Diamonds And Precious Gems

One of my favorite books on diamonds is Rachel Bergstein's "Brilliance and Fire". In her book Bergstein covers the journey that diamonds have taken throughout history and she follows the intricate and intimate relationship that we as a society have had with this alluring stone. No author that I know of more aptly expresses the intense push-me-pull-me relationship that exists with this amazing little rock. Diamonds express a wealth of ideas in addition to ideas of wealth. For this reason in spite of the recent advent of lab made diamonds beginning to share the spotlight, diamonds remain the ultimate symbol of value and worth. In my time helping people find a diamond I have seen only limited interest in lab created diamonds. Whether you choose a lab diamond or a natural diamond the shape of the diamond says a lot. I wanted to write a post that allows a diamond seeker to identify which diamonds not only express the beauty we find in the light that diamonds return to us, bu...

  If your heart's desire is to get a pear cut diamond here's what you need to know so you love your ring year after year.   Fancy cut diamonds are what you call any shape that isn't a round brilliant. Pear cut diamonds come in a variety of proportions. Most people gravitate toward a length-to-width ratio that ranges between 1.50-1.75:1. Here are some tips that can help when buying a pear cut diamond . An important thing to check when you are buying a pear cut diamond is to examine the point to make sure it is clear of inclusions and you'll also want to make sure the color isn't too concentrated here.  Check the wings on each side of the point and see if they are symmetrical. The rounded end of course should also be checked to make sure it appears like a semi-circle. As with any long shape such as oval and marquise, pear cut diamonds are also susceptible to the effect known as the “bow tie.” Ideally this effect should not be too pronounced, though avoiding it alto...

There are over 1000 romance novels in our house. Maybe two thousand. My wife also borrows a stack from the library every time we go there. If ever I am tasked with returning the books myself I make sure the librarian understands that it wasn't me who borrowed them. This always gets a laugh. As if they'd care who reads what. Anyway here is my tribute to romance novels, and for the wonderful escape they provide to women around the globe. And men too, I'm sure. I've started collecting mentions of diamonds in romance, fantasy, and other pulp fiction. This is of course a gargantuan task but I actually had a lot of fun seeing the weird and wonderful phrases that include various types of diamonds. Today's post will include the phrases or paragraphs that mention a "one carat diamond".     A Wild Surge of Guilty Passion Hansen Ron ..On Ruth’s twentieth birthday, Albert gifted her with a box of chocolates and she discovered inside a little jewelry box and a ...

A more in depth answer can be found at How do You Read An ASET Diamond Image Q: hi, I want to buy a diamond and have been looking at diamonds online and am wondering if you could shed some light on the images that are red and green. I see that they are labeled ASET, but I don't know what that means? Do you have anything on the topic? I know I can search online but I figured it would be better to ask someone that knows about diamonds. I like your way of explaining things very simply. All the jargon kind of is confusing so I need something simple to explain what it means. I get that it is something to do with showing how good a diamond is but when i look at the ASET photo I don't know when it shows that a diamond is a good diamond and when it is a bad diamond. Maybe you can help me in this problem? T.K. A: Hi there TK, Congratulations on taking the first steps to buying a diamond. I know it can be a little daunting and many people find that a little nudge in the right directi...

A pair of diamond earrings (studs) is something that is an essential part of anyone's wardrobe.  They can be worn at any special occasion. They are even great for everyday use. Classic yet striking, always versatile. What could be more perfect. They are appropriate both for every day and for a special occasion. That sparkle will add to even an understated of outfits or balance out that fancy dress. People do a lot less research when buying diamond studs. They are seldom researched to the extent that a diamond engagement ring might be. But there are still some important considerations that are worth bearing in mind. When it comes to buying any diamond it pays to know what's what. Ensure that you are getting precisely what you expect Always buy certified diamonds. This will give you the assurance of expert evaluation. The basic criteria apply here. The most important of the 4 Cs is diamond cut. Just a remi...

Simple, elegant and always beautiful – diamond stud earrings These are a classic gift choice. Whatever the occasion, diamond studs are a great gift. It doesn't matter what age. They are welcome gifts at any age. You've got to agree with me that diamond earrings are an essential and versatile part of any woman’s collection. Men's too for that matter. They always fit the occasion – and uplift any mood – from denim to dinner parties, from boardroom presentations to an evening at the symphony, and everything in between. Diamond earrings are worn so close to the face. This give a person's appearance a genuine enhancement . The flash of a precision-cut stone will complement and enhance the wearer's appearance. And when you choose diamond earrings set Signature Diamonds, you know that you’re getting diamonds cut to the highest quality Signature diamonds are the top of performance standards in the industry – diamonds that sparkle with brillian...

Carbon on its own cannot form into diamonds even deep below the surface of the Earth. There are a few things that have to happen in just the right way. First of all the subsurface carbon is located about 150 km below the Earth's crust has to be subjected to immense heat and pressure. Coal and diamonds are both composed primarily of carbon. Their chemical structures have marked differences. Coal is formed from highly impure carbon. This carbon generally contains  the following elements: oxygen, selenium, hydrogen, nitrogen and sulfur. Diamonds on the other hand require an absolutely pure source of carbon. If there is any defect in purity the diamond will generally change color or become too included to be worked by diamond jewelers. When carbon sources which are very pure such as carbon dioxide are trapped deep under the Earth’s surface, conditions are ideal for the formation of diamonds. 725,000 PSI is about the level of pressure needed to compress the carbon into a di...

Every individual diamond is unique. Every individual person is unique. Diamonds are graded by individuals. So it could easily be assumed that the same diamond, if graded by two different people, would receive two differing grades. This can be the case, though some more widely recognized laboratories have a greater degree of consistency across the board than smaller laboratories. In June 2013, the Rapaport Diamond Trading Network (RapNet)  got back the results from 10 diamonds graded by half a dozen different brands of diamond grading laboratories. The degree of variance between grading laboratories was not always extreme though one thing was clear: some laboratories are stricter. The GIA labs ranked as the ones demanding the highest quality for a diamond to receive a high grade. An article on RapNet's analysis was published here: http://www.diamonds.net/news/NewsItem.aspx?ArticleID=43417 There was a surprise, though, in that IGI labs were almost on par...

What shape diamond are you going to get for the engagement ring? Round? Square? Oval? Pear? Heart? They're all so nice! It can be difficult to choose. You could be after a shape that is popular or maybe you want to try something a little different. Some diamond cutters have created their own improvements and sell these diamonds directly. This is called a Signature Cut. The way these diamonds look are pretty impressive and very dazzling. Diamonds are already quite hypnotic, but signature cuts particularly super ideal cut diamonds are just unbelievable.   If you look at the statistics on a site like mega diamond seller Blue Nile you'll see that most people end up choosing round diamonds. The reason that round shaped diamonds, (technically called round brilliants ) are such good sellers is because they are known to be designed in such a clever way that a larger proportion of light bounces back through the top of the diamond giving it a superior sparkle. Becau...

Fluorescence in diamonds is one of those things that can be confusing. Does it make the diamond glow in the dark? How does fluorescence affect the brilliance of a diamond in regular light? And if so, how? To answer the first question, a fluorescent diamond may glow a little in the dark, but it will more likely glow under black light (UV light). And to answer the second question there are a few points which might help cut through some of the confusion surrounding fluorescence. There are two seemingly contradictory things about fluorescence. 1. Strong fluorescence can give the diamond a milky look. 2. Fluorescence does not always give the diamond a milky look. How can both of these things be true? Here's why: One in 50,000 diamonds with strong fluorescence will look milky, but even then it will only be in certain lighting. As a result of this slight risk, jewelers don't try to push the fluorescent diamonds. They even discount them. Diamon...

Clarity is an important characteristic of a diamond if it is to be used in jewelry, particularly in an engagement ring , and it is important to know the clarity of a diamond before you buy one. Understanding what clarity means will give you an idea of how it affects the look of a diamond. It is actually quite easy.  We can divide this up into two categories: 1 Diamonds with visual inclusions and blemishes, 2 Diamonds that are ‘eye clean’ meaning that there are no inclusions or blemishes that can be seen with the naked eye. From there, the clarity of a diamond is further broken down into subcategories. Many people mistakenly think that diamond clarity refers to how clear it is. This isn’t so. Clarity actually refers to the internal and external imperfections of the diamond. The best diamonds, of course get a grade of FL or IF – Flawless or Internally Flawless – meaning that it is perfect. A grade of I-1, I-2 or I-3 means that the diamond has inclusions,  w...

Pricing many products for sale is generally quite easy. It goes something like this: Determine the costs of manufacturing, then the costs involved to market that item, and then mark it up by 15 – 30% or whatever the market can sustain. Simple, right? Well, pricing diamonds isn’t nearly that simple. Not at all. This is because there are so many additional factors that come into play when diamonds are priced. Diamond prices are determined first by adding the cost of the rough diamond, the cost of cutting the diamond, and all other costs necessary to turn the rough diamond into a something suitable for use in jewelry. Depending on the importance of the diamond, an independent company may be called in to certify the grade of the diamond based on color, cut, clarity, and weight. As every stage involves professionals who are paid for their work the diamond becomes more expensive each time it changes hands. When it finally reaches a retailer the price will as expected be r...

I found this great resource on the Gemological Institute of America's website. It has a slider which allows you to check the size of a diamond and you can even compare it to second stone to compare the difference. This slider only shows the size of round cut diamonds, but these are the most popular cut, here it is: http://gia4cs.gia.edu/EN-US/diamond-carat-weight.htm Princess cut diamonds and other fancy cuts are nice for variety, but the round cut diamond has been engineered in such a way to get the best light performance. Occasionally you may get similar shininess from other cuts if they are signature diamond cuts. But back to diamond sizes: A 1 carat round cut diamond, when cut well, will be about 6.5 mm across.   It's difficult to see this if the diamond is in a setting particularly if it is in a setting which has a lip around the entire diamond (a bezel setting). The prong settings are popular as they display more of the diamond and this allows the light to...

The Price Of Diamonds Diamond price increases almost exponentially with diamond carat weight. Ok, not really exponentially, but there are huge differences between a 1 carat and a 2 carat diamond. This can be quite shocking to a first time diamond shopper. Larger diamonds are simply rare and it follows that they are therefore more highly prized. Of course sometimes two diamonds of equal carat weight can be sold at completely different prices. This is because the value will be based not only on size but on three other factors: Clarity, Color, and Cut. Together with the weight in Carats these make up the four defining  characteristics of diamonds, referred to throughout the diamond trade as the 4 C's. Magic Sizes Some weights are referred to as "magic sizes" : half carat, three-quarter carat, and carat.  There's little difference visually between a 0.99 carat diamond and one that weighs a full carat. Even a 0.92 ct diamond can look pretty m...

Looking at a jeweler's display window with all those sparkly diamonds in all different types of settings you could be forgiven for thinking that diamonds are pretty common. But once you realize how that diamond got to the jeweler, you may find it quite unbelievable that even one of those diamonds was found. There is a huge amount of work that is done before a diamond is ready for sale to the general public. Imagine a pile of one million diamonds. In that pile is one lonely diamond that is decent enough to be worked into a nice shape by the diamond cutter and then set into a ring by a jeweler and finally sold to a young man looking to propose to his girlfriend. However this young man wants a two carat diamond. For this we must look in another pile. This pile is much bigger than our first pile of one million diamonds. As a matter of fact it is more than twice as big. More than three times as big. Even more than four times as big. Yes, in order to find a usable 2 c...

When having dinner with some relatives the topic of diamonds came up, as a few people knew I had gotten my GIA  (Gemological Institute of America) accreditation.  My brother in-law said, "Who buys diamonds nowadays, anyway. Just get one of those fake ones. No one can tell the  difference."  You should have seen the look that his wife shot him. It was obvious she did not approve of his comment.   The course I studied told me that synthetic diamonds are grown in a laboratory, and have essentially the same  properties as natural diamonds: chemical composition, crystal structure and physical and optical. Most synthetic  diamonds are made for industrial use. Japan, South Africa, Russia, Ukraine and the United States in the last thirty  years have grown gem-quality synthetic diamonds in small quantities. Synthetic diamonds are generally produced  using one of two methods. One method uses high pressure and high temperature ( you might find the...

A diamond certificate is also known as a Diamond Grading Report. This report comes from a laboratory where trained gemologists examine diamonds and other precious gems. They then write a report for the jewel and this gets included with the jewel when bought or sold. One of the most respected labs is the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). While most dealers refer to the reports as "Certificates", they are not certificates. They are Grading  Reports .  GIA issues Diamond grading reports for stones 1 carat and over. Smaller stones can also get inspected and have a report made. These smaller stones will get a Diamond Dossier, which excludes the map of the stone marking where any visible crystals and other inclusions are in the diamond. With a diamond grading report or dossier, you can verify the color, cut, carat, weight, and clarity of the diamond. You don’t have to worry about a diamond dealer telling you anything less than the truth, because the repo...