The round brilliant cut diamond is the most efficient in using the light that enters it in the best possible way. However, its 58 facet cut is used to great effect in other stone shapes also. They never quite manage to and never will give the greatest fire but the are ofter cut in shapes to make the best possible use out of its size from rough format, trying not to lose to much in the process of cutting.
These are called fancy shapes. The same terms used for the facets of these are used on the round brilliant also and the four most popular are Pear-shape, oval cut, Marquise or Navette cut and Heart shape cut. The other fancy cut shapes vary in facet number, some may only have the minimum number of facets which is 17 that are required.
Any stone that is not brilliant cut is given a grading deduction due to it loss of proper usage of light.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Friday, May 16, 2008
Clarifying the clarity of a diamond...
I have met so may customers that don't know what the four C's are and so I am again explaining where the areas of importance are when buying a diamond ring.
The area of clarity needs addressing as it determines what price you are going to pay immensely.
There are standards that have been noted and systemized by leading grading institutions which place a stone within a frame to which it can be priced within the market. Not all gemological labs test the same, the two main are
GIA (the gemological institute of America) & AGS (the American Gemological Society). Both were set up in the 1930's by a man called Robert M. Shipley who wanted to standardize the industry.
GIA's method is alphabetical (using letters) and AGS uses numbers. With GIA, D represents the most perfect grade that can be given and all the way to Z which represents the most flawed.
With AGS, the number 0 representing the flawless stones up to 10 which indicates flawed.
Here is an example of what you might see on a certification for a diamond.
FL, Flawless: the stone has no flaws.
IF, Internally Flawless: the stone has no internal flaws, slight external blemishes.
VVS1 & VVS2, Very, very slight inclusion: Minute inclusions, difficult for even an experienced grader to detect.
VS1 & VS2, Very slight inclusion: very slight inclusions, not easily seen by and experienced grader.
SI1 & SI2, Slight inclusion: flaw(s) that can be seen quite easily by a trained eye.
I1, I2 & I3, Included: Flaws are visible with the naked eye.
It is important to familiarize yourself with the system of grading that comes with each certificate, each grading lab like I said, has different methods, some are more lenient than others. What one company grades a stone as, wil be different than another and this can effect the price hugely in some cases.
Treated Diamonds
This is an other area to watch out for. Some diamonds are treated in labs to give them the appearance of looking like a better grade than they actually are. Two methods they use are fracture filling & laser treating.
Fracture filling also known as "clarity enhancement" is a where they fill in the outer blemishes with a substance that is clear and has the same response to light as a diamond has, it is a relatively simple process but is not permanent. If you put it under high temperatures it will ruin it so warn a jeweler if you have a diamond like this and you want to have it cleaned or have the ring adjusted in any way.
The other method of treatment is done with a laser. A diamond which undergoes laser enhancement is drilled into using a tiny laser (this doesn't effect the strenght of a diamond)which reaches an area that is in turn cleaned out of it undesirable features and made to look like a stone of better quality.
These stones do look better than what they were and cost slightly more than a stone of its original grade but less than a stone from a grade to which it fits into after the treatment.
Jewelers do not have to disclose this information to the buyer under the terms of the Federal Trade Commission but must inform the customer if they ask.
These stones are not a bad buy if you are on a tight budget and want a stone size that is just out of your price range.
Over all, if you are in the market for buying a diamond engagement ring then clarity is a factor you do not want to ignore.
Visit my website where you can see how a stone is graded on the charts provided. Its not necessary to understand every thing about a diamond before you buy but a brief understanding of the four C's is great advantage.
Visit http://www.buyingadiamondengagementring.org
The area of clarity needs addressing as it determines what price you are going to pay immensely.
There are standards that have been noted and systemized by leading grading institutions which place a stone within a frame to which it can be priced within the market. Not all gemological labs test the same, the two main are
GIA (the gemological institute of America) & AGS (the American Gemological Society). Both were set up in the 1930's by a man called Robert M. Shipley who wanted to standardize the industry.
GIA's method is alphabetical (using letters) and AGS uses numbers. With GIA, D represents the most perfect grade that can be given and all the way to Z which represents the most flawed.
With AGS, the number 0 representing the flawless stones up to 10 which indicates flawed.
Here is an example of what you might see on a certification for a diamond.
FL, Flawless: the stone has no flaws.
IF, Internally Flawless: the stone has no internal flaws, slight external blemishes.
VVS1 & VVS2, Very, very slight inclusion: Minute inclusions, difficult for even an experienced grader to detect.
VS1 & VS2, Very slight inclusion: very slight inclusions, not easily seen by and experienced grader.
SI1 & SI2, Slight inclusion: flaw(s) that can be seen quite easily by a trained eye.
I1, I2 & I3, Included: Flaws are visible with the naked eye.
It is important to familiarize yourself with the system of grading that comes with each certificate, each grading lab like I said, has different methods, some are more lenient than others. What one company grades a stone as, wil be different than another and this can effect the price hugely in some cases.
Treated Diamonds
This is an other area to watch out for. Some diamonds are treated in labs to give them the appearance of looking like a better grade than they actually are. Two methods they use are fracture filling & laser treating.
Fracture filling also known as "clarity enhancement" is a where they fill in the outer blemishes with a substance that is clear and has the same response to light as a diamond has, it is a relatively simple process but is not permanent. If you put it under high temperatures it will ruin it so warn a jeweler if you have a diamond like this and you want to have it cleaned or have the ring adjusted in any way.
The other method of treatment is done with a laser. A diamond which undergoes laser enhancement is drilled into using a tiny laser (this doesn't effect the strenght of a diamond)which reaches an area that is in turn cleaned out of it undesirable features and made to look like a stone of better quality.
These stones do look better than what they were and cost slightly more than a stone of its original grade but less than a stone from a grade to which it fits into after the treatment.
Jewelers do not have to disclose this information to the buyer under the terms of the Federal Trade Commission but must inform the customer if they ask.
These stones are not a bad buy if you are on a tight budget and want a stone size that is just out of your price range.
Over all, if you are in the market for buying a diamond engagement ring then clarity is a factor you do not want to ignore.
Visit my website where you can see how a stone is graded on the charts provided. Its not necessary to understand every thing about a diamond before you buy but a brief understanding of the four C's is great advantage.
Visit http://www.buyingadiamondengagementring.org
Friday, May 9, 2008
Diamond Proportions.... Important???
Diamonds are cut in loads of different way, the variety is nearly endless! Round brilliant cut is the most common, it attracts and reflects the best light. A stone cutter by the name of Tolkowsky developed the best cutting of a diamond in order to capitalize on the lights full potential. After he analyzed the passage of light through a diamond, he theorized a set of ideal proportions and the number and arrangement of facets. Through continued study it has been determined that Tolkowkys's formulae were correct. The cut bears his name. Its is usually referred to as the Standard brilliant cut, American Ideal, American cut or Ideal cut.
Today, experts believe that any kind of deviation from these measurements give can greatly diminish the appearance of the stone and its dazzling effects.
This is one of the four C's that must be taken into consideration when buying a diamond engagement ring, the cut is a factor that only man can control and so to look for the best possible cut in a diamond is a serious factor to take into consideration when buying.
Stones can be too shallow, too deep, have too big or small a table and many other cut proportions worth studying.
Its a fascinating area to study and worth the effort!
Grading
Grading for cut is based on the degree of deviation from ideal proportions and finish or the polish a diamond exhibits. Two systems commonly used were by GIA and AGS. The Gia grades are divided into four catagories and the AGS system uses ten. Each of the proportions and finish characteristics is graded seperately and a grade established. In each system, the value of the diamond graded is reduced for each step down the scale.
Today, experts believe that any kind of deviation from these measurements give can greatly diminish the appearance of the stone and its dazzling effects.
This is one of the four C's that must be taken into consideration when buying a diamond engagement ring, the cut is a factor that only man can control and so to look for the best possible cut in a diamond is a serious factor to take into consideration when buying.
Stones can be too shallow, too deep, have too big or small a table and many other cut proportions worth studying.
Its a fascinating area to study and worth the effort!
Grading
Grading for cut is based on the degree of deviation from ideal proportions and finish or the polish a diamond exhibits. Two systems commonly used were by GIA and AGS. The Gia grades are divided into four catagories and the AGS system uses ten. Each of the proportions and finish characteristics is graded seperately and a grade established. In each system, the value of the diamond graded is reduced for each step down the scale.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Diamond Certificates
What is the benefit of having a diamond certificate?
There are a few reasons for having a certificate with your diamond ring. One good reason is peace of mind, you know exactly what you are paying for when you have a certificate that goes along with the stone. I means that the stone has been scrutinized to the end degree in a laboratory and has undergone tests to see what grade it fall under.
At the same time it must be realised that each grading laboratory has its own criteria as to what grade to give each stone as it passes through the system and proving that it is not an exact science. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder they say and in the case of diamonds, this hold true. Every stone is different and you have to actually have to see a diamond with your own eyes rather than read about its qualities on paper to truly appreciate what it has to say.
Another good reason to have a certificate with your diamond is for the long term when you go to sell you're stone, privately you will get more for a ring when you go to sell it rather that go to a jewelry shop so a certificate will come in useful there. Its a verifiable backup and you can contact any of the laboratories in this regard using the unique reference code that is contained on the certificate. All laboratories keep a record of the stones they process so verification is not a problem.
There are a host of different diamond certification laboratories world wide, the most well know would be IGI (International Gemological Institute) & GIA Gemological Institute of America, Others would be EGL (European Gemological Laboratory), HKD diamond Laboratories (Canada, DCLA (Diamond Certification Laboratory of Australia) and HRD (Antwerp World Diamond Center). All of these are major Labs set up for large companies that mine and cut their own stones throughout various parts of the world, right down to the customers that simply want to get a stone graded in a ring that the own. Theoretically any stone can be graded and certified but usually anything under .50ct is not, unless it is of unusually good quality in which case its good to have its specs written on paper.
If you have any questions then please don't hesitate to post it in the comment section.
For more information, visit my website www.buyingadiamondengagementring.org
There are a few reasons for having a certificate with your diamond ring. One good reason is peace of mind, you know exactly what you are paying for when you have a certificate that goes along with the stone. I means that the stone has been scrutinized to the end degree in a laboratory and has undergone tests to see what grade it fall under.
At the same time it must be realised that each grading laboratory has its own criteria as to what grade to give each stone as it passes through the system and proving that it is not an exact science. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder they say and in the case of diamonds, this hold true. Every stone is different and you have to actually have to see a diamond with your own eyes rather than read about its qualities on paper to truly appreciate what it has to say.
Another good reason to have a certificate with your diamond is for the long term when you go to sell you're stone, privately you will get more for a ring when you go to sell it rather that go to a jewelry shop so a certificate will come in useful there. Its a verifiable backup and you can contact any of the laboratories in this regard using the unique reference code that is contained on the certificate. All laboratories keep a record of the stones they process so verification is not a problem.
There are a host of different diamond certification laboratories world wide, the most well know would be IGI (International Gemological Institute) & GIA Gemological Institute of America, Others would be EGL (European Gemological Laboratory), HKD diamond Laboratories (Canada, DCLA (Diamond Certification Laboratory of Australia) and HRD (Antwerp World Diamond Center). All of these are major Labs set up for large companies that mine and cut their own stones throughout various parts of the world, right down to the customers that simply want to get a stone graded in a ring that the own. Theoretically any stone can be graded and certified but usually anything under .50ct is not, unless it is of unusually good quality in which case its good to have its specs written on paper.
If you have any questions then please don't hesitate to post it in the comment section.
For more information, visit my website www.buyingadiamondengagementring.org
Friday, April 25, 2008
Buying a diamond ring
Every man in a relationship at some point has the thought cross their minds that maybe the gift of a diamond engagement ring could be just the perfect gift for that special occasion, here I will focus on engagement rings. Where does a man start when he looks? On the Internet and in shop windows is where! So here I try to lend a helping hand using my own experience as a goldsmith and stone setter for the last ten years in a very central Dublin 1 location, I can safely say that I've seen a lot of different styles and made quite a few too.
Women on the other hand usually know what they want but at the same time are open to new things. That's why you can see them with their heads stuck in jewellery shop windows, looking for something that might catch their eye.
First up is price. How much are you willing to part with or more practically, how much can you afford? I've seen all sorts of price tags on rings but its whatever suites your pocket is where the line has to be drawn. Sure you can take out a loan and spend months paying it back but looking to the future, if you're going to be planning a wedding and your still paying off that loan then its going to be difficult even coming up with the funds for the deposit on the venue.
So best advise is be sensible.
Traditionally it was whatever the man made per month was what he'd spend so that's a good idea of where to start also.
Lets say you earn between €1,500 and €3,000 per month. That's a tidy sum and it will get you a wonderful little gem but obviously, the more you fork out, the better you are going to get.
You can get diamond rings at low end prices like €300 also so don't fret if you cannot afford much more than that.
What to look for in a ring.
After you have determined how much, then you move onto where and what to look for. Maybe you have gotten ideas form her already, maybe not. If your haven't then you have a bit of a risky road ahead. She probably has idea already made up in her head, she has dreamed about her wedding day since childhood probably and you can bet shes looked at rings in magazines, celebrities usually show off their rings and ideas have taken shape in her own head as to what suites her best.
Sadly, this is the way its gone. The romance is somewhat lost nowadays as more often than not have I seen the man hand over the cash as the woman picks it out. Men do try to go at it on their own assumptions but most of the time you'll see them come back in after handing it to their new fiance and exchange it for something that she likes. A word of warning, most jewellers will only give you an exchange and not a refund so make sure they have a good selection from which to choose from or a good goldsmith to make one up just in case shes not happy with any they've got in the window.
Really, your best bet is to plan it over months and try in a very subtle way to get out of her or even as her friends, what style she would like, if you are going at it alone.
So you've found the style, its something along the lines of a single round stone or RB for short with stones down the shoulder, all in diamond. OK, you've got a frame so off you go, looking around.
Where to look???
Here is where I strongly suggest you go on foot to those expensive places in the city centre that have a reputation for high prices but also nice styles. The high prices are there because of their location but also a little factor called quality. Most high end shops will stock diamonds that are top notch. There is a chart that you can use to see what your looking at, its called the "four C's".
The four C's are: Colour, Cut, Clarity & Carat.
Colour means is it yellow, white, pink or even black. You can get coloured diamonds but the best are white. Whiter the better, ideally you will look for a G or H colour, it goes from "D" which is the best/whitest, up along the alphabet getting yellower along the way.
Cut is to do if A: is it round, square, oval, pear, emerald shaped or marquises? B: how well is it cut, proportions, are they right for the stone style?
Clarity is to do with, visibility. Is there marks inside or on the surface of the stone. These can look like tiny black dots or little clouds or tiny chips inside. Clarity is measured by in stages. I will go into greater detail in the following pages but for now I will say this, anything SI2 and above is safe with the naked eye. If you can't see anything with the naked eye then nobody else will either, in saying that, you then must take a closer look with a 10x Lupe/eyeglass to see the inside fully & behind a white background and plenty of light, even ask for the ring to be washed out in an ultrasonic and then you can get the best view possible while the stone is set in the ring. For the very best view the stone needs to be loose and out from the mount but most jewellers won't go that far and allow you to remove the stone from its setting.
Carat is the weight of the stone. There are one hundred points in a carat so a fifty point diamond is measured like this: .50ct
Here's a thing, a .49ct diamond will cost you a good deal less than a .50ct as the .50ct stone has reached a weight that puts it into a new bracket and a .99ct stone will be considerably less than a 1.0ct stone.
So as you can see, there are numerous factors involved and you should do your home work before jumping right in and buying if you want to find the best value for money and as with all consumer items, shop around.
I will continue in to the next page with a certificate example and show you how to decide based on what that says but to just finish this section off I will say this. You get to know what you're looking and find what you think is the nicest setting you can find and then try to get it made somewhere cheap by a goldsmith, usually that is what their aim is to do. They try to undercut the bigger shops by making it at least 20% cheaper in most cases, this is what I do, goldsmiths can afford to do this because they don't have high overheads like shop do such as staff and electrics but most of all the mortgage that they pay for being in the high street and so goldsmiths can keep cost down for the customer.
Most Jewellery stores offer this service but I do suggest you get quotes from all around town and meet up with the goldsmith that makes the pieces if possible and get him/her to talk through with you!
Taken from parts of my website www.buyingadiamondengagementring.org
Women on the other hand usually know what they want but at the same time are open to new things. That's why you can see them with their heads stuck in jewellery shop windows, looking for something that might catch their eye.
First up is price. How much are you willing to part with or more practically, how much can you afford? I've seen all sorts of price tags on rings but its whatever suites your pocket is where the line has to be drawn. Sure you can take out a loan and spend months paying it back but looking to the future, if you're going to be planning a wedding and your still paying off that loan then its going to be difficult even coming up with the funds for the deposit on the venue.
So best advise is be sensible.
Traditionally it was whatever the man made per month was what he'd spend so that's a good idea of where to start also.
Lets say you earn between €1,500 and €3,000 per month. That's a tidy sum and it will get you a wonderful little gem but obviously, the more you fork out, the better you are going to get.
You can get diamond rings at low end prices like €300 also so don't fret if you cannot afford much more than that.
What to look for in a ring.
After you have determined how much, then you move onto where and what to look for. Maybe you have gotten ideas form her already, maybe not. If your haven't then you have a bit of a risky road ahead. She probably has idea already made up in her head, she has dreamed about her wedding day since childhood probably and you can bet shes looked at rings in magazines, celebrities usually show off their rings and ideas have taken shape in her own head as to what suites her best.
Sadly, this is the way its gone. The romance is somewhat lost nowadays as more often than not have I seen the man hand over the cash as the woman picks it out. Men do try to go at it on their own assumptions but most of the time you'll see them come back in after handing it to their new fiance and exchange it for something that she likes. A word of warning, most jewellers will only give you an exchange and not a refund so make sure they have a good selection from which to choose from or a good goldsmith to make one up just in case shes not happy with any they've got in the window.
Really, your best bet is to plan it over months and try in a very subtle way to get out of her or even as her friends, what style she would like, if you are going at it alone.
So you've found the style, its something along the lines of a single round stone or RB for short with stones down the shoulder, all in diamond. OK, you've got a frame so off you go, looking around.
Where to look???
Here is where I strongly suggest you go on foot to those expensive places in the city centre that have a reputation for high prices but also nice styles. The high prices are there because of their location but also a little factor called quality. Most high end shops will stock diamonds that are top notch. There is a chart that you can use to see what your looking at, its called the "four C's".
The four C's are: Colour, Cut, Clarity & Carat.
Colour means is it yellow, white, pink or even black. You can get coloured diamonds but the best are white. Whiter the better, ideally you will look for a G or H colour, it goes from "D" which is the best/whitest, up along the alphabet getting yellower along the way.
Cut is to do if A: is it round, square, oval, pear, emerald shaped or marquises? B: how well is it cut, proportions, are they right for the stone style?
Clarity is to do with, visibility. Is there marks inside or on the surface of the stone. These can look like tiny black dots or little clouds or tiny chips inside. Clarity is measured by in stages. I will go into greater detail in the following pages but for now I will say this, anything SI2 and above is safe with the naked eye. If you can't see anything with the naked eye then nobody else will either, in saying that, you then must take a closer look with a 10x Lupe/eyeglass to see the inside fully & behind a white background and plenty of light, even ask for the ring to be washed out in an ultrasonic and then you can get the best view possible while the stone is set in the ring. For the very best view the stone needs to be loose and out from the mount but most jewellers won't go that far and allow you to remove the stone from its setting.
Carat is the weight of the stone. There are one hundred points in a carat so a fifty point diamond is measured like this: .50ct
Here's a thing, a .49ct diamond will cost you a good deal less than a .50ct as the .50ct stone has reached a weight that puts it into a new bracket and a .99ct stone will be considerably less than a 1.0ct stone.
So as you can see, there are numerous factors involved and you should do your home work before jumping right in and buying if you want to find the best value for money and as with all consumer items, shop around.
I will continue in to the next page with a certificate example and show you how to decide based on what that says but to just finish this section off I will say this. You get to know what you're looking and find what you think is the nicest setting you can find and then try to get it made somewhere cheap by a goldsmith, usually that is what their aim is to do. They try to undercut the bigger shops by making it at least 20% cheaper in most cases, this is what I do, goldsmiths can afford to do this because they don't have high overheads like shop do such as staff and electrics but most of all the mortgage that they pay for being in the high street and so goldsmiths can keep cost down for the customer.
Most Jewellery stores offer this service but I do suggest you get quotes from all around town and meet up with the goldsmith that makes the pieces if possible and get him/her to talk through with you!
Taken from parts of my website www.buyingadiamondengagementring.org
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