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Diamond Certification
Diamond certificates, more accurately known as diamond grading reports, are commonly provided with the purchase of a significant piece of diamond jewelry such as a diamond Engagement Ring or a diamond Three Stone Ring. These reports are prepared by independent, certified gemologists from laboratories around the world and can help calculate the specific characteristics of your diamond (color, cut, clarity and carat weight, for example).What's Included in a Diamond Grading Report?
A diamond grading report will commonly include a plotted diagram of your diamond and significant characteristics, including the 4Cs (cut, color, clarity and carat weight).
The report will also describe the diamond’s shape, exact measurements, proportions and depth percentages as well as grade the polish and symmetry. It should also comment on the characteristics like fluorescence, raining, and any imperfections in the diamond. Please note: a grading report does not include an appraisal or any kind of statement of monetary worth of the diamond. Grading reports simply state the scientific facts of your diamond that can be evaluated by highly standardized criteria.
The best way to understand your diamond grading report is to schedule an appointment with your jeweler. This way, he can explain to you each portion of the certificate while visually examining your diamond with you. Grading a diamond is only partially scientific; a brief meeting with your jeweler can help you understand what the certificate really means.
Benefits to Getting a Diamond Grading Report
Diamond grading reports assure you of the authenticity and quality of your diamond. As most consumers are not diamond experts, a certificate is an objective comparison. In addition, some insurance companies may require a grading report if you are planning to insure the diamond.
Does a Diamond Grading Report Increase the Value of My Diamond?
Certification of a diamond does not increase the value of your diamond. Certification is only a safeguard for the consumer as it is affirmation of your diamond’s authenticity and specific characteristics. Since each diamond is unique, a certificate will help you identify the special characteristics of your diamond.
How Much Does it Cost? How Long Will it Take?Depending on the laboratory used in the process for a diamond grading report can vary anywhere from 2 weeks or longer. The fee for a grading report varies depending on the carat weight if your diamond. Many labs charge approximately $75 for the first carat. If your diamond is larger than 1 carat, the price increases incrementally in relationship to carat weight. For exact prices, we suggest you contact specific labs to get price quotes.
How Much Does it Cost? How Long Will it Take?Depending on the laboratory used in the process for a diamond grading report can vary anywhere from 2 weeks or longer. The fee for a grading report varies depending on the carat weight if your diamond. Many labs charge approximately $75 for the first carat. If your diamond is larger than 1 carat, the price increases incrementally in relationship to carat weight. For exact prices, we suggest you contact specific labs to get price quotes.
Some well-known organizations that provide grading reports include the American Gemological Society (AGS), Diamond High Council (Hoge Raad Voor Diamant; HRD), European Gemological Laboratory (EGL), International Gemological Institute (IGI), and the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), to name a few. Your local jeweler can help aid you in acquiring a grading report through one of these labs either at the time of purchase of after.
Diamond Glossary A thru F
Blemish: A surface or inherent clarity characteristic of a diamond.
Brilliance: A phenomena unique and powerful in diamonds is the extent to which a diamond can reflect light. This "brilliance" is created when light enters through the diamonds table, reaches the pavilion facets, and is then refracted back out through the table to your eye.
Carat: A unit of weight by which a diamond is measured.
Clouds: A cluster of very tiny imperfections within a diamond. These imperfections will often take on a transparent cloudy look, and will require extremely high magnification in order to be seen.
Color grading: A grading method system by GIA used to determine the colorlessness of white diamonds.
Crown: The portion of the diamond above the girdle.
Crown angle: The angle where the diamond's bezel facets intersect with the girdle plane. The positioning of these facets is critical in determining the amount of light dispersion and fire in a diamond.
Culet: A flat facet diamond cutters add to the bottom of a diamond's pavilion. The purpose of the culet is to protect the integrity of the pavilion from chipping and fractures. Once a diamond is set in jewelry the purpose of the culet is generally negated as the setting will provide adequate protection for the stone. Most modern diamond shapes have either no culet, or very small pointed culet.
Cut: Refers to the proportions as well as the polish and finish of a faceted diamond. Cut is the most important of the "4 C's and is critically instrumental in determining a diamonds beauty and value.
Depth: The height of a diamond from the culet to the table. Depth is measured in millimeters.
Depth percentage: Refers to the relation between how deep and how wide the diamond is. Depth percentage plays a role in determining the brilliance and value of the diamond.Diamond: A crystallized carbon made up of 99.95% pure carbon atoms in an isometric or cubic arrangement.
Diamond cutting: The method whereby a rough diamond mined from way beneath the earth's surface is polished and faceted into a magnificent diamond. The diamond must go through a long and arduous process of many different steps until it is considered a completely finished gem.
Dispersion: The effect that properly angled and placed facets have on the diamond's ability to display fire.
Eye clean: A term used in the industry to describe a diamond with inclusions that cannot be seen with the naked eye.
Facet: The various smooth surface areas of a diamond set up and positioned at different angles, allowing light to enter the stone and reflect back to your eye. A round brilliant diamond has a total of 58 facets.
Feathers: are the small stress fractures in a diamond formed during its crystallization process. Feathers will pose no risk to the durability of the diamond once that stone has survived the rigors of its crystallization, mining, and cutting process.
Finish: This refers to the quality of how the diamond cutter executed the designing, fashioning, and faceting of the diamond.
Fire: (or Color Light)This refers to the percentage of the diamond returning bright colored light to the observer.
Fluorescence: This refers to an effect seen in diamond when exposed to long wave ultra violet light. Fluorescence is undetectable in most lighting conditions and can only be seen when placed under an intense and direct ultra violet lamp. Fluorescence has no deleterious effect on the integrity of the diamond. Some prefer Fluorescence in diamonds, others do not. It is a matter of personal taste. Fluorescence in lower color diamonds posses a unique desirability as they will make diamonds appear whiter than their actual color grade.
Diamond Repair
If your diamond chips contact Lenny Fuchs.
Brilliance: A phenomena unique and powerful in diamonds is the extent to which a diamond can reflect light. This "brilliance" is created when light enters through the diamonds table, reaches the pavilion facets, and is then refracted back out through the table to your eye.
Carat: A unit of weight by which a diamond is measured.
Clouds: A cluster of very tiny imperfections within a diamond. These imperfections will often take on a transparent cloudy look, and will require extremely high magnification in order to be seen.
Color grading: A grading method system by GIA used to determine the colorlessness of white diamonds.
Crown: The portion of the diamond above the girdle.
Crown angle: The angle where the diamond's bezel facets intersect with the girdle plane. The positioning of these facets is critical in determining the amount of light dispersion and fire in a diamond.
Culet: A flat facet diamond cutters add to the bottom of a diamond's pavilion. The purpose of the culet is to protect the integrity of the pavilion from chipping and fractures. Once a diamond is set in jewelry the purpose of the culet is generally negated as the setting will provide adequate protection for the stone. Most modern diamond shapes have either no culet, or very small pointed culet.
Cut: Refers to the proportions as well as the polish and finish of a faceted diamond. Cut is the most important of the "4 C's and is critically instrumental in determining a diamonds beauty and value.
Depth: The height of a diamond from the culet to the table. Depth is measured in millimeters.
Depth percentage: Refers to the relation between how deep and how wide the diamond is. Depth percentage plays a role in determining the brilliance and value of the diamond.Diamond: A crystallized carbon made up of 99.95% pure carbon atoms in an isometric or cubic arrangement.
Diamond cutting: The method whereby a rough diamond mined from way beneath the earth's surface is polished and faceted into a magnificent diamond. The diamond must go through a long and arduous process of many different steps until it is considered a completely finished gem.
Dispersion: The effect that properly angled and placed facets have on the diamond's ability to display fire.
Eye clean: A term used in the industry to describe a diamond with inclusions that cannot be seen with the naked eye.
Facet: The various smooth surface areas of a diamond set up and positioned at different angles, allowing light to enter the stone and reflect back to your eye. A round brilliant diamond has a total of 58 facets.
Feathers: are the small stress fractures in a diamond formed during its crystallization process. Feathers will pose no risk to the durability of the diamond once that stone has survived the rigors of its crystallization, mining, and cutting process.
Finish: This refers to the quality of how the diamond cutter executed the designing, fashioning, and faceting of the diamond.
Fire: (or Color Light)This refers to the percentage of the diamond returning bright colored light to the observer.
Fluorescence: This refers to an effect seen in diamond when exposed to long wave ultra violet light. Fluorescence is undetectable in most lighting conditions and can only be seen when placed under an intense and direct ultra violet lamp. Fluorescence has no deleterious effect on the integrity of the diamond. Some prefer Fluorescence in diamonds, others do not. It is a matter of personal taste. Fluorescence in lower color diamonds posses a unique desirability as they will make diamonds appear whiter than their actual color grade.
Diamond Repair
If your diamond chips contact Lenny Fuchs.
Quality Diamond Repairs
The Diamond Doctor Leonard Fuchs
The Diamond Doctor Leonard Fuchs
10 West 47th Street, New York, N.Y. 10036
Lenny has over 31 years of experience in diamond repair.
Diamond Carat Weight Chart
The Diamond Doctor Leonard Fuchs
Lenny@QualityDiamondRepair.com
10 West 47th Street, New York, N.Y. 10036
Lenny@QualityDiamondRepair.com
10 West 47th Street, New York, N.Y. 10036
Lenny has over 31 years of experience in diamond repair.
Diamond Glossary G thru T
GIA (Gemological Institute of America): Was founded in 1931 as a non profit organization and is considered to be the standard bearer of the diamond grading industry with the strictest, most stringent diamond grading criterion. The grading system developed by the GIA has become the standard system used today by grading labs across the world.
Girdle: The outer ring of the diamond is called the girdle. The girdle is described by its thinnest and thickest points.
Inclusion: An intrinsic clarity characteristic found within diamonds.
Naturals: Small particles of the original rough diamond's surface which remain on the polished diamond.
Pavillion: This refers to the lower portion of the diamond underneath the girdle.
Point: Refers to a measurement describing the weight of a diamond. One point equals one hundredth of a carat.
Polish: This refers to a diamond's surface blemishes which do not affect its clarity grade such as polishing lines or scratches. Polish is graded on laboratory reports as either ideal (AGS) excellent, very good, good, fair, or poor (GIA).
Scintillation: This is the term for changing colours, the radiance and sparkle of the rays when the stone is moved or when the light source changes. The GemEx Brilliancescope ™ analyzer that we use for all of our diamonds measures the number of light points and determines how they change from position to position.
Symmetry: Variations in a diamond's symmetry such as misshapen or misaligned facets are graded in the laboratory report. Although such variations are often undetectable to the naked eye, it is certainly indicative of a diamonds cut quality.
Table: percentage Represents the diameter of the table facet in relation to the diameter of the entire diamond.
Girdle: The outer ring of the diamond is called the girdle. The girdle is described by its thinnest and thickest points.
Inclusion: An intrinsic clarity characteristic found within diamonds.
Naturals: Small particles of the original rough diamond's surface which remain on the polished diamond.
Pavillion: This refers to the lower portion of the diamond underneath the girdle.
Point: Refers to a measurement describing the weight of a diamond. One point equals one hundredth of a carat.
Polish: This refers to a diamond's surface blemishes which do not affect its clarity grade such as polishing lines or scratches. Polish is graded on laboratory reports as either ideal (AGS) excellent, very good, good, fair, or poor (GIA).
Scintillation: This is the term for changing colours, the radiance and sparkle of the rays when the stone is moved or when the light source changes. The GemEx Brilliancescope ™ analyzer that we use for all of our diamonds measures the number of light points and determines how they change from position to position.
Symmetry: Variations in a diamond's symmetry such as misshapen or misaligned facets are graded in the laboratory report. Although such variations are often undetectable to the naked eye, it is certainly indicative of a diamonds cut quality.
Table: percentage Represents the diameter of the table facet in relation to the diameter of the entire diamond.
The Diamond Doctor Leonard Fuchs
Lenny@QualityDiamondRepair.com
10 West 47th Street, New York, N.Y. 10036
Lenny@QualityDiamondRepair.com
10 West 47th Street, New York, N.Y. 10036
Lenny has over 31 years of experience in diamond repair.
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