"A Girl's Best Friend"
Every diamond is unique, and there are a variety of factors which affect the price of a diamond. Focus on those factors most important to you and choose a diamond that satisfies your individual standards for beauty and value.
Diamond Anatomy
While every diamond is unique, all diamonds share certain structural features. A diamond’s anatomy, or its basic structure, determines its proportions, brilliance, dispersion and scintillation. Each part of the diamond has a specific name, and having a basic understanding of how each part contributes to the diamond as a whole will help you find your perfect diamond.
A diamond is comprised of the eight main components.
They are Diameter, Table, Crown, Table Spread, Girdle, Pavilion, Depth, and Culet.
Below is a brief description of each part of a diamond and its location.
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Diameter: The width of a polished stone, measured from edge to edge.
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Table: The largest polished facet located on the top of the diamond.
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Crown: The top part of a diamond extending from the table to the girdle. The crown is made up of bezel facets (crown mains), star facets, upper girdle facets (upper halves), and a table facet.
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Girdle: The very edge (widest edge) of the diamond where the crown and pavilion meet.
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Pavilion: The bottom part of a diamond extending from the girdle down to the culet.
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Depth: The total height of a diamond measured from the table to the culet.
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Culet: The small or pointed facet at the very bottom of the diamond.
Proportion – Brilliance, Dispersion & Scintillation
Well–proportioned diamonds display three different properties: brilliance, dispersion and scintillation.
As light strikes a diamond's surface, it will either reflect off the table of the diamond or enter it. The light that is reflected is known as the diamond's brilliance, it is the light one sees when looking at a diamond
As light travels through a stone, some of the light rays are separated into flashes of color. This is known as dispersion. The result of dispersion (which is the separation of white light into its spectral colours) is what creates the fire of a diamond
Scintillation is flashes of color that are viewable as an observer moves a diamond back and forth.
Diamond Symmetry
Symmetry describes the exactness of the shape and arrangement of facets in a diamond. It is included in diamond certificate reports, such as those issued by GIA, because it represents the quality of craftsmanship that went into shaping and cutting of a diamond. When a diamond has high marks in the symmetry department, it is likely to deliver a more visually pleasing presentation. In addition, when coupled with other features, such as color and clarity, the quality of the finished stone’s shape and facets will impact value.
Diamond Polish
Diamond polish influences how well light is able to pass through a diamond. It is a very important feature in determining a diamond's overall brilliance. When choosing a diamond, opt for one with good, very good or excellent polish that is laboratory certified. Diamonds with not so good polish are significantly less brilliant because they have microscopic polish lines that blur the surface of the stone. This also reduces the amount of light that enters or exits the diamond. Poor polish occurs because some diamond cutters reduce their costs by not spending sufficient time to properly polish a diamond.
Fluorescence
Fluorescence refers to a diamond's tendency to emit a soft colored glow when subjected to ultraviolet light. Some quality diamonds display a visible light when they are exposed to ultraviolet light. This light is known as fluorescence. Under most lighting conditions, a diamond's fluorescence is not visible to the naked eye.
There are times when diamond fluorescence is not considered positive. A high level of fluorescence in a diamond could make it look hazy or oily in appearance, especially when coupled with certain types of clarity characteristics, like clouds.
You can prevent negative effects from fluorescence by choosing diamonds that have a fluorescent rating of “Faint” or “None.”
GIA considers diamond fluorescence an identifying characteristic.
Round Cut
Oval Cut
Emerald Cut
Asscher Cut
Princess Cut
Cushion Cut
