My Pink Diamonds

The phrase ‘too good to be true’ can be applied to everything in life, including diamond jewelry.  If you find a  engagement ring or bridal ring, or see signs for wholesale diamond rings, be sure that the seller isn’t cutting their price by cutting quality.  While there are excusive retailers who can offer you genuine designer diamond rings and other natural diamond jewelry at a great price, many offer low prices because they are using enhanced diamonds.

 

Unlike high quality natural diamonds, enhanced diamonds are inferior stones that have been artificially treated to hide cracks, repair ugly inclusions and improve their color.  These treatments are unnerving by any standard and include laser drilling and boiling in sulfuric acid to remove black or dirty inclusions, exposure to radiation to enhance or change the stone’s color, placing the diamond in extreme heat and pressure to improve clarity, using a sealant to hid cracks and pits in the diamond, and being coated with a substance to add a reflective effect.

 

While all of these treatments can result in a gemstone that is cheaper than a natural diamond, don’t be fooled.  Enhanced diamonds cost less because they are lower quality, and therefore less valuable.  In fact, there is heated debate in the jewelry industry about the use of treatments to enhance diamonds, as it can make stones difficult to grade and certify accurately. 

 

Under US law, all enhanced diamonds must be declared and sold as such.  One of the most common practices to enhance diamonds that must be declared is laser drilling to dissolve inclusions to improve clarity.  These holes are clearly visible under a jeweler’s microscope and it is debated whether or not this process damages the integrity of stone.  

 

The GIA (Gemological Institute of America) is the leading organization in studying and grading diamonds and all other gemstones, and they also require that all diamonds that have been laser drilled must be disclosed as enhanced.  When buying diamond jewelry make sure it comes with a clear appraisal that discloses full information about each stone.

 

 If clear information about stone enhancements is not immediately available, or a customer service rep does not want to talk about this process openly then walk away and look elsewhere for a natural, high quality diamond.

 

Unfortunately, just because a diamond has not been laser drilled does not mean that it hasn’t been subjected to other enhancement treatments such as a being boiled in sulfuric acid.  Most inferior stones actually have fractures that extend to the surface from inclusions deep in the stone that allow the acid to travel into the inclusion without holes being bored.

 

Would you consider buying a diamond ring if you knew the diamond had been immersed in sulfuric acid?  Or buy a diamond bracelet that had been exposed to radiation? Would you buy any kind of gemstone jewelry that you knew had cracks that had to be filled with a sealant?

 

The GIA has announced that new treatments to artificially enhance diamonds are being developed all the time, making it more difficult for customers to identify and buy a genuine, natural diamond.  They have reported finding diamonds being sold with “an uneven texture with abundant fractures” and “unevenness in their color” although they couldn’t identify what techniques had been used to treat the stone.  Another report noted that High Press/ Heat Treated (HPHT) annealing of diamonds is “one of the most serious challenges the diamond industry has ever faced”

 

This worrying trend makes it even more important to only buy diamond jewelry from a source that you trust, and who are dedicated to only creating designer diamond jewelry using the highest quality, natural diamonds.  Look for sites that advertise that they don’t use enhanced diamonds, and have clear certification for all of their diamond jewelry from

 

While enhancements may not be visible to the naked eye, they will certainly be visible to a trained jeweler or appraiser.  While you may not be immediately concerned about the resale price of your diamond bracelet, engagement ring or gold diamond ring,  any valuable piece of diamond jewelry is an investment in the future, and you will certainly want to make sure that any jewelry passed down from generation to generation is the highest value that it can be.

 

 

 

The issue of diamond certificates is one discussed in dept in many articles, but the significance of this document is in many instances grossly overrated, pushing customers to overspend or make unfavorable choice. In this article I will state my opinion, based on more than 18 years of experience with diamonds including working with, quoting and examining this gem, as part of my full time job. I would like to stipulate that this opinion is based on my own experience and clarity on the matter, rather than scientific research or stringent statistics and should be perceived as suggested guidelines and not as sole source of information.

How important really is the diamond report or certificate?

First point to come in mind is that the certificate is an expert’s assurance that we got what we paid for. If this assurance is to have any weight, it must come from 3rd party, independent expert with the necessary credentials. It must not come from an expert, employed by the selling company or in the form of evaluation, from a rival company, offering you a better deal. The certificate has as much credibility as the company you are buying it from. Even AGS or GIA certificates become useless pieces of paper if they come with the wrong diamond, so before you start pondering the choice between two similar stones with GIA and EGL certificates, checkup the merchant’s credentials.

Second point is that the certificate is assurance of the investment value of your diamond in future, and this is where the borders are starting to blur. Anything bought with investment in mind, should have a reasonable increase in value in time in order to be sold with profit. Although diamonds generally have steady growth due to proper managing of the market, only certain sizes and qualities have reasonable investment merit. Extensive statistics are not the purpose of this article and are available for those who want to know more. Here, it will suffice to say that the diamond with investment quality should be in the very rare to extremely rare category, which calls for sizes of 3 (better 4) carat up and quality of F-VS1 and better. So, is 1.5 carat H-SI1 diamond not an investment? A Diamond is an investment in beauty and pride of ownership, but not an investment upon which one can reasonably expect to make a profit. Remember, that when you buy, someone is making a profit. A profit, which your diamond has first to cover with its value growth before you are legible for any profit, and for 1.5 carat H-SI1, although a beautiful stone, this is not going to happened in the near future.

The third point of reference is the purpose of the diamond. While the industrial diamonds (natural and synthetic) have plenty of useful applications, the only purpose of the jewelry diamond is to be beautiful.  I cannot help it but to refer to the following paragraph by the psychologist Satoshi Kanazawa :  “Of course, diamonds and flowers are beautiful, but they are beautiful precisely because they are expensive and lack intrinsic value, which is why it is mostly women who think flowers and diamonds are beautiful. Their beauty lies in their inherent uselessness; this is why Volvos and potatoes are not beautiful”.  It makes sense then to choose a diamond for its foremost purpose – its beauty, and for this, your best advisor is your eye. The modern diamond buyer, presented with extensive highly specialized information, is trying hard to single out the best deal, comparing crown angles, pavilion angles and other proportions, often forgetting that he/she is buying a diamond and not a certificate.

Back to the issue of the certificates. If you agree, even partly to the above mentioned three points of reference, you are close to achieving clarity on what the importance of diamond certificate is to you.

For me, the certificate of pedigree origin (AGS, GIA) is an important issue when it comes to investment quality diamond. For anything less, a good origin certificate is a bonus, as long as it does not add up to the price, otherwise EGL or the likes will do perfectly well. Recently I have read a forum discussion, where a woman was asking for an advice in order to make the right choice between two diamonds with seemingly identical characteristics. The one was GIA and the other EGL certified. With a difference in the price of almost 30% she was still in doubt. Different experts pointed out that with such a vast difference there should be something wrong with the cheaper one. No one considered, that may be the expensive one was overpriced because of its certificate origin. Let me put this different way. If the two stones are graded the same color, clarity and cut, how much of “generosity” in the grading of the one stone will command a price difference of 30%?

Now, to convert this information into practical advice:

The diamond report is an important document for any diamond over 0.30ct as a document of authenticity, treatment disclosure and for insurance purposes. The credibility of the diamond merchant is more important than the certificate origin and is good to be addressed in respective order. Do not expect to be able to sale your diamond for the price you bought it for any time soon, especially if it does not fit in the investment diamond category. Bearing this in mind spend your budget on parameters that really counts, like size, color and good make (cut) rather than invisible ones like clarity higher than VS1, Ideal crown angle or pedigree certificate.  Try to detach your choice from too many technical details and see if you can choose with your eyes. I will encourage you to make the following test. Go to a local jeweler and ask to see few diamonds with similar weight, without knowing the certificate details and price. Make your first, second and third choice and then ask for the price. Ask for the price alone and not for the details. Now with the price in mind look at the diamonds again and figure out if the difference in price corresponds to the difference in appearance, remembering that beauty is the sole purpose of this gem. Only then ask for the certificates and decide for yourself the level of their importance.

Retail Jewelry Stores
A common belief is that all jewelers are out to get you and that you’re going to pay too much for a diamond or engagement ring. This is true for all industries and businesses, not just the jewelry industry. There are good businesses and there are not so good businesses. There’s always a chance to pay more than you have to when buying a car, electronics, jewelry, or whatever. The key is to do your homework and find a jewelry store that you know is creditable; sometimes a referral from a friend is the best place to start. Now it’s true that most jewelry store prices will start off listing higher than many of the on-line businesses, but you have to consider all things. Who will size your ring when it needs to be done? How much will it cost when you have it done? How long will you be without your ring? There is a huge amount of convenience when buying local because many jewelers do all their work in-house. This means no waiting and sometimes you can actually have your ring sized or altered on the spot. Imagine proposing to your girlfriend and then telling her she has to wait 2-3 weeks before wearing it because it has to be shipped back to the on-line jeweler for sizing!
Other benefits are the warranties that come along with the purchase from a local jeweler. I had a customer come to our retail showroom not too long ago with a ring he bought from Bluenile. He brought his fiancé in to be fit for the ring and we sized the ring for $75.00. 2 weeks later she came back and said that she chose to have the ring sized too small and needed to be sized again. Another $75.00! Now they’re up to $150 in additional fees and they’ve only owned ring 2 weeks. Imagine the expenses you’ll accumulate over the lifetime of the ring! Another issue is the replacement of missing diamonds; today’s engagement ring styles are very complicated and can be set with intricate diamond combinations. These tiny diamond accents are prone to falling out. When you need to have a small diamond accent replaced you could pay $75.00 to $150.00 in repair costs. Do you see the repair costs adding up? Most local jewelers value your business; in effort to keep you happy they’ll take care of any costs associated with the upkeep of your ring. If you think I’m being one sided don’t worry, I have a lot of positive things to share with you about buying on-line also.
One of the other benefits of shopping locally is the ability to see and examine the diamonds before buying. A big misconception is that all diamonds are graded exactly the same way and that an SI2 on-line is the same as an SI2 in a store. Truth is that every diamond is uniquely different and some diamonds are better than others even if the grades are identical. There are good VS2’s and there are bad VS2’s how do you know which one you have? I’m assuming of course that you know what a VS2 is, if you don’t you can visit http://therealscooponbuyingdiamonds.blogspot.com and I’ll be happy to explain it further to you. You really need to see the diamond first hand and look at it under a microscope to be able to compare one to the next. You can have two diamonds graded exactly the same but one may be poorer a version of the same clarity grade because it was graded by two different people with different opinions. This of course greatly affects the value of the diamond and you’re not aware of it unless you see them first hand. Shopping locally empowers you by allowing you to compare one diamond to next in real life situations.
Now if you say “That’s all well and good but I still want the best deal I can get” and the bottom line price is still you’re biggest concern then simply be honest with the people you’re shopping with. Truth be known, most jewelers are flexible in their pricing. You just have to communicate your needs with them properly so they know where you stand. They don’t read minds and if you want the best deal you can get for a diamond then say that to them. You can’t get what you don’t ask for and nobody is going to volunteer this unless you ask for it. If you tell the local jeweler that you have been shopping on-line and you want them to match the price, they’ll probably do it. The best strategy is to bring the Internet listing from the website that you are shopping with and give it to the jeweler. Ask them to show you a diamond of the same size, clarity and color, this way you are comparing apples to apples. In some cases they’ll match the price and you’ll get the best of all worlds including warranties, service, price and convenience.
There are no magical formulas or pixie dust that allows one on-line jeweler or retail jeweler the ability to buy a diamond for less than their competitors. Retailers and on-line jewelers pay the same amount for a diamonds and the going rate is the going rate. So your local jeweler has the ability to sell the diamond at the same price as the Internet jeweler, you just have to give him reason to. The best advice I can give you is “Don’t make them jump through hoops”; if they’re going to give you a great deal don’t make them work hard for it. Otherwise they may lose interest in the sale and say “No Thanks!”. Be honest and fair with them and you may be surprised at how helpful they can be.
Internet Jewelers
Ok I know you have been waiting for this, so here it is… Yes you can buy a diamond for less on the Internet! You’ll also save the sales tax. But you need to know that not all Internet jewelers are created equal and you really need to become familiar with whom you are dealing with. Lets start with some important issues. First, you should know that most Internet jewelers don’t own their own diamond inventories. What they do is create computerized lists from diamond wholesalers and suppliers from around the country and place these lists on their websites. Now the problem with this is that these Internet jewelers have never seen the diamonds that they sell so they don’t know what they are giving you. If you see a diamond listed on their site and ask them to describe it to you they have to call the supplier who owns the diamond and have them describe it to them first so they can describe it to you. That’s fine as long as you are aware of the process.
Now, there are Internet jewelers who do own their inventories and actually hand select the diamonds that go on their website. The benefit is that these Internet jewelers have the ability to weed out problem stones because they get to see the diamonds before they buy them for resale. Allow me to give you an example of a problem diamond, take an SI1 diamond for instance. By definition, an SI1 diamond should not have imperfections that can be seen to the naked eye. However, I’ve seen GIA certified SI1 diamonds with imperfections that were plain as day when viewing the diamond to the naked eye. How does the Internet jeweler that’s selling computerized lists of diamonds know what kind of SI1 he/she is selling? They don’t! That’s why its important to choose an Internet jeweler who owns their inventory and hand picks each diamond personally. The benefit is that you can call them and ask them to describe the diamond to you to be sure that it’s not a problem diamond. When wholesalers have problem diamonds that retail jewelers and Internet jewelers (that own their inventories) won’t buy, they list them on Internet websites because there’s nobody to verify the problem.
In the end you suffer because you unknowingly buy the problem diamond. What’s the solution? Work with an Internet jeweler that can hold the diamond in their hand and inspect it for you. Or work with a smaller yet trustworthy Internet jeweler who has a pulse on all the suppliers that they work with so they can verify the validity of the diamond grade. The larger Internet jewelers like Bluenile undoubtedly have a harder time weeding out the problem diamonds because they sell so many diamonds from these published virtual lists. You’re diamond purchase is just another number to them while the smaller Internet jewelers can spend more time with you on the phone answering your questions and sorting through their diamonds. Another benefit to shopping online is the lack of pushy salespeople to deal with. As with many retail environments you’ll occasionally run in to the hard-core salesperson at local jewelry stores. If you’re the type of person who likes to move at his/her own pace and doesn’t like to be pressured then the Internet jeweler is a great option. If you find an informative site you’ll have the time to gather information about diamonds at your own pace without the pressure of having to make a quick decision. You’ll also cover a lot of ground very quickly because you can compare thousands of diamond prices with the click of a mouse. Shopping locally can be a long laborious process while spending hours at each location before going on to the next store.
If you choose to buy your diamond online require several things from your Internet jeweler. First is a no-frills return policy, the standard for an established and creditable Internet jeweler is 30 days. Next is gemological certification, this is important because you want to be assured that the diamond is graded as fairly as possible. I would only choose the Internet jewelers that display the BBB-Online Seal. The Better Business Bureau is a great consumer advocacy group and won’t allow any website to display the seal unless their identity has been verified. They’ll also remove the seal if the Internet site is abusing the use of the seal or is using unfair business practices. In the end you’ll have to decide what’s more important, price or guarantees. Some people would never buy a diamond from an Internet jeweler and some hate shopping locally. There are no secrets or shortcuts but you have to take the time to understand that there are pros and cons to both options. Nobody can say what’s best for you and your fiancé but you.
Good Luck Shopping and feel free to contact me for any information about diamonds or diamond engagement rings!
Andy Moquin
President – Andrews Jewelers Inc.
CEO – Rokstok.com
http://www.andrewsjewelers.com

Diamonds have always spun a realm of lore, legacy and mystery around them ever since they have been known to mankind. Engagement rings and loose diamonds are just meager modern manifestations of the truly supreme stone, which is believed to possess paranormal powers and healing properties. Diamonds have also been known to bring upon terrible curses on meddlers and vandalizers in the past. Such a terrible lore surrounds the famous “French Blue” now known as the “Hope Diamond”. Several controversies exist among scholars and researchers around the world regarding the authenticity and logistics behind the so called curse, but the well documented history and biography of the diamond suggests that there’s more to the ‘Blue Diamond’ than what meets the eye.

The Hope Diamond dates back to 1642, it is a diamond noted for its remarkable color, size, clarity, beauty, and history. The Hope Diamond is a very brilliant deep blue faceted ovoid diamond that measures 25.60 millimeters by 21.78 millimeters by 12.00 millimeters and weights 45.52 carats. The diamond is set in a pendent in which it is encircled by sixteen white diamonds, indeed an excellent engagement ring for your loved one. The Hope’s color is a combination of blue, caused by boron, as in all blue diamonds, and gray. The depth and intensity of its color and the occasional highlights that flash from its facets are unique. Vivid reds, yellows, and greens can be seen from different angles and the diamond fluoresces with a unique reddish color when exposed to ultraviolet light.

It all began in Seventeenth India when a French traveler and gem collector named Jean Baptiste Tavernier first set his eyes upon a huge112 3/16 carat blue diamond of unmatched color , brilliance and size on the forehead of an idol of the Hindu goddess Sita in a remote temple. The diamond is said to have been excavated from the Kollur mine in Golconda, India. Needless to mention Tavernier had to abide by the existing law under the powerful Mughal Sultanate while carrying it out from the country by paying a hefty price. When Tavernier returned to his homeland after twenty three years, the French monarch Louis XIV was extremely impressed with what the traveler had fetched for the kingdom and immediately declared Tavernier a ‘nobleman’. The Blue diamond found its place of honor in the royal crown and it was named ‘ Blue Diamomd of the Crown’ after going through a re-cut where it was reduced to 67 1/8 carats. It is said that Tavernier met an un-fateful end when he was torn to death by wild dogs while on a trip to Russia.

The diamond was handed down to his successor Louis XV who further cut the diamond to amplify it’s brilliance. When Louis XVI ascended the throne a great misfortune befell him and his wife Marie Atoinette. The uprise of the French Revolution took place and the French monarchy was put to an end. Both the King and his beloved wife were beheaded. Soon after the demise of the French royalty, custody of the French crown jewels was returned to the National Assembly. They were stored in Paris in a repository called the ‘Garde Meuble’ and put on public display. In the year 1792 a series of bizarre burglary incidents take place in spite of the place’s supposedly invincible security. And so the French Blue disappeared from history because no blue diamond of its weight and appearance was ever recovered.

The diamond again re-surfaced in 1813 under the possession of one Daniel Eliason, a Kindon diamond merchant in London. Scholars believed that the diamond that Eliason owned was in fact the blue diamond after having undergone several cuts as it did possess exactly similar properties as the French Blue. The blue diamond that surfaced in London was estimated at 44 carats. There is some evidence that shows King George IV of England bought the blue diamond from Daniel Eliason and upon King George’s death, the diamond was sold to pay off debts. By 1939, possibly earlier, the blue diamond was in the possession of Henry Philip Hope, from whom the Hope diamond has taken its name.

Henry Philip Hope, who was one of the heirs of the banking firm Hope & Co. became a collector of fine art and gems, thus he acquired the large blue diamond that was soon to carry his family’s name. Since he had never married, all his property and estate was passed on to his three nephews. One of his successors named Henry Thomas Hope finally got to own the diamond and upon his death in 1862 at the age of 54 , the Hope diamond stayed in the possession of Hope’s widow. But when Henry Thomas Hope’s widow died, she passed the Hope diamond on to her grandson, the second oldest son, Lord Francis Hope. All these years of decay and degeneration finally culminated to a terrible end when Francis Hope became bankrupt by engaging in obnoxious activities such as gambling and his family is said to have died from extreme poverty.

Simon Frankel, an American jeweler, bought the Hope diamond in 1901 and hence brought the diamond to the United States. The diamond changed hands several times during the next several years, and finally came into the hands of Pierre Cartier. Cartier found a buyer in the rich Evalyn Walsh McLean who first saw the diamond in 1910 during a trip to Paris with her husband. She believed that things believed to be unlucky, had always turned out to be lucky for her. Cartier made use of this and emphatically narrated the Hope’s miserable history to her. Finally Evalyn did buy the diamond, which was then encrusted with 16 diamonds and attached to a string of several other diamonds. Though Evalyn McLean wore the Hope diamond as a good luck charm, others saw the curse strike her too. McLean’s first-born son, Vinson, died in a car crash when he was only nine. McLean suffered another major loss when her daughter committed suicide at the age of 25. In addition to all this, Evalyn McLean’s husband was declared insane and confined to a mental institution until his death in 1941. All of her jewelry (including the Hope, which was probably worn as an engagement ring ) was put on sale by her grand children in 1949, two years after her death, in order to settle debts from her estate.

When the Hope diamond went on sale in 1949, it was bought by Harry Winston, a New York jeweler. He offered the diamond to be worn at numerous balls as an attempt to raise funds for charity and finally on November !0th , 1958 the Hope diamond traveled in a plain brown box, by registered mail to the Smithsonian Institution as a donation . It was the said that it was a stance taken by Winston in order to get rid of the curse himself. The Hope diamond is currently on display as part of the National Gem and Mineral Collection in the National Museum of Natural History for all to see.

A diamond engagement ring laid with a large diamond can catch people’s attention and make its wearer proud. However, large diamonds are costly. So you go for a ring studded with tiny diamonds. Do you know that it is possible to make these tiny diamonds look like a large diamond?

If you don’t, read the following tips. You might then be able to show off a diamond engagement ring set with an impressive “large” diamond.

Before we get into these tips, let us first sound a warning against a common practice. Sometimes diamond buyers go for diamonds with a shallow cut. These are diamonds that have not been cut deep enough to give them brilliance. Diamonds get their brilliance from their light reflecting characteristic.

Light hitting shallow-cut diamonds go out their back, instead getting reflected back. The result would be a loss of brilliance, even though the diamond might look bigger. Saving cost by going for shallow-cut diamonds might thus not be the best decision.

So how do you make tiny diamonds look like a big diamond?

Select Fancy Shaped Diamonds

The typical choice involves round shaped diamonds. If you select instead diamonds shaped in elongated shapes like oval or pear, diamonds of the same weight will look larger. There is also the possibility to make your diamond engagement ring look more impressive by tasteful selection of the shape.

Go for a Pave Setting

A pe setting consists of several diamonds set closely together. Small beads of setting metal hold these diamonds in place and make them look like a single diamond – a single ‘large’ diamond. The problem with the pave option is that the intricate metalwork involved can cost more than the difference in cost between a large diamond and several tiny diamonds. You might it less expensive to go for a large diamond.

Consider and Illusion Setting

An illusion setting creates an illusion of a larger and more brilliant diamond by first mounting the diamond on a mirror-like plate before setting it on the ring. Mirrors can create quite effective illusions, as you might have noticed in some shops which seem stocked with double the merchandise. Downside: Illusion set diamond rings are difficult and expensive to repair. And you don’t want your diamond engagement ring in disrepair!

Ask for a Bezel Setting

A bezel setting covers the entire (or part of the) diamond and even the rim at its top, holding it securely. A bezel using white gold or platinum will blend with the diamond and can make it look larger. A gold bezel can, on the other hand, can throw a yellowish tint back onto the diamond, creating a strange effect.

One major plus point for bezel setting it that it can cover any chipping on the diamond. Bezel setting is also ideal for people who follow an active lifestyle, as it protects the diamond from damage.

An Engagement Ring with Side Diamonds

This is an option to add more pizzazz to your ring, rather than make the diamond look larger. Small diamonds are set on either side of a focal, larger diamond. The central stone won’t look larger, but the whole arrangement could create a greater impression.

Explore the Options for Your Diamond Engagement Ring

Your engagement ring has great sentimental value. Do try to make it an impressive showpiece. After all, you have decided to go for a diamond engagement ring. Let the diamond come out really impressive.

Diamond Cut…The Basics: Step 1 – Understanding diamond “certs”Chapter 2If you are going to purchase a diamond, and know what you are getting when you purchase it, you need to be able to understand the information that is presented on a “lab grading report”, and how the information was obtained. Having this knowledge will further assist you to know if any follow up/independent data, presented to you by the jeweler, in conjunction with a “lab grading report”, is valid and accurate. Here are several examples of “lab grading reports”. To gain a better understanding of how information is broken down on a lab report, we will examine one line by line. NOTE: We will not be discussing the relevance of this information to the diamond’s cut quality, as that will be done in detail later on in this tutorial. GIA Lab Grading ReportFigure 2.1

EGL USA Lab Grading ReportFigure 2.2

For the purposes of this tutorial, we will examine the AGS Lab Grading Report. Most reports have similar information on them and are simply arranged differently. Immediately below is the full copy of the “lab grading report”. Since the lettering on this report is quite small, we have included enlarged portions of the report below that will allow us to examine the information contained in this report more closely.AGS Lab Grading ReportFigure 2.3

Figure 2.4

Figure 2.5

Figure 2.6

If we examine Figure 2.4, we see that this area of the report displays the basic information about the diamond. Let’s break this down point by point•    Shape and Style

•    Measurements

•    Cut Grade

•    Color Grade

•    Clarity Grade

•    Carat Weight

NOTE: A very important fact to understand about Color and Clarity is that the grading standards vary widely from on grading laboratory to another. Some of have much stricter standards than others, and this is something that should be carefully considered before purchasing a diamond. Looking at Figure 2.5, we can see a proportion map of the diamond, with basic proportion and measurement data. The first thing that we notice when looking at this, is that the only two standards of measurements used are Percentages and Degrees. The very first measurement of the diamond is the 100%, which is equal to the average diameter of the stone at its widest point, the girdle. It is based off of this percentage that all of the other percentage measurements are calculated.Directly under this measurement, we can see the 55.4% measurement. This is the diameter of the Table Facet, expressed in a percentage of the total average diameter. The vertical line along the left had diamond is the measurement of the Total Depth of the diamond, again, expressed as a percentage of the total average diameter, in this case, 61.9%The vertical line along the right side of the diamond, broken into three different measurements essentially breaks down the factors that make up the total depth of the diamond. These three factors are called Crown Height, Girdle Thickness, and Pavilion Depth.  In this case you can see the three measurements are as follows.•    Crown Height – 15.5%•    Girdle Thickness – 1.6% to 4.4%•    Pavilion Depth – 42.8%The two angle measurements on the left hand side of the graph are the Crown Angle and Pavilion Angle measurements. In this case, the Crown Angle is 34.8 degrees, and the Pavilion angle is 40.6 degrees.The two numbers in the diamond represent facet length measurements.  The measurement in the small facets on top is the Star Facet Length, and the measurement in the slightly larger facets on the bottom is the Lower Girdle Facet Length. For this diamond, the Star Facets measure 51% and the Lower Girdle Facet’s measure 75%. It is very important to understand that these two percentages are not calculated against the total depth. Rather Star Facet Lengths are expressed as a percentage of the total distance between the edge of the Table and the edge of the Girdle. Lower Girdle Facet Lengths are expressed in a percentage of the total distance between the Culet and the edge of the Girdle. (See illustration below)Star Fact MeasurementThe Green arrow, in Figure 2.7, represents 100% of the distance from the edge of the TABLE to the edge of the GIRDLE. The STAR FACET measurement is expressed as a percentage of the total measurement.Figure 2.7

Lower Girdle Facet MeasurementThe green arrow in Figure 2.8 represents 100% of the distance between the edge of the GIRDLE and the CULET. The LOWER GIRDLE FACET measurement is expressed as a percentage of the total measurement. Figure 2.8

Lastly at the bottom, we see the Culet Size. This is almost always expressed as a word. Culet sizes vary including sizes of None, Pointed, Very Small, Small, Medium, etc.The last graphic we see, Figure 2.6, is the Clarity Plot of the diamond. This is where the grading inclusions, that were visible at 10x magnification, are plotted by the grader. Clarity has already been discussed in brief in the Emma Parker & Co. Diamond Tutorial, however there are some simple hints to help you spot important information on the Clarity Plot. All inclusions plotted in RED INK are INTERNAL inclusions. All inclusions plotted in GREEN INK are EXTERNAL inclusions. This basic walk through of the information that is listed on a lab grading report will give you a good foundation in what information you will be presented with later on in this tutorial, and what each measurement relates to. In the following chapters we are going to dig deeper into cut, what to look for in a great cut, what tools and reports are useful in looking for a good cut and how to read them, and more. Written by Timothy Andre, Emma Parker & Co.     www.emmaparkerdiamonds.com

Deciding to propose to the special somebody in your life is a huge decision, one that will lead you down a path of even more decisions. Of course, the first thing that needs to be decided after you’ve decided to propose is what type of engagement ring to get. Between diamonds and settings there are so many choices that it can be overwhelming. Hopefully this can be cleared up.
The Diamond
While you’re probably more than familiar with the 4 C’s of diamonds, there are other things to consider when choosing a diamond, chief amongst them, the shape. Here we’ll focus on the shape and two of the C’s; cut and carat. Clarity and color can be saved for another day.
The Shape
With so many shapes out there it can be confusing as to the actual differences, so let’s simply talk about each of them and their individual merits.
• Round – the most basic of diamonds, and the only shape not considered “fancy,” this shape is very much how it sounds – a rounded diamond in the shape of a circle.
• Princess – arguably the most popular shape, this squared diamond has only grown in popularity while still being a relatively new shape. The princess diamond tends to find its way into solitaire engagement rings more than any of the other shapes.
• Emerald – a rectangular shaped diamond, this shape is reflective of a classic and aristocratic elegance. Unlike other diamonds, the emerald shaped diamond is not a brilliant cut but rather a step cut, being comprised of larger, planar facets that resemble stair steps and act like mirrors.
• Marquise – long and slender, this shape, originally commissioned by Louis XIV of France, is wonderful for maximizing the carat within the setting. The marquise shape will accentuate the length of the fingers and works well on a person with longer fingers.
• Oval – as the name implies, this diamond shape is a very simple oval. This shape works very well with smaller hands and shorter fingers, giving them the illusion of added length.
• Pear – a hybrid shape combining the best elements of the oval and marquise shapes, it resembles nothing so much as a teardrop. Typically used in pendants and earrings, this shape compliments short to average length fingers, helping to give the illusion of longer fingers much like the oval shaped diamond does.
• Heart – essentially a pear shaped diamond with a cleft at the top, the heart shaped diamond is the ultimate symbol of romance. This shaped diamond is frequently seen in pendants but is more than acceptable as a choice in a ring.
• Radiant – this square or rectangular shaped diamond does an excellent job of combining the elegant and classic appeal of the emerald shape with the brilliance of the round shape.
• Trillion – a wedge of brilliant fire, the trillion shaped diamond was first developed in Amsterdam. Traditionally a triangle shaped diamond, the amount of point at the corners is often open for interpretation, but these diamonds work well as both a compliment to a center stone, a unique center stone in themselves, or as a pair of earrings.
• Baguette – very reminiscent of the emerald shaped diamond, this shape of diamond is frequently used as side stones to a larger center stone. Much like the emerald shaped diamond, the baguette shape doesn’t feature nearly the sparkle of brilliant shaped diamonds, but does offer a classic beauty that is hard to match.
The shape is only the first part of what to look for, at least initially, when considering a diamond for an engagement ring.
The Carat
Carats are essentially a way to measure the weight of diamonds. While the use of the carat measuring system may date back to ancient Oriental bazaars and the carob seed, in the present we know that the more carats in the diamond, the bigger it is.
While the size of the diamond that you get can be determinate on a number of factors, not the least of which is cost, the Setting and Mounting that you choose can also have an influence on the size of the diamond that you get for your ring.
The Cut
Of the 4 C’s of a diamond, the cut is the only part that is actually influenced by humans, nature getting to decide on the carat, clarity, and color of an individual diamond. Cut refers to the angles and proportions a jeweler creates when taking a rough diamond and transforming it into a beautiful, polished diamond. The cut of the diamond should not be confused with the shape of the diamond. A well cut diamond will reflect light from one mirrored facet to another internally, finally dispersing and reflecting the light through the top of the stone, giving it that sparkle that diamonds are beloved for.
There are a few ways that diamonds are graded for their cut, all of which are influenced by the diameter, table, crown, girdle, pavilion, cutlet, and depth of the stone, and those include:
• Ideal – this is the best cut available and represents the top 15% of all diamond cuts. The ideal cut carries with it the highest possible grades of symmetry and polish and should be sought after when looking for the best available diamonds.
• Very Good – diamonds graded at very good are still nothing short of amazing, but they do tend to trade in some of the brilliance seen in an ideal diamond cut for added size. While a more cost-effective option, they may tend to move outside the appearance range for some buyers. Very good diamonds represent the top 25% of diamond cuts.
• Good Cut – representing the top 35% of diamond cuts, good cut diamonds are still quality cuts, but they will show a significant lack of brilliance when compared to very good and ideal cut diamonds, however, they are significantly more cost-effective than either very good or ideal cut diamonds, making them more accessible.
• Fair & Poor – these cuts of diamond simply fail to reflect a sufficient amount of the light that enters them. Usually found in discount or promotional jewelry, it is nearly impossible to find these diamond cuts at any quality seller of diamonds and engagement rings.
The Setting
As important as the diamond is, the Setting may be just as important. You can have a great diamond, but put that diamond into the wrong Setting and it can lose a lot of its luster and appeal. While there aren’t nearly as many Setting types as there are shapes and cuts of diamonds, there are enough that when combined with the diamond cuts and shapes you have enough combinations to make choosing tricky.
The Setting
• Prong – arguably the most common setting, the prong setting is commonly known as the Tiffany setting. Small metal prongs, typically 4 or 6, are used to clasp over the diamond and keep it in place within the setting while giving an optimal view of the diamond at all angles. When choosing this setting it’s wise to consider which metal you’ll be choosing as you may want something stronger than gold, such as Palladium or Platinum, to ensure that your diamond doesn’t come out of the setting.
• Channel – in this setting the stones are placed between vertical walls of metal, side by side, with no metal separating the diamonds from each other. With the diamonds sunk into the ring itself they are nearly flush with the surface of the ring. This setting is considered both very contemporary and very classic and allows one to achieve a number of looks. This setting is very popular in wedding rings and anniversary bands.
• Basket – similar to the prong setting, but instead of just the prongs holding the diamond in place there is an additional band of metal that secures the prongs to help reduce any movement of the prongs and ensure the security of the diamond within the setting.
• Bar – with the bar setting, diamonds are placed between bars of metal that run perpendicular to the band of the engagement ring. This setting is a very contemporary look that allows for excellent display of the diamonds.
• Pave – with the pave setting many small gemstones are placed inside of tapered holes to create a “paved” appearance. The diamonds are typically set in white gold to help create a sparkle finish that will bring the stones to prominence.
• Bezel – this setting involves placing the diamond in a mount that comes up and envelopes the diamond. Without any prongs, this mount is great for those that lead an active lifestyle, don’t want to worry about scratching themselves or others, or for those whose job requires that they wear latex gloves on a regular basis. Bezel settings can have straight edges, scalloped edges, or can be molded to any shape to accommodate varying stones.
• Half-Bezel – similar in design to the bezel setting. The half-bezel setting does not completely surround the diamond, allowing additional light to reach the stone and create a higher degree of brilliance.
• Tension – This type of setting uses the ring itself as the entire mounting, eschewing the use of prongs. Typically employing stronger metals and a thicker band to help maintain the tension on the stone, this setting does an excellent job of highlighting the diamond by giving it the appearance of floating within the ring.
As you can see, there are more than enough options to make choosing that perfect diamond engagement ring tricky, so now that you’re aware of the options here’s some advice on getting the ring that she’ll love and cherish for as long as you’re together.
• Talk to Her – find out what it is she wants from a ring. Does she want a solitaire ring or has she had her heart set on a three stone diamond ring since she was a little girl? Is it princess shape or no shape, or will she be happy with anything as long as it comes from you? Is there a particular metal that she would prefer for the actual band of the ring?
• Be Aware of Your Budget – sure, tradition says you’re supposed to spend two months salary on the ring, but depending on what your salary is that could mean you’re also not eating for a couple of weeks. Be realistic with yourself when you start shopping for a ring, get her what she wants, but also make sure that you won’t have to take out a second mortgage just to buy the ring she’s wanted since she was 12 years old.
• Show Her What You’re Looking At – if you’re ready to propose the odds are pretty good that she’s ready for you to propose. If the proposal is no secret then have her help you pick out the ring, or propose with a small, inexpensive ring and then take her with you to pick out her real engagement ring. That way you can be sure that she gets what she wants.
• Talk to an Expert – You might be surprised that the person behind the counter at the store or checking email online is actually an expert. If you’re not sure just know that it’s better to ask questions then to get it wrong. Tell those experts about how your better half lives, what they’ve mentioned they’d want in a ring, what they do for a living. All those things can give the person you’re talking to a better idea of what kind of diamond engagement ring would work best for the most important person in your life.
Picking out an engagement ring can be intimidating. Between the diamonds and the settings there are more options than is really reasonable to look at. Knowing what your better half wants can help narrow down that list and ensure that you get the ring that will have her saying yes over and over again.

The reason that it is so important to understand that uniqueness of diamonds, the difficulty with which the cutting process is fraught, the immense variation in cut grading, and the application of scientific tests, is that this understanding is imperative to gaining a full comprehension of diamond “certs”, how they are produced, and why there are so many conflicting opinions in the industry.The diamond “cert” as it has become known, is in actuality, not a certificate, as the name would suggest, but is rather a report issued by the gemological laboratory that was paid, by the diamond’s owner, to grade the diamond. The report, commonly called the “cert” (this will be referred to as a “lab grading report” for the remainder of this tutorial), is a printed record of the gemological lab’s determinations as to the quality of the diamond. The findings, although based on a scientific grading system, are really a codified representation of a subjective grading analysis that was performed by one or several human graders, each subject to their own grading style and grading predispositions. Each gemological laboratory has its own individual grading process, that stems off of its unique grading protocol, using its own predetermined course of grading procedures, and employing its own preselected scientific equipment for testing and observing the stone in question.The fact that there are many different gemological laboratories, each with its own grading system, has lead to a wide variety of “lab grading reports” being issued on diamonds, and presented to the general consumer as absolute fact about the quality of the diamond being purchased.Of course, at this point, the question must be asked…why are there so many standards…and why has no single standard been determined?  The answer is quite simple. Most consumers, when presented with a “lab grading report”, are wiling to take the information being presented about the stone at face value, many times with little or no knowledge about the gemological laboratory, its grading practices and procedures, or its reputation in the market place. This action by consumers, and the fact that retailers are aware of this fact, has lead to a very simple, yet very detrimental trend in the diamond grading industry. Consider this…if the average consumer takes a “lab grading report” at face value, without regard to the quality of the grading performed by the lab; and the value of a diamond rests almost entirely, excepting its weight, on areas of subjective grading; i.e. cut quality, color, and clarity; a lab that grades on a loose standard (issuing reports that give diamonds a slightly better grade than the lab’s stricter competitors would give) would allow retailers to present a “lab grading report” that is more “favorable” as well as giving them the ability to charge a higher price for a lower quality stone. The main basis for many labs that grade based on loose criteria is that of consumer ignorance. Diamond cutters, wholesalers, and retailers use these labs to grade their diamonds in an effort to increase the value and salability of their inventory, with the by-product of this effort being added expense to the consumer. It is imperative that, as a consumer, you have a solid understanding of the major gemological laboratories in the market, their grading systems, and their reputations for the accuracy of the “lab grading reports” that they issue. Below is a short list of the major gemological laboratories, in the basic order of their grading strictness.NOTE: It is important to remember that diamond grading is done by humans, which means that human error is a possibility. It is possible for any gemological laboratory to make a mistake in the grading of a diamond. Diamond Grading Laboratories•    American Gemological Society Laboratory (AGSL or AGS)•    Gemological Institute of America (GIA)•    Gem Certification and Assurance Lab (GCAL)•    HRD Antwerp•    European Gemological Laboratories USA (EGL USA)•    European Gemological Laboratories (EGL)•    European Gemological Laboratories Israel•    International Gemological Institute (IGI)Written by Timothy Andre, Emma Parker & Co.     www.emmaparkerdiamonds.com

Diamond Cut: The Basics – Understanding TechnologyChapter 3In order to understand the different measurements, tests, and evaluations that diamonds are put through, and what the results of these test mean to the diamonds visual performance, it is necessary to first have a solid grasp on the technologies and techniques used to gather this data. There are many different tools that are used by gemologists and diamond graders to determine facts about a diamond’s properties. This section is going focus mostly on the more complex and less understood tools, and is also going to focus mostly on tools used to determine cut and light performance. Non-Contact ScannersThe Sarin machine is the most popular device in a small group of machines called “non-contact measuring devices”. These tools are, in essence, scanners that scan the outside surface of the diamond and measure all the flat surfaces of the stone. They do this by taking many 2 dimensional images of the diamond’s silhouette, and from these images, constructing a 3 dimensional model of the diamond, complete with measurements, that is able to be manipulated by the gemologist. Basically the Sarin is able to reconstruct the diamond in a virtual world with extreme accuracy. This is extremely useful for gaining measurements on the diamond, examining the cut of the diamond, determining angles, and more. In addition, the computer software is able to simulate light sources, thereby allowing the gemologist to subject the diamond model to different types of light, at different strengths and from different (single or multiple) angles, and more. This allows the diamond to be analyzed scientifically in a completely virtual realm with astonishing accuracy. The data gained from this analysis is very useful in determining the quality of the diamond’s cut, and hence, its ability to reflect light. Similar scanners to the Sarin are the Helium Scanner and the OGI Scanner. At Emma Parker & Co. we use the Sarin. Reflector DevicesA simple yet critical set of tools that is used to study and critique a diamond’s cut and light performance are the “reflector devices”; the most well known of these devices is called the Ideal Scope.The premise of these tools is quite simple; they show the light that is being reflected by the diamond in a form that is visible to the human eye. This allows a person to observe “light return” vs. “light leakage” in a diamond easily. Having read the Emma Parker & Co. Diamond Tutorial, you should have a solid grasp of the function of the Ideal scope and other devices such as the AGSL ASET reflector. If you have not yet read the Emma Parker & Co. Diamond Tutorial, please stop here and read that in its entirety before continuing on, as it will be necessary in order to understand the upcoming chapters of this tutorial.DiamCalc SoftwareThe DiamCalc Software is a wonderful program that is designed to take the diamond models that are generated by a “non-contact measuring device” and put them into a visible model that can be manipulated in a plethora of conditions, angles, lighting, and so on. It can even take the diamond models and simulate them under “reflector devices” such as the Ideal Scope, ASET, Firescope, and more. This program is able to “skin” the diamond, if you will, with a visual appearance that is very similar to the real life diamond.One of the strongest features of this program is that it allows the user to enter different parameters for the diamond. For example, if we know that a diamond with proportion set 1 looks good, but we want to see what would happen if the table was a different size, we can change the table in the program, and see the effects of this change on the diamond, both visually, and through a reflector device. This is an incredibly powerful tool for research and demonstration. GEMEX BrillianceScopeThe BrillianceScope was designed to measure the light return/optical performance of a diamond in direct light. The technology is actually a very simple and logical design. Have a look at Figure 3.1Figure 3.1

This is a basic diagram of the inner workings of the GEMEX BrillianceScope. The diamond rests on a circular piece of glass.  The cover over the diamond is then closed, creating a completely white environment surrounding the diamond. (See Figure 3.2Figure 3.2

Courtesy of GEMEXLight, generated by a fiber-optic ring light is then projected up, through an opening in the white half-sphere, through the glass, into the top of the diamond, as illustrated in Figure 3.1. The light moves to 5 specific sets of three individual points, stopping briefly at each of the 15 points. For each set of points, a camera, at the bottom of the machine, aiming up through the center of the ring light, triple exposes an image of the diamond, one picture at each point in the set, “laid” one on top of the other, as it were. Once these images are captured and stored, the software breaks down each image on a pixel by pixel basis, and looks at three distinct items.1. The amount of White Light being reflected by the stone. This will account for brightness or brilliance to the viewer’s naked eye.2. The amount of Colored Light being reflected by the stone. This will account for the fire or rainbow colored light to the viewer’s naked eye.3. The “movement” of light within the diamond, otherwise called Scintillation. This will be seen as sparkle to the viewer’s naked eye.These results are then compiled, and compared against a controlled database of diamonds that have been tested on the machine, and the results of these tests form the basis for the “grading by comparison” system used by the GEMEX software. The result is a report like the one pictured below.Figure 3.3

Courtesy of GEMEX.The results of the GEMEX report, displayed above in Figure 3.3,  are heavily curved; i.e. meaning that from the bottom of the chart to the middle of the “HIGH” grade encompasses up to the 85th percentile of all diamonds tested, while grades from the middle of the “HIGH” mark to the end of the scale at “VERY HIGH” comprise the 86th – 100th percentile of all diamonds tested. The GEMEX is an interesting tool, and is useful to a point for gaining a perception of how a diamond will perform in direct lighting conditions, such as direct sunlight, direct spotlighting, etc. The GEMEX is limited by the fact that its results only apply to direct lighting, and that its “grading by comparison” system is a totally subjective grading system which, by its nature, will always be subject to any influences that affected the block of results from the control group upon which the entire basis of the grading schematic rests. Another drawback to the GEMEX is that results can be manipulated slightly by a crafty user. Something as simple as placing a finger print smudge on the top of the diamond can cause a much higher rating on the White Light performance than the stone would have if it were totally clean. Meticulous cleaning of the diamond and the glass is absolutely necessary to ensure a proper scan. GEMEX inspects each scan before a report is issued and will reject reports that show excessive dirt or smudging, however the ease with which results can be manipulated remains a draw back in our opinion. Having an enormous amount of experience with the GEMEX BrillianceScope, both as a selling tool and as an analysis tool, I do believe that the technology is by enlarge sound, and the results valid. I have also found that consumers place far too much importance on the report, and often find themselves crippled with “analysis paralysis” and the fear that they should be waiting for a diamond that scores “the perfect 10” on the BrillianceScope, while letting world class diamonds go by on a technicality from a subjective, computerized, “grading by comparison” system. This is foolish and should be avoided. It is important to consider all aspects of a diamonds performance when purchasing a stone. To do this, one must consider a full body of analysis, of which the BrillianceScope is an informative, albeit non-essential piece. ISEE2Figure 3.4

Courtesy of ISEE2 DiamondsThe ISEE2 machine is another technology that measures a diamonds Brilliance, Fire, Scintillation, and Symmetry in a controlled light setting using mainly diffused light. The inventor of the ISEE2 states that the machine subjects diamonds to 48 different lighting conditions. The ISEE2 takes 15 images a second, and analyzes these images, breaking them down to analyze White Light, Colored Light, Light Movement (Scintillation), and Optical Symmetry (the pattern cut into the stone, in this case the machine is looking for the hearts and arrows pattern that is most commonly displayed in a properly cut 57 facet, traditional pattern round diamond). Having extensively used the ISEE2 machine for both the sale and analysis of diamonds, I can say that the results of the ISEE2 are consistent with other technologies, and are valid for consideration, provided that they are not overly weighted by a consumer in making their decision. As with the BrillianceScope, the rating system used by the software program is proprietary and unknown to anyone other than the developer. As with the BrillianceScope, this would not normally be a reason for concern, as the results have been shown to coincide with scientifically established measurements for “ideal light performance”, save for one critical piece of information; the ISEE2 machine was developed by the manufacturer of ISEE2 Diamonds specifically for the sale and marketing of their own ISEE2 Branded Diamond, which is a 57 facet Ideal Cut Hearts and Arrows Diamond. This fact does not invalidate the ISEE2 as a technology, nor yield its results as void, it merely casts a rebuttable shadow of doubt on a technology that has tested positively in private lab tests with both ISEE2 Diamonds and non-ISEE2 diamonds. The problem lies within the subjective “grading by comparison” standard that is employed by the software, which is proprietary, and therefore not discernable by consumers. So far, independent testing, including my own extensive use of the ISEE2 seems to show that the grading put forth by this technology is consistent and relatively accurate when compared to the current positions, in regards to cut, of the major gemological laboratories, such as GIA and AGS. As with the Brilliance Scope, the ISEE2 is an interesting, albeit non-essential source of information that can be considered when purchasing a diamond. The most prominent danger posed by this technology is the overemphasis that is often placed by the consumer on the importance of its results.GIA Diamond DockFigure 3.5

Courtesy of GIA  The GIA Diamond Dock is a lighting source that is used to evaluate diamonds. (Figure 3.5) This lighting environment is intended to simulate true “daylight” as closely as possible. Using a combination of diffused fluorescent lighting and L.E.D. direct lighting, it is able to simulate daylight fairly accurately. This is very useful for observation, photography, and “naked eye” light performance analysis of a diamond.The Diamond Dock also doubles as a color grading environment. TECHNOLOGIES THAT DO NOT PRETAIN TO “CUT GRADE ANALYSIS”Traditional Jeweler’s Triplet LoupeFigure 3.6

Courtesy of Kassoy.comA traditional jewelers “triplet” loupe is a simple tool that you will find in almost any good jewelry store. This is a simple, hand-held magnifying lens that allows a viewer to inspect the diamond under magnification fairly easily and in almost any location and situation. The standard magnification for these loupes is 10x, however different loupes are available for 20x and 30x as well. This particular kind of loupe is referred to as a “triplet” because the magnifier is actually made up of three different lenses in order to provide the highest clarity to the viewer. At first, using a loupe can be tricky, however with a little bit of practice, it is possible to gather a vast amount of information about a diamond simply by taking a good, long look at it through a loupe. High Power Microscope with High-Definition CameraFigure 3.7

Courtesy of Kassoy.comA good source of high magnification is critical to the proper analysis of any diamond. While observing a diamond through a 10x triplet loupe is good, having the ability to zoom in to 50x or 60x magnification allows a jeweler to learn much more about a diamond and its imperfections, as well as its cut. In addition, having the ability to share this information with a customer is vital to ensuring that the customer feels confident in the diamond they are looking to purchase. At Emma Parker & Co., we use the microscope pictured above. It is a 50x magnification microscope, with glass lenses produced by the company Leica, a leader in the optical glass industry. The microscope also has a high definition camera mounted on it, through which images of inclusions can be taken, and live video of the magnified diamond can be streamed. The pictures taken by this microscope allow customers to see, in remarkable detail, the characteristics of the diamond magnified. See examples below…Figure 3.8

The red arrows point to the “grading inclusions” in the diamond. These are the imperfections that contributed towards the diamonds clarity grade, as given by the grading laboratory, such as GIA or AGS. At Emma Parker & Co., we point out these inclusions with red arrows in a picture taken under the microscope so our customers can easily locate the incusions in their diamonds. ColorimeterFigure 3.9

Courtesy of Kassoy.comIn today’s advanced technological market, advanced and accurate tools have emerged for determining the color of a diamond. The tools, called “colorimeters” have advanced to such a point that they are quite accurate and sophisticated. These are fantastically costly machines, and are not used by everyone in the industry. Like many of our fellow colleagues, we here at Emma Parker & Co. prefer the old fashion way of color grading, the way that GIA and AGS still use to grade diamonds, a white tray, a color grading light, and set of master stones. We feel that some things are better left to the human eye and trained observation. Written by Timothy Andre, Emma Parker & Co.     www.emmaparkerdiamonds.com

Diamond Cut: The Basics – Understanding TechnologyChapter 3In order to understand the different measurements, tests, and evaluations that diamonds are put through, and what the results of these test mean to the diamonds visual performance, it is necessary to first have a solid grasp on the technologies and techniques used to gather this data. There are many different tools that are used by gemologists and diamond graders to determine facts about a diamond’s properties. This section is going focus mostly on the more complex and less understood tools, and is also going to focus mostly on tools used to determine cut and light performance. Non-Contact ScannersThe Sarin machine is the most popular device in a small group of machines called “non-contact measuring devices”. These tools are, in essence, scanners that scan the outside surface of the diamond and measure all the flat surfaces of the stone. They do this by taking many 2 dimensional images of the diamond’s silhouette, and from these images, constructing a 3 dimensional model of the diamond, complete with measurements, that is able to be manipulated by the gemologist. Basically the Sarin is able to reconstruct the diamond in a virtual world with extreme accuracy. This is extremely useful for gaining measurements on the diamond, examining the cut of the diamond, determining angles, and more. In addition, the computer software is able to simulate light sources, thereby allowing the gemologist to subject the diamond model to different types of light, at different strengths and from different (single or multiple) angles, and more. This allows the diamond to be analyzed scientifically in a completely virtual realm with astonishing accuracy. The data gained from this analysis is very useful in determining the quality of the diamond’s cut, and hence, its ability to reflect light. Similar scanners to the Sarin are the Helium Scanner and the OGI Scanner. At Emma Parker & Co. we use the Sarin. Reflector DevicesA simple yet critical set of tools that is used to study and critique a diamond’s cut and light performance are the “reflector devices”; the most well known of these devices is called the Ideal Scope.The premise of these tools is quite simple; they show the light that is being reflected by the diamond in a form that is visible to the human eye. This allows a person to observe “light return” vs. “light leakage” in a diamond easily. Having read the Emma Parker & Co. Diamond Tutorial, you should have a solid grasp of the function of the Ideal scope and other devices such as the AGSL ASET reflector. If you have not yet read the Emma Parker & Co. Diamond Tutorial, please stop here and read that in its entirety before continuing on, as it will be necessary in order to understand the upcoming chapters of this tutorial.DiamCalc SoftwareThe DiamCalc Software is a wonderful program that is designed to take the diamond models that are generated by a “non-contact measuring device” and put them into a visible model that can be manipulated in a plethora of conditions, angles, lighting, and so on. It can even take the diamond models and simulate them under “reflector devices” such as the Ideal Scope, ASET, Firescope, and more. This program is able to “skin” the diamond, if you will, with a visual appearance that is very similar to the real life diamond.One of the strongest features of this program is that it allows the user to enter different parameters for the diamond. For example, if we know that a diamond with proportion set 1 looks good, but we want to see what would happen if the table was a different size, we can change the table in the program, and see the effects of this change on the diamond, both visually, and through a reflector device. This is an incredibly powerful tool for research and demonstration. GEMEX BrillianceScopeThe BrillianceScope was designed to measure the light return/optical performance of a diamond in direct light. The technology is actually a very simple and logical design. Have a look at Figure 3.1Figure 3.1

This is a basic diagram of the inner workings of the GEMEX BrillianceScope. The diamond rests on a circular piece of glass.  The cover over the diamond is then closed, creating a completely white environment surrounding the diamond. (See Figure 3.2Figure 3.2

Courtesy of GEMEXLight, generated by a fiber-optic ring light is then projected up, through an opening in the white half-sphere, through the glass, into the top of the diamond, as illustrated in Figure 3.1. The light moves to 5 specific sets of three individual points, stopping briefly at each of the 15 points. For each set of points, a camera, at the bottom of the machine, aiming up through the center of the ring light, triple exposes an image of the diamond, one picture at each point in the set, “laid” one on top of the other, as it were. Once these images are captured and stored, the software breaks down each image on a pixel by pixel basis, and looks at three distinct items.1. The amount of White Light being reflected by the stone. This will account for brightness or brilliance to the viewer’s naked eye.2. The amount of Colored Light being reflected by the stone. This will account for the fire or rainbow colored light to the viewer’s naked eye.3. The “movement” of light within the diamond, otherwise called Scintillation. This will be seen as sparkle to the viewer’s naked eye.These results are then compiled, and compared against a controlled database of diamonds that have been tested on the machine, and the results of these tests form the basis for the “grading by comparison” system used by the GEMEX software. The result is a report like the one pictured below.Figure 3.3

Courtesy of GEMEX.The results of the GEMEX report, displayed above in Figure 3.3,  are heavily curved; i.e. meaning that from the bottom of the chart to the middle of the “HIGH” grade encompasses up to the 85th percentile of all diamonds tested, while grades from the middle of the “HIGH” mark to the end of the scale at “VERY HIGH” comprise the 86th – 100th percentile of all diamonds tested. The GEMEX is an interesting tool, and is useful to a point for gaining a perception of how a diamond will perform in direct lighting conditions, such as direct sunlight, direct spotlighting, etc. The GEMEX is limited by the fact that its results only apply to direct lighting, and that its “grading by comparison” system is a totally subjective grading system which, by its nature, will always be subject to any influences that affected the block of results from the control group upon which the entire basis of the grading schematic rests. Another drawback to the GEMEX is that results can be manipulated slightly by a crafty user. Something as simple as placing a finger print smudge on the top of the diamond can cause a much higher rating on the White Light performance than the stone would have if it were totally clean. Meticulous cleaning of the diamond and the glass is absolutely necessary to ensure a proper scan. GEMEX inspects each scan before a report is issued and will reject reports that show excessive dirt or smudging, however the ease with which results can be manipulated remains a draw back in our opinion. Having an enormous amount of experience with the GEMEX BrillianceScope, both as a selling tool and as an analysis tool, I do believe that the technology is by enlarge sound, and the results valid. I have also found that consumers place far too much importance on the report, and often find themselves crippled with “analysis paralysis” and the fear that they should be waiting for a diamond that scores “the perfect 10” on the BrillianceScope, while letting world class diamonds go by on a technicality from a subjective, computerized, “grading by comparison” system. This is foolish and should be avoided. It is important to consider all aspects of a diamonds performance when purchasing a stone. To do this, one must consider a full body of analysis, of which the BrillianceScope is an informative, albeit non-essential piece. ISEE2Figure 3.4

Courtesy of ISEE2 DiamondsThe ISEE2 machine is another technology that measures a diamonds Brilliance, Fire, Scintillation, and Symmetry in a controlled light setting using mainly diffused light. The inventor of the ISEE2 states that the machine subjects diamonds to 48 different lighting conditions. The ISEE2 takes 15 images a second, and analyzes these images, breaking them down to analyze White Light, Colored Light, Light Movement (Scintillation), and Optical Symmetry (the pattern cut into the stone, in this case the machine is looking for the hearts and arrows pattern that is most commonly displayed in a properly cut 57 facet, traditional pattern round diamond). Having extensively used the ISEE2 machine for both the sale and analysis of diamonds, I can say that the results of the ISEE2 are consistent with other technologies, and are valid for consideration, provided that they are not overly weighted by a consumer in making their decision. As with the BrillianceScope, the rating system used by the software program is proprietary and unknown to anyone other than the developer. As with the BrillianceScope, this would not normally be a reason for concern, as the results have been shown to coincide with scientifically established measurements for “ideal light performance”, save for one critical piece of information; the ISEE2 machine was developed by the manufacturer of ISEE2 Diamonds specifically for the sale and marketing of their own ISEE2 Branded Diamond, which is a 57 facet Ideal Cut Hearts and Arrows Diamond. This fact does not invalidate the ISEE2 as a technology, nor yield its results as void, it merely casts a rebuttable shadow of doubt on a technology that has tested positively in private lab tests with both ISEE2 Diamonds and non-ISEE2 diamonds. The problem lies within the subjective “grading by comparison” standard that is employed by the software, which is proprietary, and therefore not discernable by consumers. So far, independent testing, including my own extensive use of the ISEE2 seems to show that the grading put forth by this technology is consistent and relatively accurate when compared to the current positions, in regards to cut, of the major gemological laboratories, such as GIA and AGS. As with the Brilliance Scope, the ISEE2 is an interesting, albeit non-essential source of information that can be considered when purchasing a diamond. The most prominent danger posed by this technology is the overemphasis that is often placed by the consumer on the importance of its results.GIA Diamond DockFigure 3.5

Courtesy of GIA  The GIA Diamond Dock is a lighting source that is used to evaluate diamonds. (Figure 3.5) This lighting environment is intended to simulate true “daylight” as closely as possible. Using a combination of diffused fluorescent lighting and L.E.D. direct lighting, it is able to simulate daylight fairly accurately. This is very useful for observation, photography, and “naked eye” light performance analysis of a diamond.The Diamond Dock also doubles as a color grading environment. TECHNOLOGIES THAT DO NOT PRETAIN TO “CUT GRADE ANALYSIS”Traditional Jeweler’s Triplet LoupeFigure 3.6

Courtesy of Kassoy.comA traditional jewelers “triplet” loupe is a simple tool that you will find in almost any good jewelry store. This is a simple, hand-held magnifying lens that allows a viewer to inspect the diamond under magnification fairly easily and in almost any location and situation. The standard magnification for these loupes is 10x, however different loupes are available for 20x and 30x as well. This particular kind of loupe is referred to as a “triplet” because the magnifier is actually made up of three different lenses in order to provide the highest clarity to the viewer. At first, using a loupe can be tricky, however with a little bit of practice, it is possible to gather a vast amount of information about a diamond simply by taking a good, long look at it through a loupe. High Power Microscope with High-Definition CameraFigure 3.7

Courtesy of Kassoy.comA good source of high magnification is critical to the proper analysis of any diamond. While observing a diamond through a 10x triplet loupe is good, having the ability to zoom in to 50x or 60x magnification allows a jeweler to learn much more about a diamond and its imperfections, as well as its cut. In addition, having the ability to share this information with a customer is vital to ensuring that the customer feels confident in the diamond they are looking to purchase. At Emma Parker & Co., we use the microscope pictured above. It is a 50x magnification microscope, with glass lenses produced by the company Leica, a leader in the optical glass industry. The microscope also has a high definition camera mounted on it, through which images of inclusions can be taken, and live video of the magnified diamond can be streamed. The pictures taken by this microscope allow customers to see, in remarkable detail, the characteristics of the diamond magnified. See examples below…Figure 3.8

The red arrows point to the “grading inclusions” in the diamond. These are the imperfections that contributed towards the diamonds clarity grade, as given by the grading laboratory, such as GIA or AGS. At Emma Parker & Co., we point out these inclusions with red arrows in a picture taken under the microscope so our customers can easily locate the incusions in their diamonds. ColorimeterFigure 3.9

Courtesy of Kassoy.comIn today’s advanced technological market, advanced and accurate tools have emerged for determining the color of a diamond. The tools, called “colorimeters” have advanced to such a point that they are quite accurate and sophisticated. These are fantastically costly machines, and are not used by everyone in the industry. Like many of our fellow colleagues, we here at Emma Parker & Co. prefer the old fashion way of color grading, the way that GIA and AGS still use to grade diamonds, a white tray, a color grading light, and set of master stones. We feel that some things are better left to the human eye and trained observation. Written by Timothy Andre, Emma Parker & Co.     www.emmaparkerdiamonds.com