|
|
OTHER CHARACTERISTICS
|
|
|
Polish
|
|
Diamond polish is a way to see how well the diamonds have been finished and cleaned.
It is also a sign of how well the diamond was cut and will help you se of there
are some fine lines on the surface of diamonds or not. You will see that a stone
that is well polished will have less lines and blemishes as compared to a stone
that has not been polished. The sheen and brilliance of a diamond is enhanced if
it has been polished properly. There are a number of marks on the diamond like chips
and scratches that can well be removed with the help of polishing it properly.
|
|
In addition, the polish determines how much light will be able to pass through the
diamond so that the shine is more. When you set out to purchase diamonds, make sure
you look for diamonds that are certified and polished excellently. If the polish
on the diamonds is poor, you will see that it will not shine brilliantly. The fine
lines blur the overall appearance of the diamonds thus making them look dull. The
grading certificates have polish grades for the diamonds that are as follows. Make
sure you check out these ratings before you make a purchase.
|
|
E
|
Excellent
|
|
VG
|
Very good
|
|
G
|
Good
|
|
F
|
Fair
|
|
P
|
Poor
|
|
|
To increase the luster of the diamond, this is the best thing to do. Poorly polished
surface or facets are one of the biggest reasons for poor looking diamonds. The
lines on the surface of the diamond are due to many reasons and the most experienced
cutters can end up roughening the surface of the diamonds. Some of the lines can
even be seen by naked eye while most of them go unnoticed. If you wish to buy a
flawless diamond, you can consider ideal or excellent polish diamonds.
|
|

|
|
Diamond Symmetry
|
|
When a person buys diamonds, he looks for many things. The overall finish of the
diamonds can attract or distract the buyer and thus symmetry of the diamond become
one of the most important factors. The exactness of shapes and the way of arrangement
of facets is what is referred to as ‘symmetry’. The natural, extra, tables, culets,
and misshapen facets are included in this. The person who does not know about the
symmetry will never be able to make out the difference between a symmetrical and
an asymmetrical diamond. If you are buying lower grade diamonds, the symmetry will
not be a big concern.
|
|
When buying higher-grade diamonds, symmetry plays an important role. Just like the
polish grades, the grades for symmetry are Excellent, Very Good, Good and Poor.
When you buy a diamond, always ask for the certificate, and see the rating of the
symmetry on it. People most often purchase the diamonds that have Good symmetry
grade. This is due to the beautiful appearance of these diamonds. You should avoid
buying the diamonds that have symmetry from fair to poor.
|
|
When the diamonds are sent to the labs for grading, they are checked with the help
of microscopes to see if the facets have perfect symmetry or not and then grading
is done. The highly skilled cutters also make mistakes and end up creating diamonds
that are not symmetrical. Very few diamonds are excellently symmetrical. You should
also take other factors in consideration while buying diamonds for your rings or
in your jewelry.
|
|
Fluorescence is found in the diamonds while they are exposed to ultraviolet light
with long wave. Under most of the lighting conditions, this effect cannot be seen
by eyes. Some people prefer diamonds without this effect while others look for it.
It is all about the aesthetics.
|
Symmetry
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Center Table
The placement of the table (the largest
facet on a diamond) should be centered at the top of the stone and needs to be parallel
to the girdle. If the table is off-center or not parallel with the girdle this can
cause uneven crown angles from one side to the other. In this example we see the
unbalanced appearance that occurs from an off-center table.
|
|
|
|
Off-Center Culet
To check if the culet is centered,
look at the diamond in the face-up position. You'll see the lower girdle facets
through the table. If the lines formed by them look like a perfect square, the culet
is centered. If the cross bends one way or the other, the culet is not centered.
In this example we see what an off-centered culet might look like.
|
|
|
|
Table & Girdle
Not Parallel
Here we see another example of what
occurs when the table is not parallel with the girdle. As you see, the crown angle
is much more steep on one side versus the other. From the top view you may have
noticed an off-center table.
|
|
|
|
|
Labs
|
|
If you know what grading is, you must also know that it is done in the gemological
laboratories. These laboratories are specially designed to certify the diamonds
and give them grades according to the symmetry, color, carat and other characteristics.
Before you buy diamonds, know the different labs that provide certifications to
the diamonds and make them acceptable globally. The reputation of the labs can even
change over the years and some popular gem labs that are listed here.
|
|
GIA – (gemological institute of America) this is one of the most sought after
labs and many people in the diamond industry consider their certification to be
the best and the topmost. Throughout the diamond world, certificates from GIA have
been given a lot of importance and preference.
|
|
American Gem Society Laboratories is also based in US and was founded in
the year 1978.
|
|
IGI – (International Gemological Institute) this institute has its headquarters
in New York and provides grading to the diamonds and other gemstones from their
headquarters only.
|
|
Another institution is European Gemological Laboratory that has a number
of independent grading labs named after it and affiliated to it.
|
|
Grading from the laboratories is important, as certificates have to be given along
with the diamonds that the people purchase. The certificate lists a number of options
and descriptions. These laboratories are independent and work to evaluate the diamonds
in question. A number of instruments are used by the Gemological Institutes to check
the diamonds and give them grades. When the certificate of the diamond is viewed,
the name of the lab is given a lot of importance. It is important to get these certifications
from the labs as the minutest of the details make a difference to the price of the
diamonds and their quality. Without proper certification and assessment, no diamond
can be rightly priced.
|
|
Depth Percentage
|
|
This is also one of the most important characteristics to look for when you look
to buy diamonds and wish to buy the best ones. If you do not know what depth percentage
is, here is some important information about the same: The depth percentage of a
diamond is the ratio of the diameter of the diamond as compared to the depth of
the diamond. There are different ranges for every shape that are considered ideal.
Here is the range:
|
Ideal
|
= 58 - 60%
|
|
Excellent
|
= 60.1 - 62%
|
|
Good
|
= 62 - 64%
|
|
Fair
|
= 64 - 66%
|
|
Poor
|
= over 66% or under 57%
|
|
|
|
With the depth percentage, the table percentage also is considered important. The
ratio of the total width with the width of the table is the table percentage. When
you are finding the table percentage for the round diamonds, you should take into
consideration the biggest diameter. Recently, people have been looking for smaller
table percentages. If you look for bigger table percentage, the size of the diamond
will increase and the brilliance as well. Today, people look forward to buying diamonds
that have been cut ideally. The table of range for diamonds is as follows.
|
Ideal
|
= 53 - 58%
|
|
Excellent
|
= 58.1 - 60%
|
|
Good
|
= 60.1 - 64%
|
|
Fair
|
= 64 - 70%
|
|
Poor
|
= over 70%
|
|
|
Length-To-Width Ratio
|
|
Length and width of the diamonds is important consideration, as it will also help
in deciding the size of the diamonds. This is mainly done in the case of fancy diamonds
shapes so that the buyer knows how the diamond will look like when viewed from the
top. Every shape in which the diamond is cut has a particular width, length, and
people sometimes buy the diamonds according to their size. Once they know about
the outline of the diamond, it will be easier for them to make a choice and select
the best diamond.
|
|
|
When you divide the length of the diamond with its width, you get the length to
width ratio. Every shape will have a particular ratio and this will decide how perfect
the shape of the diamond is.
|
|
All these characteristics play an important role in deciding the price and the quality
of the diamonds you are going to buy. Buying diamonds is easy but finding the perfect
pieces is a difficult task. The diamonds that you buy need to pass through tests
and get certifications so that you can make a wise decision and get the best value
for your money. If you do not like the diamonds, you can ask the store about their
return policy. Look at the certificate and see the grades of different characteristics.
You can also view the certificate before you make a decision and purchase.
|
|
The diamonds have different appearances and cuts. It is for you to decide what shape
you wish to buy so that your jewelry item can look perfect. Also, look for the 4Cs
in diamonds when you are deciding over the diamonds that you wish to buy. The four
characteristics are important as these ones and have a direct effect on the pricing
of the diamonds. If you wish to make the best purchase, all these factors need to
be considered.
|
|
|
|