If you’ve ever purchased a diamond solitaire, you’re most likely familiar with the “4C’s” of diamond grading – cut, clarity, carat, and color. Until the recent development of the Gemological Institute of America’s Cut Grade, a certified diamond’s cut has been the most widely debated of this diamond grading criterion.
A diamond’s cut is the only grading criterion not determined by the natural characteristics of the stone. Contrary to most assumptions, the cut of a diamond does not refer to the shape of the stone, but to its proportions (width and depth), polish, symmetry, and facet uniformity. It’s these factors that determine the diamond’s levels of brilliance, fire, and scintillation.
A diamond’s brilliance is determined by its ability to reflect white light back to the eye, and its fire is its ability to reflect colored light. Scintillation, or a diamond’s sparkle, is a combination of the stone’s brilliance and fire, resulting in “flashes” when a diamond moves in the light. With shallow cuts, light is lost through the bottom of the stone, and with deep-cut diamonds, light escapes out of the sides. The most expertly cut diamonds reflect light back to the surface, bringing the brilliance of the diamond to the forefront as it sparkles in your engagement ring.
The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to ensure public trust in gemstones. Recognized as the foremost authority in gemology, the GIA has recently developed its Diamond Cut Grading, which categorizes each loose diamond’s cut grade as excellent, very good, good, fair, or poor.
The GIA’s Diamond Cut Grading System for round, brilliant cut diamonds is a comprehensive grading system based on fifteen years of extensive light-behavior computer modeling and statistical information gathered by more than 70,000 human observations. This scientific assessment accurately defines the factors of a round brilliant diamond. While many of these were already well known in the diamond industry, some newly discovered factors resulted in techniques that produced quality diamonds from stones that were previously thought unusable.
For loose diamonds, the GIA’s rating system grades a brilliant cut diamond’s face-up appearance, using light-behavior computer modeling and algorithms to predict brightness, fire, and scintillation. These measurements, along with the diamond’s durability, polish, and symmetry, determine the GIA Diamond Cut Grade.
More than 99% of the diamonds graded will fall into Diamond Cut Grades of excellent, very good, or good. A range of characteristics and proportions define each grading parameter. The GIA Diamond Cut Grading System is designed to educate consumers, arming them with the confidence they need when making diamond purchases. If you purchase a certified diamond graded as “Excellent”, you can rest assured you’ll receive an exquisite stone with high levels of brilliance, fire, and scintillation.
Although the GIA Diamond Cut Grades are currently assigned only for round, brilliant cut diamonds, the GIA is currently researching diamond cut grades for emerald and princess cuts, and will share this data with the diamond industry when their research is complete.
At Brilliance, we offer GIA certified diamonds with cut grades ranging from Excellent to Fair to ensure the largest selection.
If you love the brilliance and sparkle of round, brilliant cut diamonds but are seeking a more unique diamond shape for your engagement ring, an oval cut diamond may offer the perfect solution. Offering much of the same radiance and fire as the round, the oval cut diamond’s elongated shape flatters the wearer’s hand by creating the illusion of longer, more slender fingers.
Lazar Kaplan, founder of the premier diamond-cutting company LKI, first introduced the oval cut diamond to the jewelry industry. In creating the cut, Lazar utilized the formulas and proportions of Marcel Toklowsky, a mathematician who developed algorithms and “ideal” proportions for optimizing the brilliance and sparkle of round brilliant cut diamonds. Lazar applied the benchmarks and standards outlined in Tolkowsky’s 1919 publication The American Ideal Cut to irregular shaped diamonds, perfecting the oval cut in 1960.
With a brilliant cut diamond, the amount of light reflecting back to the surface (also known as its “brilliance”) is determined by the stone’s proportions, facet uniformity, polish, and symmetry. Toklowsky’s “ideal” proportions reflect all light back to the surface, with none escaping through the stone’s sides or bottom.
The length to width ratio is an important factor to consider when shopping for oval cut loose diamonds. For this shape, an optimal length to width ratio should be between 1.3 and 1.65. Because of the stone’s elongated shape, inclusions and impurities are easier to spot in oval cut diamonds than in rounds, so color and clarity are of paramount importance. A certified diamond certainly doesn’t have to be “flawless” or “colorless” to be beautiful, and if the stone is well-cut, the appearance of any flaws should be minimal to the naked eye.
Due to its elongated shape, the oval cut diamond has larger facets than a round cut diamond in its pavilion. These facets sometimes create what’s known as a “bow tie” effect (a dark area in the shape of a man’s bow tie). Though it’s not uncommon for a bow tie to be present in an oval cut diamond, the effect should not detract from the diamond’s brilliance.
When evaluating an oval cut and round cut diamond of the same carat weight, the oval cut diamond will have a larger surface area and appear bigger than its round counterpart. So, if diamond size is important, the oval cut diamond is an excellent option, offering the look of a bigger stone for your money.
The brilliance, sparkle, and elegant shape of the oval cut diamond have led to its increase in popularity over the last several decades. If you’re still undecided about which diamond to choose, consult a Brilliance certified diamond experts at 1-866-737-0754.
After spending the time to find just the right diamond engagement ring that perfectly suits your style and your life, it can be a big disappointment to not be able to wear it right away because of an inaccurate ring size. To eliminate the chances that you’ll have to send your ring off to be re-sized after receiving it, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with the basics of determining your ring size, as well as the importance of a proper fit.
Although elements such as cut, color, clarity, and carat weight are integral to ensuring a sound diamond investment, the size of an engagement ring is also an important consideration. If the ring is even just a little bit too small, it will cause discomfort or even pain and may be very difficult to remove. On the other hand, if there’s too much room between the finger and the ring, you run the risk of the ring slipping off and getting lost. It is important to remember that your diamond engagement ring is a permanent piece of jewelry you’ll most likely wear every day for the rest of your life; determining a proper ring size is essential to ensuring the comfort and security of your certified diamond.
According to commercial jewelers, the most popular engagement ring size ordered by today’s American couples is a 6, although there are wide variances. Most jewelers will have a tool you can use to measure the size of your finger. Sizes are obtained by measuring the inside of the ring using a numeric scale based on quarters and half units.
Keep the following tips in mind when determining your proper ring size:
The sizes of your two ring fingers may differ by up to half a size, with your dominant hand usually a bit larger.
For most accurate results, obtain the measurements as late in the day as possible. The fingers tend to swell later in the day, so a size obtained early in the morning will likely become too tight as the day progresses. You may also want to record a week’s or month’s worth of measurements to track the fluctuations.
The size of your fingers can change according to a variety of factors, including temperature, illness, medications, fluctuations in weight, or degree of exercise.
Foreign countries use different standards of ring measurement than the United States. An international ring size conversion chart is available by clicking here.
The size of a ring may be affected by its diameter. As a general rule, wider bands require larger sizes than smaller ones. A ring’s style may also have an affect on the size.
At Brilliance, we offer complimentary ring resizing services to all customers who have purchased a certified loose diamond or diamond engagement ring from us. Allow at least 7 business days after receipt of the ring for the resizing to be completed. We will return all re-sized rings back to you via secure UPS delivery.
We also offer an online Ring Sizer at Brilliance that can be printed off and used to gauge an estimate of your proper ring size, or we can send you a free sizing tool to use at home. If you have any questions or requests pertaining to ring sizing, please contact one of our fine jewelry experts at 1-866-737-0754.
When loose diamonds are mined, they are shaped more like a small pebble than the brilliant diamond in an engagement ring. Over the years, the process of cutting a diamond into its appealing shape has been developed from a manual process to one that is computer and machine assisted. The new technology helps diamond cutters get the greatest amount of polished diamonds of out the rough stone while producing the brilliance and fire that is created through expert craftsmanship.
Many of the diamonds available at Brilliance are cut in Belgium, one of the leading diamond manufacturing cities in the world. This short video shows just what it takes to get a diamond from looking like just another stone to looking like a beautiful diamond.
For those whose birthdays coincide with the dawning of a new year, the garnet has a special significance. The official birthstone of January, this stunning stone serves as a welcome source of warmth during the coldest part of the year. It’s also used to commemorate the second and sixth wedding anniversaries. The garnet has become synonymous with loyalty, friendship, and overall well-being. When traveling, the stone is reputed to provide security and good fortune to the wearer.
Found in metamorphosed and igneous rock formations, garnets are formed by extreme excesses in temperature and pressure applied to the rock. Most commonly associated with a deep red coloring reminiscent of rubies, a traditional garnet makes a festive accompaniment to holiday attire. In addition to standard red, this vivid gemstone is found in a multitude of shades ranging from orange to dark burgundy. The varying shades will also differ in density and light refraction properties. The stone’s appeal can be attributed to its intense colorations, hardness, durability, and transparency, although its abundance makes it less valuable than other, rarer stones.
Garnets have adorned jewelry as far back as the Bronze Age in 3000 BC, when they were often buried to guard over the spirits of the deceased. The luminous stone was also popular during the early Egyptian and Roman times, when explorers carried it along on their journeys to illuminate their paths and protect them from harm. During the Middle Ages, the garnet was thought to have the power to stem bleeding and cure blood disorders.
Below are some of the most common variations of the garnet, along with their defining characteristics:
Almandine: Ranging from deep red to orange red, this stone is mined in Brazil, India, Madagascar, and the U.S.
Demantoid: Found in Italy, Russia, and Zaire, this garnet variation ranges from medium green to yellowish green.
Hessonite: This Sri Lankan stone ranges from bright yellow to yellowish brown. It’s also found in Kenya and Tanzania.
Pyrope: Ranging from deep red to purplish red, this intense garnet is mined primarily in Australia, Czechoslovakia, and South Africa.
Rhodolite: Mined in Sri Lanka and Tanzania, this softer-hued garnet boasts shades of pink or lavender.
Spessartite: Ranging from medium to reddish orange, this garnet variation is found primarily in Brazil, Namibia, Pakistan, and the U.S.
Tsavorite: Found in Kenya near the Tsavo National Park, this rare green garnet was also imported from Tanzania by Tiffany and Company.
Uvarovite: This crystallized green garnet was first found in Russia.
Proof that a rich, warm gemstone can also be affordable, garnets offer a budget-friendly way to add drama and depth to your fine jewelry collection. At Brilliance, we offer a dazzling assortment of genuine gemstone jewelry and engagement rings.
To determine the quality and value of a loose diamond, each of the “four Cs”—cut, color, clarity, and carat weight—is individually evaluated by an expert gemologist. Each of these characteristics has a significant impact on the overall appearance of the stone.
In the fine jewelry industry, the designation of a loose diamond’s color is actually used to refer to the presence or absence of color in the stone. An ideal diamond is colorless and pure white, although these are extremely rare and typically very expensive. Most stones are colored with a slight yellow or brown tint. Diamonds with some amount of color can be attractively set in a classic yellow gold band, while near-colorless stones usually look best when mounted in a white gold or platinum setting.
The less amount of color in a diamond, the more desirable and valuable it is. An exception to this rule is the “fancy diamond,” a term used to describe a stone with a naturally occurring tint, such as pink, blue, green, black, champagne, or (most rarely) red. With fancy diamonds, darker, more intense colorations increase their beauty and value.
The GIA (Gemological Institute of America) uses a very precise color grading scale to evaluate loose diamonds:
D, E, F: These high color grades indicate diamonds that appear colorless to the naked eye.
G, H, I: Also a high grade, these near-colorless diamonds appear white to the naked eye, but include very trace amounts of yellow when viewed under magnification.
J, K, L: These grades may appear colorless to the consumer, but a trained jeweler will be able to distinguish a slight yellow tint.
M, N, O: These grades indicate a light yellow tint, which can usually be detected by the untrained eye.
P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Z: These grades are used to indicate stones with a darker yellow tint.
At Brilliance, we offer only premier certified loose diamonds rated “M” and above. Each of our certified diamonds is appraised by an expert gemologist, arriving with a document detailing its quality characteristics and overall value. For more information about diamond color, visit our Diamond Education section.
If you’ve ever purchased a diamond solitaire, you’re most likely familiar with the “4C’s” of diamond grading – cut, clarity, carat, and color. Until the recent development of the Gemological Institute of America’s Cut Grade, a certified diamond’s cut has been the most widely debated of this diamond grading criterion.
For those whose birthdays coincide with the dawning of a new year, the garnet has a special significance. The official birthstone of January, this stunning stone serves as a welcome source of warmth during the coldest part of the year. It’s also used to commemorate the second and sixth wedding anniversaries. The garnet has become synonymous with loyalty, friendship, and overall well-being. When traveling, the stone is reputed to provide security and good fortune to the wearer.
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