The brilliance and sparkle of a diamond is the result of the reflection and refraction of light within a diamond and is the cumulative effect of the many facets on the surface of the three-dimensional diamond shape. What makes judging cut difficult is that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Different people perceive the beauty of a diamond differently in terms of what they perceive as beautiful.

In recent years, major diamond grading laboratories like the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and the American Gem Society (AGS) have established cut grades to help the consumer make better decisions for purchasing diamonds based on cut characteristics. However, the cut grading systems are different from each other and constantly changing. As a result, there is no single official cut grade but the current systems are a giant leap ahead of the past with no cut grades.

The quality of the cut is most visible in terms of how light performs in a diamond to produce Brightness, Fire, and Scintillation.

Brightness is the visual effect of all the internal and external reflections of white light. This brightness (also known as brilliance) results primarily from the angles of the facets and the relative size of the top facet called the table.

Fire is the visual effect of rainbow colored flashes of light caused by the separation of white light into various colors when the diamond acts as a prism.

Scintillation is the visual effect of sparkle and patterns of light and darkness. Sparkle is the points of light that flash as the diamond, the light source or the observer moves. The arrangement and contrast between the bright and dark areas is important to what the eye perceives as beautiful. An all-bright diamond or an all-dark diamond is less attractive than a diamond with a balanced, symmetrical and contrasting pattern of reflection.

Some of the more important diamond measurements influencing the cut grade are depth percentage, table percentage, crown angle, and pavilion angle. The initial cut grade research focused on round brilliant diamond shapes but the grading laboratories are slowly introducing cut grades for the fancy shapes like the princess, emerald, oval, radiant, cushion and others. Each diamond shape has its own set of cut parameters that produce the optimal light performance and beauty for that particular diamond shape.

If the cut of the diamond is the key to its beauty, why would anyone purchase a diamond without great cut? Probably the main reason is lack of knowledge by the consumer. Until recent years, it has been difficult for the consumer to assess the cut of the diamond because jewelers focused on color, clarity and carat weight. The jeweler used the bright lights in the showroom to mask the light performance of the diamond. As the diamond shopper becomes more aware of what constitutes cut and has access to the GIA or AGS cut grades on the diamond grading reports, they will be able to filter out the average and poor cut diamonds in their purchase decisions.

Sometimes budget is a factor in purchasing something less than the best cut. However, cut is typically a real bargain since there is little visual difference between the top echelons of diamond cut and the price difference between average and exceptional cut is often minimal. Perhaps the real cost of getting better cut in a diamond, is the time and effort to learn about cut and to find a retailer who can provide diamonds with exceptional cut at reasonable prices.

Once a diamond shopper has determined what shape of diamond they want to purchase, they need to research what cut parameters contribute to desirable appearance. Some diamond shoppers fall into a trap of narrowly defining their acceptable range for every diamond measurement, not realizing that the beauty of the diamond results from the interrelationships of all the facets. Simply picking the middle of the range for each parameter can lead to a mediocre result. The cut grades are an attempt to rate how a combination of factors work together in the diamond.

Regardless of the cut grade systems today or in the future, only the diamond shopper can determine what is most appealing to their eye. Cut is critical to the beauty of the diamond so making the best diamond purchase decision means understanding the importance of cut and finding that special diamond that is beautiful to behold.

The Gemological Institute of America (GIA), the American Gem Society (AGS), and the International Gemological Institute (IGI) are the three most widely known and respected diamond grading laboratories in the world.  Each of the grading laboratories have developed a very similar nomenclature for identifying the 4 C’s of diamonds.  The 4 C’s stand for Carat, Color, Clarity, and Cut.  We will also discuss the Shape of diamonds in this article.

Carat Grading

The weight or size of a diamond is measured in carats.  A carat is 0.2 grams or 200 milligrams and is always referenced within 2 decimal points.  This is a highly accurate grading scale used to determine the weight or size of a diamond.

Color Grading

 D to Z 

All diamonds are compared against to an internationally accepted set of master stones and ranges from totally colorless (D) to pale yellow or brown color (Z).  Brown diamonds darker than K color are usually described using their letter grade, and a descriptive phrase, for example M Faint Brown.  Diamonds with more depth of color than Z color fall into the fancy color diamond range.

Color grades D through F are naturally the most valuable and expensive because of their rarity.  Color G through I will show virtually no visible color to the untrained eye.  Selecting the right jewelry to mount the diamond in can minimize color grade J through M.

The coloration of diamonds can be caused by several factors.  Impurities trapped in the diamond during its formation, the crystal lattice structure of the diamond, and the exposure to radiation can all lead to the wide verity of colors available in diamonds.

Clarity Grading

Clarity is determined by the number of blemishes on the surfaces of the diamond and the number of inclusions such as air bubbles, cracks, and foreign material inside of the diamond.  When both terms are being referenced the term defects is usually referenced.  Nature rarely produces anything that is with out defects and this hold true for diamonds.  Most diamonds will have some type of defect or flaw.

When grading the Clarity of a diamond it is necessary to observe the number and the nature of any internal defects in the stone.  The size and position of the defects are also taken into account.  A diamond is said to be Internally Flawless (I.F) when it presents no internal defects under 10x magnification by an experienced eye of laboratory gemologists.

A diamond is said to be Very Very Slightly included (V.V.S.1 to V.V.S.2) when it presents defects that are very difficult to locate under 10x magnification. A diamond is said to be Very Slightly Included (V.S.1 to V.S.2) when it presents defects that are difficult to locate under 10x magnification.

A diamond is said to be Slightly Included (S.I.1 to S.I.2) when it presents defects that are easy to locate under 10x magnification.

A diamond is said to be Imperfect (P.1 to I.1) when it presents defects that are hard to locate with the naked eye.

A diamond is said to be Imperfect (P.2 to I.2) when it presents defects that are easy to locate with the naked eye.

A diamond is said to be Imperfect (P.3 to I.3) when it presents defects that are very easy to locate with the naked eye.

Cut Grading

The symmetry and proportions of a diamond cut determine the life, brilliance and light dispersion.  If any of these cutting factors are below standard then the appearance of the diamond will be adversely affected.

The cut of a diamond has nothing to do with the shape of the diamond.  The cut refers to the diamond’s reflective qualities.  A good cut give the diamond it brilliance or the ability to handle light in a pleasing fashion.  The brightness will seem to come from the very heart of a diamond.

When a ray of light touches the surface of a diamond, part of the light is reflected back, this is external reflection.  The rest of the ray penetrates the stone and is then reflected toward the center of the diamond. This is known as refraction.  The ray of light is reflected to the surface, where it is seen as the colors of the spectrum. This is known as dispersion.

If light enters the diamond through to top or table and then leaks out from the sides or bottom instead of reflecting back to the eye, then the diamond will seen to have less brilliance and fire.  A diamonds cut is the most important of the four Cs.  If all of the rest of the grading scale is at the higher end of the spectrum and the cut has been utilized to maximize the size of the diamond then a very poor quality stone rill be the result.  Happily this trend in size instead of quality is no longer prevalent in the diamond market.  Today standard mathematical algorithms are used to determine the best cut for any shape diamond. Shape

The shape of diamond will fall into one of several standard categories but there are many variations on each standard categories.  Basic categories include Round, Emerald, Pear, Heart, Marquise, Oval, and Princess cuts.

 Round 

The standard for the diamond shape and is used in most engagement rings.

 Emerald 

Rectangular or square step cut with diagonally cut corners.  Usually has 2 to 4 rows of parallel facets to the center of the stone.  A very popular style of cut used for Emeralds hence the name.

 Pear 

Pear or teardrop in shape and may or may not have a large flat surface in the center of the stone.  This stone is usually cut to have about 56 to 58 facets.

 Heart 

Heart in shape and if a shield shaped cutlet is present (flat center) then it will usually have 32 crown facets.  If no culet is present then 24 pavilion facets is the norm.

 Marquise 

Oval in shape with curving sides and pointed ends and was developed in France in the mid 1700s.  May have been named after the Marquise de Pompador, who was a mistress of King Louis XV.

 Oval 

Oval in shape and covered with triangular facets.

 Princess 

Very popular square or modified rectangular shape.  There are many variations of crown and pavilion facets cuts on the market.

EDUCATE YOURSELF ABOUT DIAMONDS

This may sound like an obvious tip but it is very important to understand the differences between diamonds. All diamonds vary based on four characteristics that you should be aware of. They are commonly known as the 4 C’s:

CHOOSE THE RIGHT ONLINE RETAILER

Only buy from a reputable online retailer that only sells certified diamonds. The most common certifications are GIA and AGS. The certificate will ensure that you are getting the 4 Cs that the vendor advertised. You can research a certain online retailer’s reputation by looking at their reviews. For Canada, http://www.redflagdeals.com/deals/main.php/ratings/retailers/  provides an excellent source of reviews. Due to possible customs charges, outlandish shipping fees and possible legal warranties, it may be better to make the purchase from a retailer that is based in your country. It is also important to confirm that the vendor offers a 100% free 30 days return policy. That is the norm for good online retailers of certified diamonds. 

LAST MINUTE TIP

Finally, we always recommend making your purchase through a credit card. If you have problems with a retailer and have exhausted all possible recourses with the company, it may be possible to fall on your credit card company for assistance. For example, VISA and MasterCard both offer purchase and fraud protection for certain tiers of their credit cards. Consult your credit card issuer for actual terms of service and carefully read the insurance policies as some clauses exclude protection for jewelry.

Http://TheDiamondBuyingGuide.ca

Some of the most popular shapes are round, oval, princess, emerald, marquise, pear, heart, triangle and radiant. The cut of a polished diamond is the only human contribution to its beauty, fire and brilliance.

Because of its extraordinary ability to reflect light, the round brilliant diamond is the most popular shape today.

Cut determines amount of reflected light that exits through the top of a diamond. The better the cut, the more light exits through the top, the more brilliant and beautiful the diamond.

Is cut important? Many gemologists consider cut to be the most important diamond characteristic:

So, why don’t we hear more about cut? Diamond sellers prefer to talk about carat weight, color and clarity. That’s because those measures are relatively simple to explain:

Even the most reputable gemological laboratories try to avoid grading cut. In fact, only the AGS (American Gemological Society) has an established system for grading cut. Hopefully, the GIA, EGL, UGL will follow their lead.

How is cut graded? First, let’s look at the parts of a diamond that are considered when evaluating cut:

Diameterthe width of the diamond as measured through the girdleTablethe largest facet of a diamondCrownthe top portion of the diamond; the crown extends from the girdle to the tableGirdlethe narrow band around the widest part of the diamond; the girdle separates the crown from the pavilionPavilionthe bottom portion of the diamond; the pavilion extends from the girdle to the culetCuletthe facet at the tip of the diamond; diamonds of excellent cut have culets that are invisible to the naked eyeDepththe height of the diamond; depth is measured from the table to the culetTo determine the diamond’s cut grade:

The symmetry of the diamond is evaluated The final cut grade of the diamond is determined by its weakest component. For example, an ‘extremely thin’ girdle will result in a poor cut grade, even if every other measurement is ideal.

Remember: Only about 3% of polished diamonds are ideal cuts. They are exquisite and rare gems that reflect back 96% or more of the light that enters through the table.

No other diamond characteristic has so much impact on price!

To see a different types of diamond cuts please visit http://www.diamondswest.com

As a consumer, you face some unique challenges when trying to get the best price for your diamond in a safe and comfortable manner. Your starting point is to know exactly what you are selling. This is much easier if the diamond has a grading report from a major laboratory like the GIA or AGS. You have more of a challenge if there is no formal grading report. In this case, you need to find an independent appraiser who can evaluate the diamond and determine its quality and potential value.

Once you know your diamond’s specifications, you can find the current retail asking price by checking with online retailers to see what similar diamonds are selling for in today’s retail market. It is unlikely you will be able to get the going retail price for your diamond. Selling your diamond at 80% to 90% of that amount would make it sell quicker. Be realistic about your expectations. The lowest cost online retailers, not the expensive jewelry stores with double the price, set the value of your diamond.

You now know your target price and simply have to figure out how to find the right buyer for your diamond. There are several options available to sell your diamond and you need to determine which is best for maximizing your money and safety while minimizing your time and effort.

Your first thought might be to go to the closest jewelry store or pawnshop and sell them the diamond. The key to remember here is that they do not need your diamond. They can get all the diamonds they want on the wholesale market. The only reason they will buy your diamond is if the price is a fraction of the wholesale price. They hope you need the money bad enough to take 25%-50% of what you could be getting for your diamond elsewhere. They might offer you a little more if you “trade up” to something in their display case. However, this often results in you paying more for the new diamond and receiving less for your diamond than if you sold it elsewhere.

Several online brokers specialize in buying diamonds and estate jewelry from consumers. They typically have you ship the diamond to them so they can determine the amount they will pay you. All too often, this amount is much less than their preliminary estimate so you must either pay the return shipping, or accept their price. If your main priority is getting money fast, this is a valid option. If your main priority is getting top dollar for your diamond, there are better selling methods available to you.

Auctions like eBay are very popular for selling jewelry items but there is so much low quality jewelry listed, it is hard for potential buyer to find your quality diamond. You are competing with jewelry retailers whose entire business is selling on eBay so they are experts at writing the descriptions (often with exaggerated quality), taking impressive pictures and shipping their items. Even if a bidder does find your item, the odds of getting your target price are slim to nil because other retailers are advertising items with similar descriptions for about half the amount you want. Notice I did not say they are advertising similar quality, just similar descriptions. Do a search for diamond rings with GIA grading reports and you will see the vast majority of diamond rings have paperwork from sources you have never heard of before.

Other effective ways to find a buyer are classified ads in local newspapers and bulletin boards at church or work. The challenge is reaching enough people to find at least one buyer willing to pay your price. You have to be careful when doing this kind of transaction, especially if selling to a stranger. Do the transaction in a safe place and be sure you have a valid form of payment. You do not want to hand over your diamond and end up with a phony cashiers check or bad personal check.

Some jewelry stores and online retailers will sell your diamond on consignment. Online retailers with a local presence have an advantage in that they have large numbers of diamond shoppers on their website plus walk in traffic that can see your diamond in person. They also have lower overhead and prices so you can get a bigger share of the selling price. With jewelry stores often marking up prices over 100%, your share is likely to be less than half of the selling price.

Just be sure to get a written description of the item you are giving on consignment and the minimum amount you will accept for your diamond. All too often sellers are not being able to get their jewelry items back from a store or only receive a fraction of the amount they expected from the sale. However, if you have patience and a low priced, trustworthy retailer to broker your diamond, you have an excellent chance of getting an excellent price for your diamond without the hassle and safety issues of selling it yourself.

As a status symbol big diamonds have no equal.  It shows that you have the ability to spend an extravagant amount of money on jewelry.  When not being displayed these beautiful gems are hidden away in secure locations and rarely see the light of day.  When was the last time you have seen the Esther Williams famous Champagne diamond ring or the Taylor Burton pear shaped diamond?

 Esthers Diamond 

Finding a good jeweler is the first step you need to take when purchasing any jewelry item.  It is also necessary to do some research on the grading system of diamonds.  Many good article are available on the internet to assist you in understanding the 4 C’s of diamond grading.  After you have learned the fundamentals your jeweler can clarify your understanding.

The American Gem Society (AGS), the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), and the International Gemological Institute (IGI) are the three most widely known and respected diamond grading laboratories in the world and each of them has developed a very similar nomenclature for identifying the 4 C’s of diamonds.  The 4 C’s stand for Carat, Color, Clarity, Cut and I like to add shape to the 4 C’s list.

The first of the 4 C’s is the Carat.  A carat is 0.2 grams or 200 milligrams and is always referenced within 2 decimal points. For example the the Golden Jubilee is considered the largest faceted diamond in the world and weighs in at 545.67 carts.  The Taylor-Burton diamond is 69.42 carats.  This is a highly accurate grading scale used to determine the weight or size of a diamond but it does not apply a value to the diamond.

Color Grading

 D to Z 

The next thing you need to look at when purchasing a diamond is the color of the diamond.  A white diamond is not white but clear in color.  Different colors in diamonds are produced because of impurities trapped in the diamond during the formation process.  Since nature rarely create anything pure many diamond will have show some color to the naked eye.  Color range from totally colorless (D) to a pale color (Z).  Diamonds of a higher grade than (Z) fall into the fancy color diamond range.  A diamond with a color range greater that (K) usually have a descriptive phrase such as grade (M) Faint Brown.

 White Diamond 

White diamonds are usually more expensive because of their rarity, D through F, but some diamonds in the fancy color range can command a very high per-caret price.  Pink diamonds have sold for up to $1,000,000 a carat.  The largest Fancy Vivid Pink diamond is the The Steinmetz Pink Diamond and is 59.60 carats in weight.

Clarity Grading is the third factor in determining the quality of a diamond.  This grading requires education and years of practice for a gemologists to master.  The number and nature of the defects in a diamond is taken into account when applying the clarity grading code.  Basically the diamond is looked at with the naked eye and under a 10X magnification lens.

Internally Flawless (I.F) when it presents no internal defects under 10x magnification.

Very slightly included (V.V.S.1 to V.V.S.2) when it presents defects that are very difficult to locate under 10x magnification.

Slightly Included (S.I.1 to S.I.2) when it presents defects that are easy to locate under 10x magnification.

Imperfect (P.1 to I.1) when it presents defects that are hard to locate with the naked eye.

Imperfect (P.2 to I.2) when it presents defects that are easy to locate with the naked eye.

Imperfect (P.3 to I.3) when it presents defects that are very easy to locate with the naked eye.

Next is the cut of the diamond and the cut has nothing to do with the shape of the diamond.  The proportions and symmetry of the diamond cut determines the light dispersion, brilliance or life of the diamond.  If the diamond’s reflective qualities are below standard then the appearance of the diamond will be adversely affected.  Many of the diamond cut over a couple hundred years ago were cut to maximize the carat weight with little regard to the diamond’s reflective qualities.  Many of the older stones have been recut to increase its brilliance.  A good cut give the diamond it brilliance or the ability to handle light in a pleasing fashion.  The brightness will seem to come from the very heart of a diamond.

 American Star 

In 2001 the EightStar company of California wanted to prove that optical perfection of the round brilliant diamonds could be obtained by using an exclusive light-tracking instrument called a FireScope which allows a diamond cutter to align facets so precisely that the flow of light into and out of a diamonds can be completely controlled.  The American Star as slowly cut from 14.89 to 13.42 carats over a six-week period.  Cutting the diamond for maximum light output and not size increased the beauty of the American Star and many of the older diamonds have gone through a recut.

There are several standard categories for the shape of the diamond but there are many variations on each standard categories.  Basic categories include Round, Emerald, Pear, Heart, Marquise, Oval, and Princess cuts.

The final shape of the raw diamond us usually determined by the imperfections found in the diamond.  Many imperfectsions can be remove or hidden by and experienced jeweler in mounting the diamond in the final jewelry piece and by the proper cut of the diamond.

 D to Z 

Color grading scales used by the internationally recognized laboratories (GIA & IGI for example), ranges from totally colorless (D) to pale yellow or brown color (Z).  Brown diamonds darker than K color are usually described using their letter grade, and a descriptive phrase, for example M Faint Brown.  Diamonds with more depth of color than Z color fall into the fancy color diamond range.

The coloration of diamonds can be caused by several factors.  Impurities trapped in the diamond during its formation, the crystal lattice structure of the diamond, and the exposure to radiation can all lead to the wide verity of colors available in diamonds.

 Yellow Diamonds 

Yellow diamonds are colored because of the impurities that are trapped inside diamonds when they are created.  If a few of the millions of carbon atoms have been replaced by nitrogen atoms, then structure of the diamond will not be significantly altered but the clarity will be changed.  The amount of color displayed is dependent on the amount of nitrogen involved.

When we see color it is because the object we are looking at reflected a specific wavelength of the light spectrum.  A good example of this is a yellow flower.  The flower absorbs all of the light except the yellow light, which is reflected by the yellow flower.

 Blue Heart Diamond 

In the case of a blue colored diamond some of the nitrogen has been replaced by Boron.  Boron will reflect the blue wavelength of the light spectrum.  The higher the concentration of boron the more color will be showed.  At a level of one or a few boron atoms for every million-carbon atom, an attractive blue color results.

 Graff Pink Supreme Diamond 

The pink diamonds comes in shades ranging from a pastel rose, such as the Pink Orchid to intense purple-reds of the Moussaieff Red, and the price is determined by the intensity of the color.  Pink diamonds have sold for up to $1,000,000 a carat.  Unlike the Type I diamonds that derived their color from impurities embedded in the diamond, Pink diamonds are considered a Type II and get their color from a process known as Plastic Deformation.

Type II diamonds have very few if any nitrogen impurities in them.  They get their coloration due to structural anomalies caused by Plastic Deformation during the crystal growth.  The intense pressure changes the lattice structure of diamonds and has led to the formation of Pink, and Red colored diamonds.

 Green Diamond 

A natural diamond coming into contact with a radioactive source at some point during its lifetime causes some diamonds to develop a green coloration.  The time required may be as much as a million years or longer.  Green diamonds of this nature are very unique.

The most common form of irradiation diamonds comes from alpha particles found in uranium compounds or from percolating groundwater.  Green spots on the surface of the diamonds or a thin green film may develop on the skin of the diamond after long exposure to these particles.  Many times this green coloration will be removed during the cutting or faceting process.

Bombardment by beta and gamma rays will color the diamond to a greater depth and in some rare case turn the entire stone green.  Heating to temperature to just below 600 degrees Celsius can sometimes also cause a diamond to develop a green ting.  Higher temperature may turn the stone to a less desirable yellow or brown color.

 Black Diamond 

Black diamonds are found only in Brazil and the Central African Republic.  Approximately 600 tons of conventional diamonds have been mined, traded, polished since 1900. But not a single black diamond has been discovered in the world’s mining fields.  The geological settings where diamonds are found or mined are virtually identical with the one exception, the Black Diamond.

Black diamonds have been found to contain trace elements of nitrogen and hydrogen.  The study published in 2006 analyzed the hydrogen in black diamond samples using infrared-detection instruments and found that the quantity indicated that the mineral formed in a supernova explosion prior to the formation of the Solar System.  These diamonds were formed by carbon-rich cosmic dust in an environment near carbon stars. The diamonds were incorporated into solid bodies that subsequently fell to Earth as meteorites.