DIAMOND SHAPES
Diamonds are precious stones consisting of a clear and typically colorless crystalline form of pure carbon, the hardest naturally occurring substance formed in the earth over millions of years. The traditional round brilliant diamond, though the most popular diamond shape of all, is hardly the only one.
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Round Brilliant Diamonds
This shape has set the standard for all other diamond shapes, and accounts for more than 75% of diamonds sold today. Its 58-facet cut, divided among its crown (top), girdle (widest part) and pavilion (base), is calibrated through a precise formula to achieve the maximum in fire and brilliance. |
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Oval Diamonds
An even, perfectly symmetrical design popular among women with small hands or short fingers. Its elongated shape gives a flattering illusion of length to the hand. |
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Marquise Diamonds
An elongated shape with pointed ends inspired by the fetching smile of the Marquise de Pompadour and commissioned by the Sun King, France's Louis XIV, who wanted a diamond to match it. It is gorgeous when used as a solitaire or when enhanced by smaller diamonds. |
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Pear Shaped Diamonds
A hybrid cut, combining the best of the oval and the marquise, it is shaped most like a sparkling teardrop. It also belongs to that category of diamond whose design most complements a hand with small or average-length fingers. It is particularly beautiful for pendants or earrings. |
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Heart Shaped Diamonds
This ultimate symbol of romance is essentially a pear-shaped diamond with a cleft at the top. The skill of the cutter determines the beauty of the cut. Look for a stone with an even shape and a well-defined outline. |
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Emerald Cut Diamonds
This is a rectangular shape with cut corners. It is known as a step cut because its concentric broad, flat planes resemble stair steps. Since inclusions and inferior color are more pronounced in this particular cut, take pains to select a stone of superior clarity and color. |
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Princess Cut Diamonds
This is a square or rectangular cut with numerous sparkling facets. It is a relatively new cut and often finds its way into solitaire engagement rings. Flattering to a hand with long fingers, it is often embellished with triangular stones at its sides. Because of its design, this cut requires more weight to be directed toward the diamond's depth in order to maximize brilliance. Depth percentages of 70% to 78% are not uncommon. |
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Trilliant Diamonds
This is a spectacular wedge of brittle fire. First developed in Amsterdam, the exact design can vary depending on a particular diamond's natural characteristics and the cutter's personal preferences. It may be a traditional triangular shape with pointed corners or a more rounded triangular shape with 25 facets on the crown, 19 facets on the pavilion, and a polished girdle. It is definitely for the adventurous. |
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Radiant Cut Diamonds
This square or rectangular cut combines the elegance of the emerald shape diamond with the brilliance of the round, and its 70 facets maximize the effect of its color refraction. Because of its design, this cut requires more weight to be directed toward the diamond's depth in order to maximize brilliance. Depth percentages of 70% to 78% are not uncommon. |
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Cushion Cut Diamonds
An antique style of cut that looks like a cross between an Old Mine Cut (a deep cut with large facets that was common in the late 19th and the early 20th centuries) and a modern oval cut. |
DIAMOND CARAT
Carat, abbreviated "ct." is a measure of weight used for diamonds. One carat is equal to 1/5 of a gram (200 milligrams). Stones are measured to the nearest hundredth of a carat. A hundredth of a carat is also called a point. Thus a .10 carat stone can be called either 10 points, or 1/10 of a carat. Small stones like .05, and .10ct are most often referred to by point designations.
The carat, as a unit of weight, is derived from the carob seed which was used by early gem traders to weigh diamonds. Since a carat is a unit of measure and not size, two diamonds of the same carat weight may appear to be different sizes depending on how the diamond is cut.
DIAMOND CLARITY
The Clarity Grading Scale developed by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), outlined below is the most widely accepted grading system in the world.
| Grade |
Description |
| F |
Flawless. The diamond shows no inclusions or blemishes of any sort under 10X magnification when observed by an experienced grader. |
| IF |
Internally Flawless. The diamond has no inclusions when examined by an experienced grader using 10X magnification, but will have some minor blemishes. |
| VVS1, VVS2 |
Very, Very slightly included. The diamond contains very small inclusions that are difficult even for experienced graders to see under 10X magnification. |
| VS1, VS2 |
Very slightly included. The diamond contains small inclusions such as small crystals, clouds or feathers when observed with effort under 10X magnification. |
| SI1, SI2 |
Slightly included. The diamond contains inclusions (clouds, included crystals, knots cavities and feathers) that are noticeable under 10x magnification. |
| SI3 |
Slightly included. The diamond contains inclusions (possible large feathers or large crystrals) That are obsious under 10x magnification but not to the visible eye. |
| I1, I2, I3 |
Included. The diamond contains inclusions (possible large feathers or large crystrals) That are obsious under 10x magnification and visible to the naked eye. |
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Now you will ask "Which clarity grade should I choose"?
F and IF are very rare diamonds and very expensive for the average person's pocket.
VVS and VS are very good clarity diamonds but are still quite expensive.
More affordable and very good choices are SI1, SI2, and SI3 called also "eye-clean" because they have no inclusions visible to the naked eye.
Every diamond is unique and possesses its own individual natural characteristics referred to as inclusions and described as "nature's fingerprints". These inclusions, such as minerals or fractures, appear while diamonds are formed in the earth. They may look like tiny crystals, clouds or feathers. The number, size, color, nature and position of the inclusions determine the clarity of the diamond.
DIAMOND COLOR
Color refers to the presence or absence of color in white diamonds. Acting as a prism, a diamond can divide light into a spectrum of colors and reflect this light as colorful flashes called fire. Just as when looking through colored glass, color in a diamond will act as a filter, and will diminish the spectrum of color emitted. The less color in a diamond, the more colorful the fire and the better the color grade. Diamonds are assigned color grades by comparing them to diamonds with color grades which have been certified by the GIA as master color comparison diamonds. The GIA grades color alphabetically from D (totally colorless) to Z (yellow). See chart below:
Color differences are very subtle and it is very difficult to see the difference between say, an E and an F. Therefore, colors are graded under controlled lighting conditions and are compared to a master set for accuracy. When determining the color of a diamond, it is crucial to see the diamond unmounted.
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