Diamond Outline
A diamond is a true gem of the earth. It is a crystalline mineral found deep within the earth that takes millions of years to form. Diamond is the hardest naturally occurring material known to man. Throughout ancient Indian history, diamonds have been used as religious icons because it symbolizes divine power and heavenly blessing.
History of a Diamond
The word “diamond” originates from the ancient Greek term, “adamas,” meaning invincible because diamonds are known for having superlative physical strength and chemical properties. Today, diamonds symbolize wealth, durability, status, and peerless quality. But in the past, many different cultures associated diamonds with invulnerability, lightning, magic, healing, and protection. Diamonds are believed to have been first mined in India, and the first known record of the existence of diamonds is found in a Sanskrit manuscript found in northern India. And now, diamonds still represent the deep human expression of purity, strength, solarity, and eternal love. The diamond acquired its unique status as “the ultimate gift of love” as far back as the fifteenth century. The tradition of giving a diamond engagement ring as a token of marriage proposal commenced in 1477 with Archduke Maximillian of Austria and Mary of Burgundy. During that time, diamonds were seen as talismans or charms that could enhance the love between husband and wife.
Famous Diamonds
Golden Jubilee
1985
Weight: 545.67 carats
Current Location: Thailand
The Golden Jubilee is the largest faceted diamond in the world and was designed by Gabi Tolkowsky, who also designed the Centenary Diamond. It was presented to the King of Thailand in 1997 for his Golden Jubilee - the 50th anniversary of his coronation. Prior to this, the stone was simply known as the Unnamed Brown. The Golden Jubilee does not get much publicity because it is a fancy (colored) yellow-brown diamond, but nonetheless it is the largest known cut diamond.
Blue Hope
Origin: India
1668 AD
Weight: 45.52 carats
Current Location: Washington (Smithsonian)
The Blue Hope Diamond is one of the world’s most renowned diamonds. It was once owned by Louis XIV and was officially designated the blue diamond of the crown. It was stolen during the French revolution and turned up in London in 1830. The stone was then purchased by Henry Philip Hope (whom the diamond is named after). During possession by the Hope family, it acquired its reputation for bad luck because his family had died of poverty. A similar misfortune occurred to a later owner, Mr. Edward McLean. The Hope was acquired from the McLean estate by Harry Winston Inc. and was finally donated to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington
Hancock Red Diamond
Origin: Brazil
Weight: 0.95 Ct.
Current Location: Private Owner (Unknown)
A Fancy purplish red round brilliant-cut diamond, known as the Hancock Red, sold at Christie's in New York for $880,000 (over $926,000/carat). It set a new world record for per-carat price for any gem sold at auction and the stone fetched more than seven times the previous record mark for a diamond ($127,000/carat, paid for a 7.27/carat pink diamond in 1980). Despite eye-visible inclusions, the Hancock Red commanded such a hefty price due to its exceptionally rare natural color. The diamond was put up for auction by the heirs of a Montana collector, Warren Hancock, who reportedly had purchased it in 1956 for $13,500. The Hancock Red was one of his several fancy-colored diamonds that had been mined and cut in Brazil
Diamond Shapes
Diamonds come in numerous different shapes. Round brilliant cut diamonds are the most common. All the other shapes are referred to as “fancy shapes.” Cutting styles are categorized into three basic types: step-cut, brilliant-cut, and mixed-cut. Below, are some of the most common cuts:
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Round
This is the traditional shape of a diamond. Over 75% of the diamonds sold on the market today are Round Brilliant. Round diamonds have 57-58 facets, divided among its crown (top), girdle (widest part; center) and pavilion (base). To achieve the ideal diamond with maximum fire and brilliance, it’s calibrated through a precise formula.
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Asscher
This cut was made popular in the 1920's by the Asscher Diamond Company in Amsterdam. Its art-deco ambiance was very popular at the time. However, during the Great Depression, the company went out of business, resulting in Asscher cuts disappearing from the market. Nevertheless, in spite of the Depression, Asshers have made a recent come back.
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Princess
This is a square or rectangular shape with many facets. Princess diamonds are a relatively new cut and are often used in many solitaire engagement rings. This modern style compliments those with longer fingers. This cut requires more weight to be directed toward the diamond's depth in order to maximize brilliance. Its common depth percentages range from 70% to 78%.
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Oval
This is a symmetrical elliptical design that appeals to many petite handed women because it gives the illusion of more elongated hands and fingers.
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Marquise
This shape is elongated with pointed ends. The smile of the Marquise de Pompadour inspired this shape which was then commissioned by the Sun King, France's Louis XIV, who wanted a diamond to match it. It is beautiful as a solitaire, but can also be complimented when matched with smaller diamonds.
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Pear
This cut combines the oval and marquise shape. It is the hybrid shape that looks like a sparkling teardrop. It beautifully compliments the average size hand and fingers. It is gorgeous for pendants and earrings.
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Cushion
This square or squarish-rectangular cut contains rounded corners and 58 facets, giving it a softer appearance that that of a princess. In fact, cushion gets its name because it resembles a pillow. Cushions are a shape of the late 19th- early 20th century and are remnants of the "Old Mine Cut", a deep cut with large pavilion facets. Many cushions contain a culet. While round brilliant diamonds have more brilliance, cushions are more dispersive (separate white light into spectral colors). Cushion cuts are perfect for fancy colored diamonds because it displays the color evenly.
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Emerald
This shape is known as a step cut because its concentric broad, flat planes resemble stair steps. Emeralds are a rectangular shape with cut corners. Inclusions and inferior color can be more pronounced in this particular cut because of the larger facets. Therefore, more time should be taken when choosing because one must focus more on clarity and color.
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Trillion
This is the spectacular wedge shape that was first designed in Amsterdam. This design can vary depending on a particular diamond's natural characteristics and the cutter's personal preferences. The shape may look like a traditional triangle with pointed corners, but more rounded shapes can be found.
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Heart
A pear shaped diamond with a cleft on the top. This unique cut is determined based on the extraordinary skill of the cutter. When choosing a heart diamond, look for one with an even shape and a well-defined outline.
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Radiant
This is a square or rectangular shape. Radiant diamonds have the elegance of the emerald and the brilliance of the round shape with 70 facets that maximize the effect of color refraction. The common depth percentages are from 70%-78%.
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Four C's
The 4 C’s are international standards for diamond grading established by the GIA. 4 C’s have become the most recognized benchmark for the consumer to readily distinguish the qualities between different diamonds. With the knowledge of these four standards (Cut, Color, Clarity, and Carat Weight), you can easily select the ideal diamond of your choice.
Cut
The cut of a diamond is the measure of how the diamond is geometrically shaped and faceted from its rough. Because the ratios, proportions, angles, and placement of the facets all influence the amount of light dispersion and/or transmission within the diamond, the cut is perhaps the most significant factor in determining the sparkle and brilliance of a diamond. Even a perfectly colorless and clear diamond will still look dull if it is poorly cut. At INTA Gems & Diamonds, we carry only the finest cut-grade diamonds available anywhere. Most of our diamonds range from Good-Excellent cut grade.
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Diameter: The width of the diamond as measured by its girdle.
Table: The largest facet of a gemstone, found at the very top.
Crown: The top section of a diamond, reaching from the girdle to the table.
Girdle: The meeting point of the crown and pavilion that defines the perimeter of the diamond.
Pavilion: The bottom section of a diamond, reaching from the girdle to the culet.
Culet: The facet at the bottom tip of a gemstone. The preferred culet is not visible with the naked eye (it is graded "none" or "small").
Depth: The total height of a gemstone measured from the culet to the table.
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Too Shallow: Light is lost through the bottom, causing the diamond to lose brightness.
Too Deep: Light escapes out the sides, causing the diamond to appear dull because it lacks brilliance, sparkle, fire, and scintillation.
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Color
Most people associate diamonds as being colorless. However, in actual fact, diamonds come in every color of the rainbow. They range from the colorless range to colors as deep as brown or blue. Diamonds in the normal color grading range are graded on a D (colorless) to Z (very light yellow) color scale. Diamonds that exceed that color scale are fancy colored.
The most common colored diamonds are yellow and brown. Black colored diamonds are not actually genuinely black, but rather contain numerous dark inclusions, giving the gems their dark appearance. When the color has enough of a yellow or brown saturation, the stone may be dubbed a fancy colored diamond by gem trade. Otherwise, they are graded for color in the normal color range scale of white diamonds.
Clarity
Because diamonds are a natural phenomenon that takes over millions of years to form within the earth’s interior, it is common for them to have internal inclusions of other compounds and earthly minerals. Diamonds with no inclusions (considered flawless) are very rare and highly prized. Diamond clarity is an assessment of the size, quantity, location, and specific types of inclusions inside a diamond.
What clarity is best?
We recommend that you select an "eye-clean" diamond — one that has no inclusions visible to the unaided eye. Eye-clean diamonds have an excellent value as opposed to IF or FL clarity graded diamond because the clarity grade is lower, so they typically do not contain visible inclusions that detract from the beauty of the diamond. We recommend that the lowest possible clarity grade one should go down to is of SI grade quality. If you’re interested in purchasing a diamond of SI quality, feel free to call INTA to speak with one of our trained associates. They will evaluate the diamond to ensure that you find a magnificent stone with inclusions that are undetectable to the unaided eye. Remember that most internet sellers have the inability to give you a detailed description on their listed diamonds because these sellers usually don't personally own the stones and they don't have instant access to them. If you’re budget-conscious, but unwilling to compromise on clarity, we recommend that you choose a diamond with a Good cut grade and G to J Color.
Carat
A carat is a weight measuring unit that is equivalent to 0.2 grams. It is the internationally used unit to measure a diamond’s weight and size. Within the diamond trade, fractions of a carat are also referred to as "points.” A 50-point diamond weighs 0.5 carats or 1/2 a carat. A 1-carat diamond weighs 100 points, while a 1/3 carat is 0.3 carats or 30 points. Since the rarity of a diamond increases substantially as carat weight increases, the value of the diamond also tend to increase exponentially with increasing weight.
At INTA Gems & Diamonds, you can find an enormous selection of wide ranging diamonds with different carat weights. No diamond is too small or too big for us!
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