There are some key vocabulary words worth knowing about before buying your diamond.

What’s a Carat?
According to legend, the word carat is derived from the word carob. The seeds of this plant are so uniform that a set number of them always weigh the same, no matter when or where they are collected. This became a standard measure of weight. Today, a carat is 1/5 of a gram or 100 points (cents). Usually diamonds above certain points (usually 0.23 carats) are also called solitaires. 1.00 Carat solitaire makes a perfect diamond for an engagement ring.

The Culet
The tiny facet found at what would be the apex of the pavilion or the bottom of the diamond is called the culet. However, some gem cutters leave out the culet in a brilliant cut gem.

The Crown
The crown is the top of the diamond. Several cuts of diamonds such as round brilliant, heart shape, princess cut, emerald cut etc. have a large, flat facet in the crown called the table. The table facet is most visible facet when diamonds are set in ring,earrings or pendant.

The Pavilion
The bottom of the brilliant cut diamond is called the pavilion.

The Girdle
The thin line separating the pavilion and the crown is called the girdle. It’s also the widest circumference of the stone. The diameter of a diamond is measured at the girdle of a diamond. The unit for measuring the diameter of a diamond is millimetres. When diamonds are set in jewellery, they are held in place by prongs that often grip them at the girdle.

Diamond Polishing or Faceting

When diamonds are first pulled out of the ground, they are quite dull and may be covered with greyish surface coating. Early gem cutters removed this film by rubbing one diamond against the other. Over the centuries, the art of diamond polishing evolved to allow the diamond to display its great power to refract light. Even today the only thing that can properly polish diamond is another diamond. Polishers often use disks coated with diamond dust to bring out the inner beauty of the gem.

Total Depth

The depth of the diamond is the distance from its top to its bottom. An experienced gem cutter must take into account the depths of the diamond they cut and polish, for if the cut is too deep or too shallow, the gem will not refract light the way it should.

Although most online jewellers  educate their customers about diamonds, it’s always a good idea to know the above mentioned vocabulary words especially if you are buying your diamond jewellery for the first time.

Besides understating these basic key words, it is highly recommended that you buy your precious diamond jewellery from reputed jewellers  that sell fully certified jewellery made from conflict free diamonds.

The Colour
To untrained eyes, the colour of a diamond may not be too visible, especially in the colourless and near-colourless range, as the colour difference in this range is very subtle. However, the price goes up exponentially as the colour of a diamond goes from near colourless to colourless range. The GIA colour grading scale goes from D to Z. A diamond classified as a D is rare, expensive and colourless. Diamonds in the D-F or colourless range have almost no other impurity elements other than carbon atoms. An engagement ring made with a D colour diamond sparkles the brightest compared to other colours. As the scale goes farther towards the Z classification the rarity of the individual stone decreases and so does its price. When purchasing any solitaire diamonds or diamond jewellery online, fully understanding the colour grading system is critical.

The Clarity
Clarity is the second ‘C’ that determines the value of a diamond. The clarity of a diamond is graded based on the flaws or imperfections present inside or on the surface of the diamond. A flawless diamond is the most expensive diamond due to its rarity as majority of natural diamonds contain one or another form of impieties introduced during their grown process underneath the surface of the earth. GIA clarity grading system includes FL (Flawless), IF (Internally Flawless), VVS (Very Very Slightly Included), VS (Very Slightly Included) and I (Included). As we move from FL to I, the visibility of the inclusion becomes more and more obvious to the naked eye when seen from the table of a diamond. VS and SI clarity diamonds yield best value for the money.

Diamond jewellery made from VVS diamonds cost significantly high compared to VS or SI. However, to the untrained eye, both the VVS and VS clarity diamonds look almost indistinguishable. One key factor to consider when buying a diamond with SI or I clarity diamond is to make sure that the diamond does not contain a flaw in the centre of the diamond when seen from the table of the diamond. A reputable online jeweller online jeweller will transparently disclose the clarity of the diamond jewellery you purchase.

The Carat Weight
To many customers, Carat Weight is one of the most important factors as it is directly related to the size of the diamond. An interesting fact to note is that the Carat is actually the measure of the weight of a diamond and not its size. Due to their rarity, heavier or higher carat weight diamonds have higher price tags. A skilled diamond cutter can retain higher carat weight in a polished diamond by manipulating cutting parameters of a rough diamond. Therefore, it is important to consider the cut of a diamond when buying a higher carat weight diamonds. In many cases, if a diamond is not cut properly, a smaller but better cut diamond may shine more brilliantly that a bigger but poorly cut diamond.

The Cut
The Cut of a diamond is the only factor that can be influenced by a diamond cutter and polisher. All the other three C’s of a diamonds are pre-determined by Mother Nature. Cutting a diamond is intricate work and must be done precisely to reveal the maximum beauty of the diamond. A ray of light should bounce perfectly from one facet of the stone to the next to form a beautiful array of sparkling light. If a diamond is not cut properly, the light will enter form the table and will leak out form the pavilion causing the diamond to appear dull or greyish.

Online Diamond Shopping
Beautiful diamond jewellery can be purchased online at an excellent price. You simply need to understand the four C’s before making your selection. There are numerous reputable online jewellers that offer incredible designs. You can simply browse or buy amazing diamond rings, pendants or earrings that may take your breath away. There is no better time than right now to gift yourself or your loved ones a timeless piece of diamond jewellery.

So, for those wondering what shape of diamond to get for the lady in their life, whether it be for diamond earrings, a diamond ring or diamond pendants, here are some suggestions:

Round
The round cut diamond is for the lady who is classy and traditional. The round brilliant shape is the most popular cut for a diamond and is found on all sorts of diamond jewelry, especially in engagement ring , from the most humble to the most grand. The round brilliant has become one of the most traditional and sought after cuts of all, even though it was only perfected during World War I.

Some jewelers, including those who sell online diamond jewellery, use shape and cut interchangeably. Others use cut when they mean the way the gem cutter actually shapes the stone. In the case of the round brilliant, a cut that’s too shallow or too deep ruins the diamond’s ability to sparkle.

Princess
The princess cut is a square cut with sharp corners and is just the thing for the lady who’s playful, cheerful and really a girl at heart. As even a diamond can be chipped, it is best to put this gemstone in a prong setting on an engagement ring to protect those corners.

Asscher
Though this is a modern cut, having been developed in 1902, it’s for a woman who possesses an old-fashioned femininity. It’s of step cut that has squares steps with cropped corners.

Oval
This cut is for an imaginative lady who likes to experiment and embraces the latest in all things, whether it’s art, food or fashion. This is the piece of diamond jewellery that makes a short finger look long and elegant when it’s set on a ring

Radiant
This sparkling cut is for a positive and energetic woman who likes to flirt, even if she is engaged. This rectangular-shaped diamond has a brilliant cut, which makes it especially fiery on diamond ring

Pear
Made for a bold yet charming and somewhat idiosyncratic lady, the pear-shaped diamond has been heralded in song. Pears are great for diamond pendants.

Heart
Who else but a tender-hearted romantic would go for a heart-shaped diamond?

Marquise
This cut was said to be inspired by the lips of the mistress of one of those French Bourbon kings. Accordingly, it is for a woman who’s dramatic, outgoing, yet refined.

Cushion
For a lady who is fancy and chic yet delicate, cushion cut diamond jewellery is a perfect fit. It looks like its name. It is a square with round corners and is interesting because much of its carat weight is in the bottom part, or the pavilion.

Buying a Perfect Diamond
The very best and costliest diamonds are flawless, truly colorless and expertly cut and polished no matter their final shape. The size of the carat is up to what the wearer wants and the buyer can afford. If a fancy, or colored diamond is bought, the clarity is not as important as the richness of the color. The trend of buying certified diamond jewellery Online has increased tremendously in the past decade.

Interesting Trivia: A Round Brilliant Cut diamond has 57 facets. If the culet of a diamond is also faceted, then the diamond would have 58 facets. Anything more or less means the diamond is not cut ideally.

1. Table: The table is the flat plane that sits on top of every Round Brilliant cut diamond. It is also the biggest single facet of the finished diamond. When defined and cut precisely, it helps bring out the most beautiful aspects of the diamond.

2. Crown: As the name suggests, it is the top part of the diamond. It starts from the outer edge of the table and ends at the upper end of the girdle. There are several facets cut into the crown, each perfectly balanced and identical to its neighbors.

3. Crown Angle: The angle formed by facets on the crown of the diamond with the imaginary plane of the girdle. The crown angle and the size of the table determine the amount of light that enters, reflects and refracts inside a diamond which directly affects the fire and brilliance of a polished diamond.

4. The Girdle: The outer edge or diameter of the diamond. It is the girdle that separates the top part of the diamond from the bottom. Since the girdle represent the highest diameter of a diamond, a slight variation in girdle thickness can greatly affect the carat weight of a diamond. Typically, all solitaires have faceted girdle while smaller diamonds may sometime have unpolished girdle.

5. Pavilion: This is the bottom part of the diamond – starting from the bottom edge of the girdle and reaching down to the very tip of the polished diamond. The pavilion angle can greatly affect the light performance of a diamond. If the pavilion is too deep or too shallow the diamond may look grayish.

6. Culet: It is a special minuscule facet added at the bottom of the pavilion to keep the tip of the diamond from getting damaged. In an Ideal cut diamond, the culet would be almost non-existent and undetectable by the naked, untrained eye.

7. Total Depth: In the simplest of terms, this is the height of the diamond as measured from the table to the culet.The above aspects give a diamond its shape and its allure. In addition to these, there are certain other important aspects that also need to be taken into consideration.

a. Symmetry: A diamond that is cut with perfect symmetry would yield the best light performance, brilliance and fire. It takes a highly skilled craftsman to cut and polish a perfectly symmetrical diamond as all the relevant facets must be identical and fully aligned

b. Polish: The smoothness of the diamond facets, small flat panels that are etched all over the surface of the diamond, greatly affects the amount of that enters inside a diamond.  When a diamond is cut with perfect symmetry and polish, all the facets bring out the best fire, brilliance and scintillation.

Most people link the Carat Weight to the size of the diamond. However, Carat is a unit of measurement of weight used to weigh a diamond. The actual size of the diamond is always measured in mm.
To understand carat weight properly, let us look at how it compares to normally units of weight.

1 Carat = 0.200 grams or 200 milligrams (yes, it’s that light).

As I mentioned in my Diamond Formationblog, it takes extremely high temperature and pressure for a diamond to be formed from carbon molecules. In fact, the chances of a diamond being formed and successfully making it to the surface of the earth are much lower than winning a lottery. Hundreds of kilometers underneath the surface of the earth, it is very unlikely that these extreme conditions remain stable and favorable for a long period of time for the growth of a large diamond. Therefore, it is very rare to find a large sized rough diamond.

No doubt, only a few monster-sized rough diamonds have been mined through history – the most famous being the 3104 carat Cullinan diamond. However, majority of the diamonds mined today are quite small in size. Here’s an interesting statistic – it requires close to one million diamonds to be mined before a one carat stone happens to be found.

Interesting Trivia: The word “Carat” comes from the ancient practice of using “Carob” seeds for measuring weight. The fact that these identical seeds were perfect in size and weight compared to one another made them ideal as a unit of measurement.

Due to this shortage of bigger diamonds, carat weight has always played a significant role in determining the price and the value of diamonds. The bigger the diamond, the rarer it is to be found. And hence the bigger the stone, the more expensive it is per carat. The price of a diamond per carat weight increases exponentially with size. For example, while a one-carat stone can fetch anywhere from $6,000 to $15,000, a sparkler of 3-4 carats could demand a price of more than $18,000 per carat depending on its color and clarity.

It is also interesting to note that as the carat weight of a diamond increases, the relative size does not increase in the same proportion. For example, the diameter of a one carat diamond is approximately 6.4 mm. However, the diameter of a two carat diamond is only 8.1 mm.

Hard Fact: Gold and diamonds, the two major components in precious jewelry, use Karat and Carat, respectively, as a unit of a measurement.  Carat with a “C” applies to diamonds and it indicates the weight of the diamond. Karat, with a “K”, on the other hand, refers to the purity or fineness of gold.

Interesting Trivia: Most people, outside the diamond industry, believe that the Cut of a diamond refers to the shape of a diamond. However, a trained gemologist refers to specific cutting parameters that bring a particular shape to life with highest fire, brilliance and scintillation.

Based on classifications and nomenclatures followed by the diamond industry around the world, the Cut of a diamond is divided into five categories.

1. Excellent Cut:The design of this cut is such that it ensures every shard of light entering the diamond is reflected multiple times and in all directions, thereby literally setting the stone afire from within. Achieving the Excellent Cut requires exceptional expertise and craftsmanship.Excellent cut diamonds show equal dark and light shades, creating an impression of play of shadows and light.

2. Very Good Cut:Very Good Cut diamonds have slightly more flexible cutting parameters than Excellent Cut. When skilled craftsmen attempt to retain higher carat weight by slightlycompromising onthe light performance, the Cut becomes Very Good. Diamonds with Very Good Cut still show good deal of sparkle, brilliance and fire, but their price per carat is much lower than that of an Excellent Cut diamond.

3. Good Cut:Just like the Very Good Cut, Good Cut diamonds are created by sacrificing quality of the cut over carat weight of a diamond. Most of the size proportions of diamonds in this cut are quite broader than those of the Excellent or Very Good Cut as the target is to get maximum stone size rather than focusing on the light performance. Such diamonds are ideal for the more budget conscious buyers who want to have a pretty stone that is larger in size.

4. Fair Cut: A cut that is almost at the bottom of the grading spectrum in terms of quality and preference. The only aim of those working with this cut is to get the maximum possible carat weight out of the rough diamond. There is very little consideration given to the color or clarity of the stone. The value of Fair Cut diamonds is based largely on their carat weight.

5. Poor Cut: The lowest of cuts in diamonds. These diamonds perform very poorly when it comes to the light performance inside the diamond based on internal reflection and refraction. They are just stones that have been processed to look big. As the cut is not optimized, there can be multiple inner impurities as well as outer surface defects. For those only looking to own a gem that is called a diamond without any other specific considerations, these are the diamonds to buy.

Interesting Trivia: When found in nature, diamonds do not look much different from the thousands of different stones we find all around us. It takes a discerning eye to recognize a diamond in the rough.

When found deep in the bowels of the earth, or in the alluvial soil left behind by rivers, majority of rough diamonds look extremely ordinary and unattractive. Whether or not there is a high quality gem grade diamond lying inside its heart is tough to know when looking at a freshly mined rough diamond. Before a diamond can be considered as ready to grace your special someone’s jewelry piece, it needs to go through a lengthy and pain staking process.

In this article, we are going to take a glance at the various steps and processes these sparklers go through before their inner fire and brilliance become fully apparent. Broadly, we can segregate the overall process into five sub-processes:

1. Planning
2. Cleaving
3. Bruting
4. Polishing
5. Quality Inspection

Let us take a look at each of these processes in brief to understand them better:

1. Planning: As with any other product, a diamond’s journey from rough to polished starts with planning. Did you know that every rough diamond can be cut in multiple ways to create a polished gem stone? However, only one particular design plan yields best color, clarity and carat weight. Therefore, planning calls for understanding all of these aspects and designing the diamond to get the best possible outcome. This is perhaps the most time consuming step and involves both manual and machine aided planning. Sometimes, rough diamonds are planned, then taken through the cleaving process partially and then re-planned based on the outcome of cleaving. For large high value stones, the planning and partial cleaving process is repeated several times until final plans are decided.

2. Cleaving: So the diamond has been planned. As the name itself suggests, the next step involves cutting or splitting the diamond into two or more parts. This is done along the split lines marked during the planning stage. It throws further light on the inherent beauty and qualities of the stone and get the diamond ready for the actual cutting and polishing stages. Either a diamond lined machine saw or a more modernistic laser machine is used to cleave the diamond precisely.

3. Bruting: A strange sounding name for a process – brutingis where the diamond actually gets its shape. The process normally involves using a second diamond or a diamond impregnated bruting wheel to give the diamond under design its shape. After all, only a diamond can cut a diamond. Of course, this job can only be done by specially trained artisans as even a slight error can permanently destroy the stone or reduce its value significantly.

4. Polishing: This is the stage that gives the entire process its name – diamond polishing. In fact, this process involves two sub-stages – blocking and brillianteering.And we also get to hear a new term here – brillianteering. It’s actually a combination of two words brilliant and engineering. In blocking, the background or base for brillianteering is created. Pavilions, crowns, culets and some of the facets are crafted at this stage.

The final surface polishing is done in the brillianteering sub-stage. During this process, majority of the facets are polished onto the stone and its inherent brilliance and reflective abilities are fully brought to the fore. Only the most skilled and experienced artisans are allowed to handle the diamond at this stage.

5. Quality Inspection: As with any product, diamond processing also ends with a quality inspection. This is where expert craftsmen and inspector check the stone for any manufacturing errors. Every facet, every pavilion and crown is thoroughly inspected. Any minor blemishes or errors are sent back for corrections. Only stones that meet exacting specifications set out at the start of the planning process are accepted as finally polished diamonds ready for the market.

Hard Fact: While the entire process might sound quite simple, it might take a rough diamond anywhere from 20 days to several years to reach its final fully polished state. For example, the world famous Cullinan Diamond took more than 4 years to be completed.

The Red Cross: One of the most unique diamonds every produced, the Red Cross features a prominent Maltese Cross in its top facet. Just like The De Beers stone, it was also mined from the Kimberley mines by De Beers in 1901. It weighed 375 carats in its rough form, which was reduced to 205.07 carats after it was finished. The finished Red Cross is a beautiful canary yellow diamond, cut into a cushion shape. When Christie organized an art sale in London in 1918, the owners donated the diamond for the benefit of the British Red Cross Society and the Order of St. John.

The Millennium Star: A perfectly flawless diamond (internally and externally), the Millennium Star was found in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1990. Unlike other most famous diamonds, the Millennium Star was found in alluvial deposits and was a huge 777 carats in its rough state. De Beers purchased the stone and polished it as one of the most perfect diamonds ever produced. It was only unveiled by De Beers in 1999 as part of its Millennium Collection. The actual value of the diamond has never been revealed by the company, but it is believed to be several hundred million dollars. The Millennium Star is a perfect pear shaped stone weighing 203.04 carats.

The Koh-I-Noor: Best translated to mean “Mountain of Light”, this mystery shrouded diamond is from the Indian sub-continent. Over its history, it has been owned by the Mughals, the Sikhs, the Afghans and many other rulers as spoils of war. It is perhaps the best known and most fought over diamond ever. It is a flawless and colorless 105 carats diamond that is now part of the Crown Jewels of England.

There are of course dozens of other diamonds that would easily fit into this list, but these particular twelve stones mentioned here are some of the biggest, most desirable diamonds ever known to mankind.

5. The Spirit of de Grisogono: Amongst the rarest of rare diamonds, the Spirit of de Grisogono is the the black beauty found in west Central Africa. Originally weighing 587 carats in its rough form, the world’s largest black diamond was cut and polished down to 312.24 carats in the Mogul cut style. Though an exceptional and rare diamond, the Spirit of de Grisogono has managed to disappear from public eye and its current location and ownership are unknown.

6. The Centenary Diamond: A diamond carrying an insurance policy of $100 million, and with its present location and ownership a secret, the Centenary is one of the most revered diamonds the world has ever known. Mined at 599 carats from the Premier Mine in 1986, it was cut and polished to a finished 273.85 carats. It is a splendid D color diamond. The most unique feature of the Centenary is its 247 facets, the highest number for any known diamond polished up to that time.

Hard Fact: There are many large stones that have been exceptional and that have unfortunately disappeared from the public domain. In most cases, this has happened on account of theft.

7. The Jubilee: Named in commemoration of the 75^th anniversary of the coronation of Queen Victoria of England, the Jubilee is an E colored diamond with outstanding clarity. Mined at 650.80 carat from the Jagersfontein Mine in South Africa in 1895 this magnificent stone was cut into cushion shape yielding a polished diamond of 245.35 carats. Its present valuation is unknown.

Interesting Trivia: The diamond industry employs more than 10 million people worldwide and boasts of roughly $100 billion in annual revenue. If we put together the 50 biggest diamonds in the world their value would easily exceed the current annual revenue amount.

8. The De Beers: Another diamond mined back in 1888 by De Beers from its Kimberley mines, the De Beers was named after the company. Believed to have been cut and polished in Amsterdam, it was put on display in Paris. His Highness Bhupinder Singh, the Maharaja of Patiala acquired it and commissioned Cartier to set it into an exclusive ceremonial necklace in 1928. With 2930 diamonds, the stunning necklace was aptly dubbed the Patiala Necklace. The necklace and the diamond have both gone missing since then.

There are four more outstanding stones that I absolutely cannot leave out of my list of the most famous stones. I will share my complete list of the twelve most famous stones on my next blog.

Interesting Trivia: Diamonds are valued based on their carat, clarity, cut and color. Even among these, color and clarity demand great value – so a colorless and flawless diamond in lesser carats would fetch much higher value than a larger stone of say lower color and clarity.

These magnificent stones have been the objects of wonder, of desire, of jealousy and of course, something to be possessed with a passion.

1. Cullinan I or the Great Star of Africa: It was cut from the Cullinan diamond, which is widely believed to be the largest gemstone diamond ever to be found (it dipped the scales at 3,106 carats when found in Transvaal, South Africa in 1905). It carries the name of the mine owner Sir Thomas Cullinan and was gifted to the then monarch of England King Edward VII in 1907. Asscher of Amsterdam was commissioned to cut and polish this huge stone. The rough stone yielded nine large and ninety six smaller polished diamonds. Among these, the Cullinan I or Great Star of Africa (530 carats) is the largest colorless and flawless diamond presently known. It forms a part of the British Crown Jewels.

2. The Golden Jubilee: A yellowish brown colored beauty discovered in South Africa in 1985, the Golden Jubilee is officially the largest cut diamond in the world at 545.67 carats. It was blessed by Pope John Paul II. Though the largest known cut and polished diamond, it fails to match the Cullinan I diamond in value on account of it’s yellow-brown coloring. It has still found a place of pride in the collection of the Thai Royal Family.

3. The Incomparable: This truly incomparable diamond was presented to the world in 1980 by the Democratic Republic of Congo. An awe-inspiring 890 carats in its rough state, this diamond took nearly four years to reach its final cut size of 407.48 carats. It is the most unique cut of all the largest diamonds in the world – a triangular shape. Just like the Golden Jubilee, the Incomparable is also a yellowish brown colored diamond that is internally flawless.

4. The Cullinan II or Lesser Star of Africa:The smaller sibling of the Cullinan I, this 317.40 carat diamond was cut from the same massive stone that yielded the Great Star of Africa. Polished into a cushion shape, the Cullinan II followed the Cullinan I into the Crown Jewels and forms the center piece of Britain’s Imperial Crown.

This list of most famous stones will be continued on my next blog.

Stay tuned.