Diamonds

Cut

When it comes to diamonds, you want yours to light up the room. That's why it's best to choose a diamond that's well cut.

Of the 4Cs, a diamond's cut has the greatest influence on its fire, sparkle and brilliance. Cut refers not only to the shape of a diamond, but more importantly to its proportions (how the diamond's angles and facets relate to one another), symmetry (the precision of its cut) and polish (the condition of your diamond's surface).

In a well-proportioned and symmetrical diamond, light will enter and exit through the crown to the eye. A poorly cut diamond allows too much light to escape through the sides and bottom. As a result, a diamond with a poor cut will appear dull, even if it has good color and clarity.

All diamonds have five basic parts.

1. Table is the uppermost facet, or the flat surface on the top of the diamond.

2. Crown is the section of facets between the table and the midsection of the diamond.

3. Girdle is the horizontal midsection and widest part of the diamond.

4. Pavilion is the section of facets between the girdle and the bottom tip of the diamond.

5. Culet is the bottom tip of the stone. A traditional round brilliant diamond consists of 58 facets, 33 in the crown and 25 in the pavilion

Most diamonds are available in three basic styles.

1. Brilliant-cut diamonds contain numerous facets that reflect light. This cut provides maximized light return through the top of the diamond. Brilliant cut diamonds .include round, oval, pear, heart and marquise shapes.

2. Step-cut diamonds feature rows of facets positioned in a step-like fashion. Instead of a culet, step-cut diamonds have a 'keel' or ridge running the length of the pavilion at the bottom. Most step-cut diamonds have four sides and a rectangular shape, such as emerald-cut and baguette.

3. Mixed-cut diamonds combine the qualities of the brilliant and step-cuts. The most popular example is the princess-cut (or radiant-cut), although cushion-cut diamonds are experiencing a revival in popularity.

The shape you choose is really a matter of personal preference, and each has its individual advantages.

- Round diamonds are by far the most popular choice. Their design has been developed over the last hundred years. This shape best features a diamond's fire, sparkle and brilliance.

- Oval diamonds have an original beauty and are preferred for women who want to break with tradition,

- Pear-shaped (or teardrop) diamonds offer a unique way to express yourself.

- Heart-shaped diamonds are a truly romantic and unique choice.

- Marquise diamonds are a "pointed oval" shape and are especially flattering for women with slender fingers.

- Emerald-cut diamonds are often considered appropriate for larger stones, and are excellent for women whose taste runs more to the classic.

- Baguette diamonds are slender, rectangular diamonds that are the most common form of the step cut: today, it is most often used as an accent stone on the sides of a ring's larger central (and usually brilliant-cut) primary (or center) stone.

- Princess-cut (or radiant cut) diamonds are a good choice because they can be set in almost any style of ring.

- Cushion-cut diamonds have a classic, romantic style with larger facets that highlight the diamond's clean-cut features and rounded corners that soften the overall appearance.

Clarity

Like every love, every diamond is unique. One reason for this is clarity. Clarity measures the flawlessness of a diamond. Similar to people, diamonds have natural birthmarks that vary in size, shape, position, quantity and color. Internal birthmarks are called inclusions, while those found on the external surface of a diamond are known as blemishes. Inclusions and blemishes are very common.

There are several causes for inclusions and blemishes. During a diamond's growth, minerals can be trapped inside the stone, causing discoloration or breakage. Blemishes can also develop during the cutting, polishing and setting processes. Though nearly all diamonds have inclusions and blemishes, the most prized diamonds are flawless. Light is able to pass through uninterrupted in a flawless diamond, resulting in a beautiful sparkle.

Experts measure clarity with special equipment. A classic jeweler's tool is the loupe, a small 10-power (10x) magnifying glass. This is the standard magnification when determining diamond clarity. Jewelers will also use gemological microscopes to show you the characteristics of your diamond.

Even diamonds with inclusions and blemishes can be among the most beautiful, especially those with good color and cut. Many inclusions are difficult to see with the naked eye, and some may be minimized by the setting you choose.

FIVE FACTORS THAT ARE USED TO ASSIGN A CLARITY GRADE TO A DIAMOND:

1. Size of inclusions

2. Number of Inclusions

3. Position: For example, an inclusion located in the center of the diamond affects the grade more than one located in a side facet.

4. Nature: If the inclusion could affect the diamond's durability, it will reduce its value.

5. Visibility of inclusions

 Color

A diamond's body color (from colorless to yellow) is determined by the Gemological Institute of America's color scale. Like the other 4Cs, color is a matter of preference. Some people insist on colorless diamonds for their breathtaking purity and radiance, while others prefer slightly yellow diamonds for a warmer look.

What causes different diamond colors? The answer is chemistry. A diamond is made up of pure carbon. During its development, other natural elements may be incorporated into the carbon, causing a chemical reaction that changes the color. For instance, traces of nitrogen cause yellow diamonds, while boron gives diamonds a blue color.

Over time, diamonds will never change color, but a diamond's setting can often influence its appearance. A yellow gold setting makes a light yellow diamond appear whiter. Platinum and white gold settings, however, may make the yellow hue in a diamond more apparent. Similarly, a colorless diamond set in yellow gold may reflect the setting's yellow tint.

Bonus

Carat

A carat is a unit of measure for diamond weight and is evaluated on a point system. One carat is equivalent to 100 points; a half-carat diamond is 50 points and so on. One carat also equals 200 milligrams, and 142 carats equal one ounce.

It's also important to note that "carat" should not be confused with "karat," the unit that measures the purity of gold. The term "carat" is derived from the carob seed, the ancient unit of measure for diamond weight. As technology evolved, jewelers began using mechanical balances and electric scales to measure carat weight accurately. Today, most diamonds are weighed using electronic gem scales.

Although diamonds come in many weights, one-carat diamonds are found in nature less often than smaller diamonds and are therefore much more expensive. For this reason, a one-carat diamond costs far more than two half-carat diamonds of the same cut, color and clarity.

When choosing the right carat weight, you must take several factors into account. Remember that any diamond will look bigger when worn on a small hand. And, the type of setting can affect a diamond's appearance.

Interestingly, the largest diamond ever found was the Cullinan Diamond, weighing in at 3,106.75 carats (or one and one-third pounds). Mined from South Africa in 1905, the Cullinan was cut into several smaller diamonds to maximize brilliance. Currently, some pieces of the Cullinan are now part of the British Crown Jewels.

Certified Diamonds

A certificate is a blueprint of a loose diamond. Known as either a diamond grading report or diamond dossier, this certificate gives a diamond’s exact measurements, weight, cut and overall quality. A certificate will precisely point out a diamond’s individual characteristics as well as be a useful tool when identifying a stone. When shopping for a loose diamond, considering stones that have a grading report will allow you to make an informed decision on which diamond will be best for you. Your diamond grading report is supplied by one of the following organizations.

G.I.A.

Any diamond submitted to G.I.A. is ensured to have reliable and consistent grading. Anywhere from 3-6 separate gemologists will individually grade each and every diamond for an accurate final grade. G.I.A. grading reports are considered a hallmark of integrity throughout the diamond world, issuing two separate types of reports. One of the more common reports is the full-issued G.I.A. document, which contains the full description of the diamond as well as a plotting of the grade-setting clarity characteristics of that stone. The G.I.A. Dossier will have the full individual details of each diamond graded, but the plotting is not included. Both reports reference a unique serial number that has been laser-inscribed on the diamond’s girdle, allowing for verification of the stone under 10x magnification. With “Gemscribe”, your diamond cannot possibly be mistaken for any other. The serial number on your diamond will always match the serial number on your certificate.

I.G.I.

The International Gemological Institute (I.G.I.) is the largest independent grading and appraisal organization in the world. Over 450 scientific technicians and gemologists examine hundreds of thousands of gemstones and jewelry items every year. I.G.I. has centers in Antwerp, New York, Bangkok, Mumbai, Tokyo, Dubai, Los Angeles and Toronto. It offers diamond and colored stone certificates, educational courses to the trade, and diamond laser inscription. The information contained in every I.G.I. Diamond Grading Report is also stored in the organization’s computer database, ensuring that you may, at any time, request and receive an update of your report if the need arises.

G.S.I.

GSI is an independent gemological laboratory that provides professional gemstone identification, grading and appraisal services exclusively to the fine jewelry industry. It is headquartered in the heart of New York City’s Diamond District and has offices abroad in international diamond centers. The foundation of GSI is built on innovative thinking, new technology, traditional values, and shared industry research. The result is a gem lab equipped to meet the evolving needs of the industry. GSI’s gemologists have vast expertise in diamond grading, both theoretical and practical. They are up-to-date about any new developments in the gemological and jewelry fields. Each diamond is examined by a minimum of four gemologists: two gemologists for color grade and at least two gemologists for clarity grade.

A.G.S.

A.G.S. is known throughout the diamond industry as grading top-notch Ideal-Cut round diamonds. Their high standards surpass those of any other grading laboratory when considering color and clarity as well as cut. If a diamond has been graded by A.G.S. Lab, it has met the standards of what is considered the perfect proportions, polish, and symmetry; and has been given a grade of “ideal” or a “000” rating. A.G.S. Ideal-Cut round diamonds are highly sought after in today’s market.

GemEx

GemEx Systems is an independent laboratory that provides certification on the light performance of a diamond, stating the measurement of fire, sparkle and brilliance for your Leo Diamond. This certification is known as the"Return of Light." The GemEx BrillianceScope® Analyzer, which uses patented spectrophotometer technology, measures a diamond’s white light (brilliance), color light (fire) and scintillation (sparkle). It then rates each of these three measures compared to other diamonds of the same shape. The scale for each shape was set by measuring thousands of diamonds to determine the highest and lowest amount of white light, color light and scintillation possible for each shape. The Light Performance Report includes the three bar graphs and also shows images of the diamond under five different light views used for measurement of Light Performance. It is important to know that superior performance in any of the three light categories yields a beautiful diamond.