3). Fish-eyes are more apparent if the pavilion is shallow 39.5°, the table is large; the girdle is thick and not polished. Combinations of these factors worsen the effect.
Gem Ex Machine: GemEx Systems Inc., an independent laboratory, created a new device for measuring Return of Light known as a BrillianceScope™. The BrillianceScope uses five lighting angles to measure with precision and accuracy with which the light enters the stone and is then returned back.
Girdle: The actual circumference of the diamond itself – that is, the outer edge or outline of the diamond's shape. The girdle is not graded, but rather it is described by its appearance at its thinnest and thickest points. The descriptions of girdle thickness range as follows: extremely thin; thin; medium; slightly thick; thick; extremely thick. While it is less desirable for a round diamond to display an extremely thin or extremely thick girdle, these unusual widths are more common and acceptable in fancy shapes.
Grading : Grading is an evaluation by an independent gemological laboratory of a diamond's individual attributes (carat weight, cut, color and clarity) to determine the value of the stone . Diamond certification is the written proof of a diamond's attributes and includes the grading report. Certification provides the information you need to assess a diamond's fair market value . It also allows you to make an intelligent comparison with other diamonds either in the same jewelry store or in another. Diamond certificates are issued by independent gemological laboratories. There are several grading laboratories, the most prominent being: the International Gemological Institute (IGI); the Gemological Institute of America (GIA); the American Gem Society (AGS); the European Gemological Laboratories (EGL) and GemEx Systems.
Loupe: Because most inclusions are not visible to the naked eye, a jeweler will use a magnifier known as a loupe to reveal a diamond's inclusions.
Make: A diamond's cut is also referred to by jewelers as a diamond's “make.” The cut determines how well the diamond cutter has fashioned the proportions, symmetry, and finish (polish) on a diamond of any shape. Cut in this context can have a dramatic effect on the beauty and value of a diamond.
Modified brilliant : A modified brilliant is any round brilliant cut that has either more or fewer than 58 facets, or unusually placed faceting so that there is a “modification” of the traditional 58 facet round brilliant cut. |
Polish: Polish is the absence of minor blemishes, including scratches and abrasions.
A beautifully polished diamond provides maximum luster or light reflected from its surfaces. It is absent of minor blemishes, including scratches and abrasions.
Return of Light: Simply put, the Return of Light is the amount of light returned through the top of the diamond and directed to you. You may think of it as the sparkle or brightness of your diamond. Diamond brilliance is measured by Return of Light. Return of Light is the best measurement for a return on your diamond investment. Return of light is the amount of light returned through the top of the diamond and directed at the beholder. Applying recent advances in optical technology to diamonds, GemEx Systems Inc., an independent laboratory, created a new device for measuring Return of Light known as a BrillianceScope™. The BrillianceScope uses five lighting angles to measure with precision and accuracy how the light enters the stone and is then returned back.
Sarin Report: A Sarin Report is the printout of the measured diamond angles, recorded to the 1/100th of a percentage by a Sarin Machine. It measures diameter, crown angle, crown height, pavilion angle, pavilion depth, culet size, table size, total depth, and girdle thickness. This report allows the consumer to compare how well cut a diamond is in relation to the ideal cut proportions for a diamond.
Scintillation: Scintillation refers to the sparkling flashes seen as a diamond moves; a combination of brilliance and dispersion.
Shape: People commonly refer to the shape of a diamond as the cut ( round diamonds , princess cut diamonds , marquise diamonds , oval diamonds , pear shaped diamonds , emerald cut diamonds , radiant cut diamonds , heart diamonds and Asscher cut diamonds) .
Symmetry: Symmetry is the exactness of the shape and placement of the facets of a diamond. Each facet must be cut and shaped with precision, and placed with perfect symmetry . When the diamond cut is to good proportions , light is refracted from one facet to another, then dispersed (or returned) through the top of the diamond. If the faceting pattern is not perfectly symmetrical, light will not bounce correctly from facet to facet. The small variations can include misalignment of facets or facets that fail to point correctly to the girdle (this misalignment is completely undetectable to the naked eye). Symmetry is regarded as an indicator of the quality of as diamond's cut; it is graded as either Ideal, Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair or Poor. The perfect symmetry and placement of facets result in the diamond's fire, sparkle and brilliance.
Table: The flat facet on the top of the diamond. It is the largest facet on a cut diamond.
Visual impact : The unmeasured beauty of the stone – purely as it appears to the naked eye. The wow factor.
What are the 4 myths of diamond cuts? Before you buy a diamond, know what to look out for.
How to select the most beautiful diamond.
How diamonds are cut and why it matters.
Diamond certification - Know how to read a diamond certificate
See all the different diamond shapes and find out which one she would prefer. |
