Cut Diamonds

Jewelry is an extension of your personal style. It can transform simple, basic outfits into spectacular ensembles – and it can give your old favorites a new sparkle. So when considering how to set loose moissanite stones or choosing a moissanite or diamond engagement ring, don’t forget to consider how the pieces will fit into your wardrobe and your lifestyle.

Your lifestyle.

Before you shop for moissanite or diamond engagement rings, consider how and where you’ll be wearing your jewelry. For instance, if you’re an active woman who will wear her ring to work, to the gym and at night, sturdier settings – such as bezel and pave engagement ring settings – will provide added protection to the stone. However, if your ring will be worn mostly socially, a more delicate setting may be appropriate.

Your favorite color.

Whether pink is your signature color or you look best in canary yellow, diamond engagement rings, earrings, and even rings in pave engagement settings can all be customized to include colored diamonds, loose moissanite or other gemstones in your favorite colors. In fact, there’s no rule that says your engagement ring needs to be a colorless diamond – sapphires, rubies and other precious stones are all popular choices for engagement rings.

Your personal style.

Are you bold or demure? Trendy or classic? Playful or subdued? From simple pendants to dramatic earrings, classic diamond engagement rings to loose moissanite stones in custom settings – whatever your style, your jewelry to enhance it.

Your jewelry collection.

If your style is ultra-modern, then pave moissanite engagement rings settings or loose moissanite in basket settings may appear too old-fashioned for your overall look. However, if your jewelry collection is filled with timeless pieces, these settings would add another layer of romantic sophistication to your look.

Your frame.

Your frame will often dictate the type of jewelry you look best in. Women who are curvy or athletic often look best in bold necklaces, chunky bracelets and even loose moissanite set in dramatic cocktail rings. However, women with more delicate frames and features typically look best in smaller jewelry such as pretty diamond pendants or small moissanite hoops.

Your skin tone.

In general, people with cool skin tones (usually with blue, green, or grey eyes) look best in silver, white gold or platinum jewelry, whereas people with warm skin tones (often with brown, black, or hazel eyes) usually look best in gold. Regardless of what’s in fashion, think about what works for you.

As you shop for diamond or moissanite jewelry, you will want to keep these things in mind.

A Diamond is forever and a diamond watch is for a lifetime! A diamond watch is not just a luxury timepiece but is a perfect statement of style, value and sentiment. Tshere was a time when you had to look for a diamond watch and affordability was an important question but things have changed considerably today.

With the advent of the internet, finding a diamond watches is easier and buying one is affordable. The internet has opened different avenues for e-commerce, which brings up the much debated significance of online auctions. Online auction is one of the most effective ways of selling rare jewelry, watches and other items. The underlying significance of an online auction is that it makes it easier for people to find rare and expensive items in a wider range and at an affordable price.

The entire concept behind a jewelry auction is to promote jewelry but the bigger picture boils down to just one thing: you have a higher chance of getting the watch or jewelry you have desired for a long time at your price. The main aim of an online watch auction is to bring to you authenticated timepieces from different brands globally to one place. So an online auction becomes a one stop shop. At an online auction, you will find some of the most exquisite timepieces with intricate designs, studded with diamonds finding which at a watch store might be difficult.

Some of the brands with their top of the line diamond watches or other jewelry watches are made available through an online action. Some of the brands that you will see occasionally at a watch auction include Rolex, Audemars Piguet, Longines, Breitling, Movado, Baume & Mercier, Bulova, Ebel, Omega, Hublot, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Maurice Lacroix, Bulgari, and Girard-Perregaux. These are not just top brands but have been timekeepers for more than a couple of decades.

You may have your eyes on a specific model by Jaeger-LeCoultre or Movado and it is probably unavailable at the numerous watch stores across your state or area. But you want the watch, so what are your options? The best option is a watch auction where you have a higher probability of finding your chosen watch model. A watch auction is an evolved market place where you can bid on a single watch or numerous watches and get to buy them for a price tag, which would otherwise be impossible to get at a local watch store. This is the single biggest advantage of a diamond watch auction.

At an online auction, you can find a Benny & Co men’s diamond watch with a price tag of $6400 for just half the price and hence auctions are the perfect statement for affordability. If you have been dreaming about a specific 2.6 ct., white and yellow diamond studded chronograph watch with ice dial and leather strap then you don’t have to look too far!

Jewelry beautifies a person and gives one a personality that is awe-inspiring. It can be considered as one of the key fashion accessories with both the genders. Just like how Jewelry designing is an art, choosing suitable and fashionable Jewelry for yourself could need an expert’s advice. The kind of Diamond Jewelry one wears is absolutely dependent on the person’s taste for it and secondly the affordability secondly the affordability. There are a lot of imitation designs, which look very much like

Have you been dreaming of decking yourself with some of the trendiest set of Jewelry? Do you want to be a showstopper? Wearing apt Jewelry for an occasion comes from inspiration to look a class apart. Precious stones, gems, gold, silver and platinum are dream possessions of Jewelry lovers worldwide. Creativity in the field of Jewelry design gives shape to some customized and novel designs that people love wearing. This creativity in design is again different with different cultural influences. There still are some standardized designs crafted for people from diverse backgrounds or nationalities. What are these latest designs all about? Let’s have a closer look.

A ring holds a lot of symbolic significance when it comes to bonding emotions. It is indeed a piece of precious Jewelry a man and woman exchange on their engagement or wedding. Relationships are the basis of every human life on earth. To keep the thread going strong, possessing a stunning looking Diamond Ring that keeps reminding one of the beautiful relationships in their life is something that everybody looks forward to. The latest designs in rings are plenty to choose from. It could range from a simple yet elegant looking gold or platinum ring with rounded edges, studded with one of the most precious stones like the diamond. No matter what, designs could get outdated but stones and gems will remain precious forever. Did you know one could choose from a colorful range of available diamonds? The blue and yellow diamond set in platinum is one of the trendiest jewelry designs that have emerged. The vintage inspired rings that are crafted in white gold are perfect for passionate and romantic souls who look to express their emotions through the kind of Jewelry they wear.Diamonds hold stupendous value and bring honor to the person who adorns herself with it. Bigger the diamond more ravishing its brilliance and purity. Colorless diamonds are considered to radiate a sense of sparkling glory when compared to diamonds of different colors.

Chains, pendants, bracelets are being crafted into modern designs giving them perfect geometrical shapes. When it comes to gold, what karat gold you buy determines the value you attach to your precious possession. The beautiful ‘Bib’ shaped necklaces crafted in different metal styles, snake like chains, multi strand necklace, necklaces that look like a river of gemstones and resplendent tassel chains that hang over your torso are what people are looking for to fit into the latest and trendiest society.

All the men out there who wouldn’t want their Jewelry pick to go obsolete look out for blackened sterling silver that is bejeweled for your cuffs. Color domed gemstones are in. Imagine a candle light dinner and your cuffs sparkling with the rose cut diamonds to give it a budding rose effect. Wouldn’t that be irresistible? Preferring dark gemstones that are less glittery has become the latest design trend especially when contrasted with high carat gold.Pamper your passion for Jewelry and get swanky with what is in vogue! This season you could make heads turn and bask in the importance and attention people throw at you!

Anyone who has even tried to buy a diamond has probably heard of the four c’s of a diamond. So, what exactly are the four c’s and why do the matter so much for the person who buy the diamond? Well, the 4c’s determine the quality of the diamond and therefore – it’s worth. Let’s take a closer look at these four quality parameters and understand them a little better:

Clarity – describes the clearness or purity of a diamond. It is determined by the number, size an shape of the flows, or imperfections, inside and outside the diamond. The clarity is expressed by a scale of clarity level. The highest level is F – which means “flawless” diamond (very rare). On the other side of the scale there’s the I3 clarity degree, which indicates a diamond with very notable imperfections. The scale goes from I3, to I2, I1, SI2, SI1, VS2, VS1, VVS2, VVS1, IF and finally – F. Be aware that the clarity level of a diamond may change over time for many reasons.

Color – The color of a diamond is another factor that should be looked at when determining it’s worth. Not all diamonds are clear in color, and some have a yellowish color to them. The color scale starts at D,E,F,G,H and I levels, which represent colorless (transparent) diamond, D being the most colorless. After that, J,K and L represent a diamond which is near colorless. M, N,O,P,Q and R represent a faint light yellow diamond, and the S,T,U,V, W,X,Y and Z letters stand for a light yellow diamond.

Cut – the beauty of the diamond is to a large extent, derived from the quality of it’s cut. An ideal cut will reflect most of the light that hits the diamond, thus causing it to shine and look very beautiful. A poor cut will make the diamond look lifeless and in many cases a small diamond that has an ideal cut will look much better that a bigger diamond with a shallow or a heavy cut. In many cases, the cut has a great effect on the diamond’s price. One might ask – if the cut is so important, why aren’t all the diamonds cut in a prefect way? The answer to that is that the rough diamond doesn’t always allow the diamond cutter to cut it in an idea way because rough diamonds are found in different shapes and sizes.

Carat – The weight of the diamond. 1 carat equal to 0.20 grams. A carat is also sub divided into points, where 100 equals 1 carat. The size of a single diamond adds to it’s worth, so 2 half-carat diamonds taken together will not cost as much as 1 one-carat diamond. This is due to the fact that the one-carat stone is more rare.

After the 4 c’s are evaluated, the diamond’s price can be calculated. Of course, diamond’s value is also effected by the market – if there is a great demand to certain diamonds, their price may go up beyond their “on paper” value.

Once you’ve decided that you want to pop the question, you now need to do it with the perfect ring. And no better way to do it, than with a diamond engagement rings. However, you want to ensure that along with dazzling your fiancé, it must also suit her preferences; lifestyle and most importantly fit her. This will involve trying on many rings till she finds something that suits her best. The ideal way thus to ensure you surprise her with a ring that fits all the above criteria, is to pick a diamond yourself and let her choose the design and make of the ring.

However, it helps if one knows the basic parameters by which to judge a diamond before buying it. A diamond is judged by the 4Cs: Colour, Clarity, Cut and Carat. The higher a diamond rates in all these characteristics, the more expensive it is. A little idea of what these terms mean will go a long way in helping you pick the best ring

Colour: Contrary to popular belief, diamonds are not colourless. ‘Normal’ diamonds are graded on a scale of D to Z with D being colourless and Z as light yellow. A colourless diamond in the normal range is the most expensive. Beyond Z, a diamond is considered as ‘fancy coloured’. Naturally coloured diamonds are quite rare. Red and green are the rarest fancy colours, followed by purple, violet, orange, blue, and pink. Yellow and greenish yellow diamonds are more common. And the rarer, the more expensive.

Clarity: Clarity is the absence of internal inclusions (mineral parts or crystals trapped inside) or surface blemishes. A diamond devoid of such inclusions and blemishes is ‘flawless’ and most valuable. Normally diamonds are cut and shaped so as to get rid of surface blemishes, without reducing the weight of the diamond. Since inclusions are found only in natural diamonds, they help in distinguishing them from lab made ones. When you buy a diamond for your engagement rings, look for such blemishes and inclusions under a 10X magnifying glass. (Most jewellers will provide you with one).

Cut: Cut refers to proportion, symmetry and finish of a diamond. A diamond can be cut in various ways, to accentuate its ‘fire’. A well cut, well-proportioned diamond will sparkle breathtakingly and display the colours of the rainbow when held against light. Although you might not be able to know technically whether a diamond in your engagement rings is well proportioned by looking at it, the gasp emanating from your fiancé will be a good pointer!

Carat: This is the unit of measuring the diamond weight. 1 carat is divided into 100 points. So a diamond of half a carat will measure .5 carat. The measure corresponds directly with the size and price of your diamond. In case you want an elaborate engagement rings, you might consider a cluster of diamonds of varying carat measurements.

With this basic knowledge, it will now be easier to explain to your jeweller what you’re looking for, and also discern if he’s offering you what your money and of course your beloved deserves.

Every body know that diamonds is most beautiful stones in over the entire world but a very few people know that what is diamonds and where is it found? Diamond may be up to 3 billion years old, which is much older than their surface host rock. Diamond crystallization originates some 200 kilometers, or 320 miles, beneath the surface and the disaggregated crystals are merely transported to the surface via kimberlite and lamproite pipes. These igneous host rock formations are roughly cylindrical in shape and act as a conduit from the Earth’s mantle to the continental crust. Today, 75-80% of the world’s natural diamonds are used for industrial purposes and 20-25% for gemstones. Diamond may even be found in meteorites.

Diamond is a colourless exceptionally hard mineral (but often tinted yellow, orange, blue, brown, or black by impurities), found in certain igneous rocks esp. the kimberlites of South Africa. It is used as a gemstone, as an abrasive, and on the working edges of cutting tools. Composition: carbon. Formula: C. Crystal structure: cubic. Name derived from the Greek adamas meaning invincible. Relative density 3.50- 3.52. Cleavage eminent along octahedral faces. Fracture conchoidal. Tenacity brittle. Lustre brilliantly adamantine. Refractive index 2.417- 2.419. Dispersion strong 0.044. Diamond crystals form as cubes, octahedra , the most common gem form, and dodecahedra. Colourless to yellow diamonds which have a strong absorbtion line in the violet end of the spectrum are members of the Cape series. Color is usually pale yellow to colorless, but can also be brown, blue, green, orange, red, and black.

The most famous diamond bearing country is South Africa. The first diamond was reported in 1866. By 1869 an 83.5 carat diamond had been found and was named The Star of Africa. It was subsequently cut into a pear shape brilliant weighing 47.74 carats. The Golconda area of Southern India has been the source of some famous diamonds such as the Koh-i-nor (mountain of light 186cts cut to 108.92 cts and now in the Tower of London) and Jehangir. Diamond is widespread in Brazil, most stones being small but of good gem quality. Alluvial diamonds have been found in most states of the USA. White and fancy coloured diamonds such as pinks and pinkish browns are mined at Argyle in North Western Australia. Other important producers are Russia, now the fourth largest producer, and China.

Without doubt a diamond stud earring is one of the boldest statements of success and style that anybody can wear, and recently earrings adorned with just a single diamond or encrusted with several small diamonds have become the last word in fashion.  They are available in a number of styles, from hip hop to elegant gold pave settings.

For many years, genuine diamond earrings have tended to be associated with older people, particularly women, but now an increasing number of men are wearing them rather than the plain gold style of stud earring.  This has come about largely as a result of the combination of the music and fashion industry, and hip-hop now almost seems to describe a particular style of fashion as much as it does a style of music, most typically with the concept of bling.

As a direct result of the hip hop style, it has become increasingly popular amongst younger people to adorn themselves with as much bling as possible.  A diamond stud earring fits that bill perfectly, since these are diamond earrings that have been designed specifically with younger people in mind.  From their vibrant colours, funky designs and highly distinctive looks, these earrings are instantly recognizable for both their style and status. Many of the colored diamonds have been enhanced to produce a stronger, more vibrant coloration to the earring.

An example of these is a diamond kite earring in three colors, with white, blue and canary yellow diamonds in a pave setting of white 14 carat gold.  Not only beautiful, but a distinctive statement of style and wealth, but for a real hip-hop earring you can have 4 carats of white diamonds in a square 14 carat gold setting – that really sparkles, and 14K gold is not as soft as 18K and therefore wears better.

It might be easy to assume that a diamond stud earring designed with style and fashion in mind compromises on the quality of manufacture, but this is not the case.  Such earrings can be of the very highest quality, beautifully crafted in fine gold with securely set diamonds that offer the perfect accompaniment to a diamond watch in traditional, contemporary or bling styles in a wide range of designs and colors.

Some men love checkerboard styles with white and deeper colored diamonds set in a check pattern.  Others prefer the bling of lots of small bright and sparkling white diamonds, set against a yellow gold color. The same is true for women, since diamond stud earrings are suitable for both sexes, some being specifically designed to be unisex.

People notice three things about a person wearing diamond stud earrings – whether man or woman. The first will likely be the flashing sparkly diamonds as they catch the light, and the second might well be the vibrant colors of some of the diamonds that have been enhanced to draw the eye.  The final thing they will notice is the style of the person him or herself, since the people who wear real diamonds either have that touch of class that comes with wearing diamond earrings in traditional settings, or the flashy bling-bling of hip-hop styles that make a real statement about the wearer.

Such diamond stud earrings can vary from under 0.3 to over 6 carats of diamonds and more, either solitaire or with a mixture of clear or colored diamonds in a variety of different cuts and settings that are designed for maximum impact on both the wearer and admirer. Some prefer all white, while others prefer a mixture of enhanced colors. 

History has confirmed time and again that diamonds are a girl’s best friend, and no woman can fail to be impressed and delighted with the gift of diamonds.  A pair of diamond stud earrings has always been a beautiful and lasting gift to buy that special woman at certain times in her life, but is now increasingly becoming a gift for women to purchase for the man in their life, and although single earrings were at one time the style for men, it is now normal for them to wear the pair.

Whether it is a single solitaire earring or a pair consisting of white and colored diamonds in one of many new patterns, and settings in white or yellow gold, diamond stud earrings adds a sparkle to your ears and are an ideal gift, both for lovers of hip-hop and bling, and the more traditionally minded, and when it comes to cost you can purchase diamond earrings online at a fraction of the normal cost if you know where to look.

Even if you have never been shopping for diamond jewelry, you have probably heard about the four Cs used to classify diamonds—clarity, cut, carat and color. These collective metrics are used throughout the world to determine the value of individual diamonds, with diamonds exhibiting the most desirable combinations of clarity, cut, carat weight and color rising to the top as the most universally unique and highest valued gems.

Clarity refers to the extent of inclusions, or natural features such as fractures present in the diamond that originated from its formation deep within the earth. A diamond’s cut describes the design and proportions of the diamond after it is crafted by a diamond cutter, an art form that manifests itself in the diamond’s outward appearance and brilliance. Carat is a concrete description of a diamond’s weight, with one carat representing a weight of 200 milligrams. Color is a diamond quality that generally refers to the extent to which a diamond is colorless. The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) has established a widely accepted color scale to rate diamonds falling in the normal color spectrum, which ranges from colorless to yellow. Diamonds which fall closer to the colorless end of the color spectrum are generally considered more valuable than yellow or brown tinted diamonds of equivalent clarity, cut and carat weight. Intensely colored diamonds are the exception, their rarity and beauty making them extremely valuable and exotic despite being far from colorless.

Although many people perceive all diamonds to be colorless, true colorless diamonds are extremely rare, and thus the most valuable on the GIA color scale. A majority of diamonds commonly used in jewelry such as engagement rings and eternity rings have a tint of yellow or brown, placing them in the normal color range. Though slight variations in the color of diamonds are to be expected, the difference among various shades is usually indistinguishable to the untrained eye.

While diamonds in the normal color range are the most common, diamonds form within the earth in an array of colorful hues. Diamonds in vibrant colors such as pink, yellow, green and blue, called fancy colored diamonds, are highly sought after by diamond connoisseurs and jewelry consumers alike. The rarity and splendor of such exotic diamonds contributes to their high value, and is the reason that colored diamonds are often attractions at museums and exhibits. The famous and fabled 45.52 carat Hope Diamond on display at the Smithsonian Institution since 1958 is a prime example, requiring dedicated security measures and personnel of its own.

Like white diamonds, the value of a fancy colored diamond is determined in part by the collective value of its four Cs. However, the color attribute becomes a more significant dynamic in the valuation of a colored diamond. Rather than being evaluated on its lack of color, a colored diamond is valued based on the quality of its hue, intensity and consistency.

Diamonds earrings have always been a popular choice for men to give to the one they love. Also, women choose these earrings because these are sturdy and beautiful. Therefore, before setting out to buy the pair that you have coveted, see if these are worth your money.

Diamonds earrings are expensive—a fact in life, really. Before you buy diamonds earrings, it is better to do some background research to determine which cut or shape should you buy. Diamonds are far too expensive for you to make instant decisions.

Four Cs.There are four Cs that you have to watch out for when you set out to buy diamonds earrings. The value of the diamond depends on these 4 Cs; thus, the value of the earrings depends on the 4 Cs too.

Carat. This is a familiar term to most of us because this is how gold is categorized too. However, although a lot of people are familiar with the word, not many know what it actually means. Carat is the measure of the weight and mass of the diamond. The higher the carat, the more expensive the diamond gets; thus, the more expensive your diamonds earrings will be.

Oftentimes, this is used as the main factor that would determine the value and the popularity of the diamond. For example, the Tiffany Yellow Diamond is recalled mostly as a large octahedron that weighed 287 carats (uncut) then was cut to 128 carats. This diamond is known as the largest golden-yellow diamond. It became popular more because it was large than because it was yellow.

Clarity. Diamond, the hardest material of natural origin, is so hard that only another diamond can scratch it. However, in the process of its turning from ordinary carbon into diamond, there are certain defects in its crystal lattice so that various imperfections can be found either inside or on its surface. The internal defects are called inclusions. Of course, diamonds earrings made of material with no defects will be far more expensive than with even a single defect. The more defects, the lesser the price.

Color. Loose Diamonds are commonly transparent and colorless. However, colored ones are rarer and are, therefore, more valuable. In general, diamonds earrings made of darker and more intense coloration will be more expensive than lighter ones. Also, blue, pink, and green ones are more expensive than yellow and brown ones.

Cut. Perfectly cut diamonds are very expensive. Moreover, those cut to different shapes would be more expensive. For example, lily cut or heart-shaped diamonds earrings will be many times more expensive than those with circle cuts.

However, imperfect diamond earrings will actually work to your advantage because, naturally, these will have lesser value than a perfect one; thus, you will be able to own a diamond that is affordable but still beautiful. Furthermore, these imperfections will act as unique fingerprints to determine your diamond. Also, jewelers have a way of hiding the imperfections so that the inclusions will not be visible especially to untrained eyes.
Always, it will be the size, the color, and the cut of the diamond that will determine its beauty. Those with higher clarity are more expensive; but since clarity does not really have an impact on the diamonds earrings’ beauty, it is better that you don’t choose your earrings based on this criterion.

When you have decided to buy your diamonds earrings, be careful in storing them. Remember that diamonds can scratch other diamonds, so make sure that they do not come in contact with each other.

For more information read our loose diamonds guide – <a onClick=”javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview(‘/outgoing/article_exit_link’);” href=”http://hubpages.com/hub/How-To-Buy-Loose-Diamonds”>how to buy loose diamond</a>.

A diamond acts like a prism whereby light can be divided into a spectrum of colours.* A colourless diamond, allows more light to pass through it than a coloured diamond, these colourless diamonds reflect the light as colourful flashes called ‘fire’. The less colour in a diamond the more colourful the fire and hence the better the diamond grade.

from:diamond rings

Diamond Colour

A diamond acts like a prism whereby light can be divided into a spectrum of colours.

A colourless diamond, allows more light to pass through it than a coloured diamond, these colourless diamonds reflect the light as colourful flashes called ‘fire’.

The less colour in a diamond the more colourful the fire and hence the better the diamond grade.

Colour in a diamond acts as a filter and reduces the range of colour exuded.

The perfect diamond is actually colourless.

The less colour (yellow) a diamond permeates the more rare and valuable it actually is.

A letter grade is given to a diamond to describe the subtle tones of colour in the stone.

D is perfectly colourless and therefore the most rare and expensive.

As you progress from D to Z on the alphabet colour scale, the level of colour increases with traces of a yellowish or brownish colour.

Vibrant colours such as pink, red, blue and green are constantly being discovered, but due to their rarity are incredibly expensive.

These colours do not follow the normal colour scale and are categorised separately.

At GoldeNet Australia you will only find the finest diamonds, therefore we do not offer diamonds that have been graded below M.

Which Colour Grade Should I Choose? Diamonds graded D through F are naturally the most valuable and desirable because of their rarity. The rarity and value of these diamonds are reflected in their price.

This does not mean that diamonds graded below F are not considered to be very attractive.

Diamonds graded G through I show virtually no colour visible to the untrained eye.

Diamonds graded J through M show an extremely faint trace of yellow, however this faint hint of colour can be minimised by the careful selection of the right jewellery setting on which to mount your diamond.

D, E, F = For the purest diamond, diamonds graded D-F are superb diamonds and are extremely expensive.

G, H, I, J = For excellent value in a diamond with no noticeable colour to the untrained eye.

Nearly colourless diamonds with noticeable colour when compared to higher grade diamonds. These are high quality and are excellent value.

K, L, M = Faint yellow diamonds.

N, O, P, Q, R = Very light yellow diamonds.

GoldeNet Australia does not offer these diamonds.

S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z = Light yellow diamonds. GoldeNet Australia does not offer these diamonds.

Diamond Cut

The cut of a diamond is one of the most important diamond characteristic as it provides the diamond with its unique sparkle and brilliance as the cut allows the maximum amount of light to enter and leave the diamond.

Of the Four Cs, the cut is the only value factor that is a result of human skill.

It refers to the angles and proportion of a diamond, as well as its polish and precision of faceting. Often the cut of a diamond is mistakenly referred to as the shape (round, pear, oval, etc.) of the stone.

Well-cut diamonds can reflect light like a mirror from one facet to another and disperse and reflect this light through the top of the stone.

A well-cut diamond will be symmetrically round, proper depth and width and have uniformity of the facets.

These features will result in optimal radiance.

On a classic round brilliant-cut diamond, for example, 57 or 58 facets must be precisely aligned so light will enter the diamond and reflect back through the large top facet, or table of the diamond. Diamonds that are cut either too deep or too shallow can lose light through the sides and bottom and will be less brilliant, and ultimately of less value.

The universal cut grading scale, as defined by the American Gemologist Society Laboratories (AGSL), is outlined below. Currently, only round diamonds are graded.

GoldeNet Australia does not carry any diamonds below the cut grade of ‘Good’.

IDEAL CUT: Represents roughly the top 3% of diamond quality based on cut.

Perfectly proportioned with the highest grade of polish and symmetry.

This grade of diamond reflects virtually all light that enters it.

They are the most brilliant, rare and expensive diamonds.

EXCELLENT CUT: Represents roughly the top 8% of diamond quality based on cut.

Proportioned to fit strict requirements for table and depth percentage.

This grade of diamond reflects almost all light but less than the ideal cut.

They are still quite rare and very expensive.

VERY GOOD CUT: Represents roughly the top 15% of diamond quality based on cut.

Proportioned to reflect much of the light that enters.

This is a high quality and moderately priced diamond.

GOOD CUT: Represents roughly the top 25% of diamond quality based on cut.

Proportioned to reflect most light that enters.

These are considerable value, quality diamonds.

FAIR CUT: Represents roughly the top 35% of diamond quality based on cut.

Disproportioned but allows some light to be reflected.

POOR CUT: This includes all diamonds that do not meet the proportion standards of a fair cut. Disproportioned so that most light entering is lost out of its sides and bottom.

Important characteristics of a diamond cut are described below. Some diamond cutters will compromise on the cut of the diamond in an attempt to optimise the diamond’s weight (carat).

This can result is a larger diamond with a duller appearance.

If all Cs are equal (cut, carat, colour and clarity), there can be as much as a 50% variation in the cost of a diamond if the cut is of poor quality.

TABLE SIZE %: The table length relative to the diameter of the diamond.

A table that is too large or too small will reduce the overall dispersion of a diamonds brilliance.

CROWN ANGLE: Angle between bezel facets and girdle.

Crown % is a measurement that relates to the depth of the crown to the diamonds overall depth.

GIRDLE THICKNESS: Ranges from extremely thin to extremely thick (assessed visually).

Extremely thin or extremely thick girdles are less desirable than more moderate girdles.

DEPTH %: Measurement of the distance from the table to the culet (bottom-most point). A depth that is too shallow or too deep will allow light to escape through the bottom of the stone, reducing the stones overall fire and brilliance. CULET SIZE: Ranges from pointed to extremely large (assessed visually). Unless the culet is abnormally large, it generally has no impact on the value of a diamond.

SYMMETRY: Refers to the overall uniformity of the cut of a diamond and is graded poor to excellent.

Symmetry is based on the diamonds proportions, the relation of one facet to another. A diamond with good symmetry can be more attractive than a less symmetrical stone.

Stones with poor symmetry can actually appear off-centred.

POLISH: The overall quality and uniformity of the polish of a diamond. It is graded poor to excellent based on the final finish applied to the facets and facet junctures by the cutter. Well-polished diamonds permit maximum passage of light and prevent potentially streaky surfaces.