Totaram Papalal & Sons Jewelers

DIAMOND EDUCATION

To find out more about diamond terminology,
click on any of the words below for a complete definition.
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• Color
  
• Clarity
  
• Cut and Proportions and Finish
  
• Carat
  
• Dimensions mm
  
• Depth%
  
• Table%
  

• Girdle
  
• Culet
  
• Polish
  
• Symmetry
  
• Fluorescence
  
• Certificate
  
• Shapes
  

Color

The grading of Diamonds for color involves classifying their interior body color on a scale that runs from absolutely colorless (D), to an obvious yellow (Z). The difference between one grade and its neighbor is very subtle. Most Diamonds have a trace of yellow or brown body color. Therefore, with the exception of some pleasing fancy colors such as pink, blue, violet or intense fancy yellow, the colorless grade is the most valuable. We recommend Diamonds that will appear white when mounted in jewelry; H - I color or better.

Clarity refers to the presence or absence of inclusions in a gem. The relative size, nature, location and number of inclusions determines a Diamond's clarity grade and hence its value. To determine a Diamond's clarity grading, it must be examined under a 10x magnification by a trained, skilled eye. Minute inclusions make every Diamond unique. These are, in fact, nature's fingerprints and do not mar the Diamond's beauty. Without high magnification, you may never see these inclusions. However, the fewer there are, the rarer your Diamond is. We recommend Diamonds that are SI2 or higher. These are completely clean to the naked eye.

IF	Internally Flawless	No internal inclusions
VVS1	Very Very Slightly Included 1	Extremely difficult to see with 10X
VVS2	Very Very Slightly Included 2	Very difficult to see with 10X
VS1	Very Slightly Included 1	Difficult to see with 10X
VS2	Very Slightly Included 2	Somewhat difficult to see with 10X
SI1	Slightly Included 1	Visible with 10X
SI2	Slightly Included 2	Readily visible with 10X
SI3	Slightly Included 3	(Borderline eye clean. Not used by GIA)
I1	Imperfect 1	Visible to unaided eye
I2	Imperfect 2	Obvious to the unaided eye
I3	Imperfect 3	Not only "unpretty" but structurally unsound.

In this context, cut refers to the proportions and finish of the faceted diamond. Even the whitest and clearest Diamond is less desirable as a wearable gem if it is poorly cut. With the proper proportions, most of the light that enters a diamond is returned to the admirers eye, some of which has passed through the crown facets and dispersed into a shower of colors.
Some of the terms to describe a lively diamond:

Brilliance: Light entering the stone is reflected back to the viewer from the interior of the stone. Also know as Sparkle.
Scintillation: breaking up of light, Dispersion by the crown facets. Also know as Fire.

We recommend Diamonds within the following proportions:

These proportions are very important since a finely proportioned gem that has brilliance and fire, hence life, can be worth up to 60% MORE than one of equal quality that was poorly cut.

Carat

Diamonds are sold by weight. The unit of weight is the carat. There are five carats to one gram. Because carat (ct) is a unit of weight, not size, two different gemstone varieties, such as a Diamond and a Ruby, that each weigh one carat can be of different sizes. Rubies are denser than Diamonds, therefore, a one carat Ruby will be smaller in size than a one carat Diamond. While carat weight is important, the millimeter size of a gemstone tells you exactly what size diamond will fit in a particular mounting.
Just as there are 100 pennies in a dollar, there are 100 points (pts.) in a carat with one point equaling .01 carats. For example, a Diamond weighing .05 ct can also be referred to as a "5 point Diamond".
We should note that the carat weight of a stone (ct.) is different from the term karat (K), which is used in the United States to express gold quality (e.g., 14K gold).

Dimensions mm

The dimensions of a Round Diamonds on a Laboratory Certificate are stated as: smallest diameter, largest diameter, depth. (i.e. 7.95*8.07*5.07)
Diamonds of other shapes than round are expressed as length by width by depth.

Depth%

For a round cut diamond, this is the depth divided by the average diameter. We recommend a depth % between 57.5% and 62.5%.
For a fancy shape of diamond (other than a round) this is the depth divided by the width of the diamond. Acceptable depth % is a bit more flexible for fancy shapes.

If the depth % is too shallow or too deep, light escapes. If it is perfectly proportioned, light will return to the viewer's eye.

The table width (or average diameter) divided by width (or average diameter) of the diamond. Very small table percentages mean you have a tiny table which has a lot of fire from the crown facets but the diamond looks small for the actual carat weight. This is usually a pretty diamond typical of Tolkowsky standards (53%) and of antique style cutting. The opposite is true of very large tables. They have a very large look for the weight but do not have dispersion from the crown facets and tend to look "glassy" (over 65%).

Girdle

The girdle is the outside edge of the outline of the diamond, like a belt around the belly of the gem. The girdle can be faceted or not, but should be fairly even in thickness. One should stay away from either extremely thick or extremely thin. Diamonds with a very thin girdle could chip when setting and a very thick girdle will make the diamond look chunky. A thick girdle will also add weight and therefore cost, but not make the stone look any larger.

The description of the girdle is from its thinnest to its thickest point. The letter F at the end of any description indicates a faceted girdle. (i.e. VN-M F very thin to medium girdle, faceted ) We recommend medium, thin and slightly thick girdles.

Culet

Culet is the point at the bottom of the diamond where the facets meet. Many diamonds from the turn of the century had very large culets. These appear as a "hole" that leaks light when viewed from the top of the diamond.

This refers how well the diamond surface has been polished.

It refers to the shape, positioning arrangement and balance of the facets. Is it even? Is it perfectly round or does it look a bit like a flat tire? Is it the same on both sides of an imaginary line drawn down the center? Does the culet line up with the center of the table?

Some Diamonds will fluoresce under ultraviolet light. This is usually of little concern with diamonds for every day wear since it can only be seen under daylight or at the discotheque. Some blue fluorescence is considered desirable in stones with a slight yellow tint (I through M) since it will make the diamond appear whiter. Very Strong fluorescence can give the diamond a slight milky or fuzzy look and is considered a detriment in very high color (D-E-F) and clarity (IF-VVS) diamonds.

The documentation issued by the laboratory that graded the Diamond. GIA is the certificate most accepted worldwide although some of these other laboratories issue certificates with even more information (such as cutting).

Our Mission with Diamond Education is to be Truthful, Honest and Fun ...Enjoy!