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
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