#gemology101

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SHAPES Pt. 1 by Staci Kline

Just like everyone has their favorite flavor of ice cream – every woman has their favorite shape of diamond.  With the shape of diamonds expanding from rounds to heart shape the choices for center stones in engagement rings seem endless as compared to decades before.  The shape of the diamond, not the cut* is the outlining of the stone. 

The most popular and well know diamond shape is the round.  There are many versions of the round shape - the European Cut, the Old Mine cut, and most recently the round brilliant.  All of these have the same shape but what differentiates each stone is the cut – the agreement of the facets.  The round brilliant is currently the most well known round shape and has 58 facets (57 if the cutlet is not included) and was originally developed in 1919 by Marcel Tolkowsky.

Square shapes fall closely behind with Princess Cut gaining great popularity in recent years.  Princess cuts include a range between 49 to 58 facets.  Other square cuts include Cushion cuts that were first introduced in 1700s and have round corners.  Ascher cuts come in third under square shapes as the most popular for center stones.  Ascher cut, known as a “step down cut,” are very similar to Emerald Cuts (see below) but have larger facets and more squared off.

The octagonal shape better known as the Emerald Cut has a rectangle shape with “step-cut” facets and beveled corners.  The Emerald Cut has quickly gain popularity in recent years and is becoming more requested from women looking for a classic “old Hollywood look.”  Emerald Cuts have a mirror like look and need to have a very high quality stone to make this shape look beautiful. The Radiant Cut is a new rising star for many women – combined the fire of a round brilliant and the shape of an Emerald cut with rounded corners. 

Stay tuned for SHAPES Pt. 2 by Staci Kline

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Moment Of Clarity - by Staci Kline

A Moment of Clarity

A diamond is formed under a strong amount of pressure and along with pressure comes diamond characteristics know as blemishes and inclusions.  Blemishes form on the outside of the diamond and can be buffed and polished off the stone, whereas inclusions are embedded in the diamond itself.  These attributes of the stone help to identify the clarity of a diamond.  Clarity of a diamond is simply based on the GIA clarity scale ranging from flawless (F) to very very included (I3).   Simply said the more blemishes and inclusion the lower on the clarity scale the diamond falls.

Here is a breakdown of each of the clarity grades based on GIA’s grading system

·       Flawless (FL) – No inclusions or blemished under a 10x magnification (rare).

·       Internally Flawless (IF) – No inclusions under a 10x magnification.

·       Very Very Slightly Included (VVS1 and VVS2) – Inclusions so small it is hard for a skilled grader to see under 10x magnification.

·       Very Slightly Included (VS1 and VS2) – Minor inclusion found under a 10x magnification.

·       Slightly Included (SI1 and SI2) – Inclusions are noticeable under 10x magnification.

·       Included (I1, I2, and I3) – Inclusions are very noticeable under 10x magnification and can affect the brilliance.

Most jewelers sell between SI1 to SI2 diamonds but of course can sell any clarity stone that matches your price point and what you are looking for.  Once the diamond has a rating of I or below is when there are visible appearance differences to the average consumer.  However when dealing with stones SI1 and up inclusions and blemishes are not noticeable unless under 10x magnification. 

Clarity not only makes up one for the 4C’s but also helps to establish the price of a diamond.  The higher the clarity grade the more value the stone holds.  So ask your jeweler which stone will give you not only the clarity you desire but will fit into your budget as well. 

Below is an example of the GIA Clarity Scale:

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Gemology 101 - ” What Makes The Cut? PART 2 ” by Staci Kline

There is an Austrian saying: "all good things come in threes,” and that is no different when dealing with diamond cut.  My last article touch on the proportion attribute, while this article will focus on the last two: light and the finish of the diamond.  Each of these three features plays a factor in each other and makes each diamond cut unique.

Light – well without it there would be no sparkle.  Let’s go back to our high school days for a moment and talk about refraction.  As you probably recall refraction is the change of speed and possible change in direction of light as it travels from one transparent material to another.  When light reflects from the stone you see brightness known as brilliance, however there is more to it.  Some light rays will divide into color flashes known in the industry as fire, while some flashes will include both white and spectral color lights known as scintillation.  A well-cut diamond will maximize the amount of light reflected back through the stone.

Then there is the finish of the diamond.  There are two key components when dealing with the finish of a diamond: polish and symmetry.  Polish is the overall condition of the facet surfaces of a finished diamond (definition from GIA Diamond Essentials.).  This basically means what the appearance is of each facet, whether there is blemishes or inclusions on the stone.  Symmetry is the precision and balance of a finished gem’s cut (definition from GIA Diamond Essentials), which refers to the display of brilliance, fire, and scintillation.  Neither of the three should over power the other. Depending on the diamonds design and craftsmanship the diamond will be rated on the cutting scale of” Excellent” all the way down to “Poor.” The rating of the stone will reflect on the price.  Ratings are based on GIA standards and are done by GIA Graduated Gemologist.  Don’t be afraid to ask your jeweler the Cut Rating of each stone when you are looking at diamonds. 

Remember the better the sparkle the bigger the smile!

Below is an example of idea proportions for a finished round brillant.