It's important and advisable to learn about diamonds before you purchase one. Diamonds are complex, with many attributes that affect their overall beauty and quality. At the NYC Diamond District LLC, you go beyond the “Four C’s” (Cut, Color, Clarity, and Carat Weight) and learn about everything that gives a diamond both its beauty and its value.  

 

Diamonds come in many different shapes. Each diamond shape possesses its own unique qualities, so exploring and learning about the various shapes is worth your while. NYC Diamond District offers the highest quality certified diamonds to satisfy all tastes. 

The cut of a diamond is what determines how the light that enters the diamond is reflected and therefore how much fire and brilliance the diamond will exude. A diamond that is cut too shallow with respect to its width will allow too much light to pass straight through the diamond, leaving little light to reflect. Such a diamond will appear dull and lacking in brilliance. Conversely, a diamond cut too deeply will allow light to escape from the sides of the diamond, also appearing dull.

POLISH AND SYMMETRY
In addition to the proportions of the diamond, both the polish and symmetry affect the beauty and brilliance. Poor symmetry due to uneven alignment of the facets will cause the light to be misdirected and therefore not shine out the face of the diamond. Unsmooth facets or pour polish will cause the surface to look dull and may cause the diamond to look cloudy.

DIAMOND SHAPE

Round Cut Diamonds

 
The Round, or Brilliant Cut Diamond is, by far, the most popular shape for diamond engagement rings. It is cone-shaped to maximize light return through the top of the diamond. It is cut to have 58 facets-33 on the crown and 25 on the pavilion. The relationship between the angle of the crown (above the girdle) and the pavilion (below the girdle) is complementary. A steep crown angle is complemented by a shallower pavilion angle, and vice versa.

Princess Cut Diamonds

 
Princess cut diamonds can make the perfect engagement rings since they are very clear. Their exquisite shape makes them an exotic treasure-as they are designed for getting top brilliance from their square cut. When purchasing a Princess Cut Diamond make sure that the setting for your ring protects the four pointed corners. The princess Cut diamond allows more acceptably for flaws.

Radiant Cut Diamonds
 
The Radiant Cut Diamond combines the more stylish square or rectangular shape with the brilliance of the more traditional Round Cut. It combines two diamond cutting styles-The Round Cut style and the Emerald Cut style, to create a non-traditional, yet still brilliant, diamond. This cut, created in 1977 by Henry Grossbard, was designed to maintain the beauty of each different type of diamond, while still creating something altogether different from anything available at the time.

Emerald Cut Diamonds
 
while it lacks the brilliance of diamonds cut with triangular and kite-shaped facets, it more than makes up for it in extreme clarity. It is like looking into glacier-pur ice. The Emerald-Cut diamond is so named because this cut was, originally, used only on emeralds. It is called a step-cut, which is the cut most commonly used on square or rectangular diamonds.

Marquise Cut Diamonds
 
The Marquise-Cut Diamond is a boat -shaped brilliant stone that is considered a "classic" shape for diamond engagement rings. As with all 'fancy cut' diamonds, color and clarity are the two most important qualities in this particular style of cut. The Marquise-Cut Diamond uses a cutting process similar to that of a Round Brilliant Diamond, but the diamond cutter maximizes the carat weight of the gem by elongating it into its distinctive 'boat-shape'. This way, they can eliminate all inclusions while maintaining as much of the unblemished stone as possible. However, because of the elongated shape, color and clarity imperfections are more obvious than they are in a traditional Round Brilliant.

Oval Cut Diamonds
 
The Oval Cut Diamond is a modified version of the most popular cut, the Round Brilliant. It is the perfect choice for buyers who are looking for characteristics similar to Round "ideal" Cut, but would like something in a shape that is more suited to their style. Since it is more unusual than the traditional Round Cut, it is suited for anyone who likes something a little different, without sacrificing the brilliance of the more common cut.

Pear Shaped Diamonds
 
The Pear-Shaped Diamond combines the tradition and brilliance of a round cut with a less common shape to create an unusual diamond that can still make light 'dance' as it does in the traditional Round Brilliant Cut. It is probably the most subjective diamond shape, as its size and proportions are really a matter of taste. The diamond usually contains 58 facets, allowing for light to pass through it much the same way in a Round, but makes more of an impression because of its much less common shape.

Heart Shaped Diamonds

 
The Heart-Shaped Diamond is considered the most romantic of all diamond cuts. Heart-Shaped Diamonds are also considered 'brilliants', because they are cut with triangular and kite-shaped facets, causing light to 'dance' when reflected back. A Heart-Shaped Diamond generally contains 59 facets, and is cut much the same way that a Pear-Shaped Diamond is. Often, a diamond cutter will cut a Heart-Shaped Diamond because the cleft at the top of the heart is a way of cutting out inclusions without loosing carat weight.

Asscher Cut Diamonds

 
The Asscher-Cut Diamond is also called a "square Emerald-Cut" because it is made using the step-cut process and has cropped corners. Because of the cropped corners, it is almost octagonal at first glance. They are bright, shiny, and clear in appearance. Like the Emerald-Cut Diamonds, they have the clarity of glacier-water ice, allowing you to see all the way through it. Since inclusions are obvious, it is important to get as flawless a gem as possible.

Cushion Cut Diamonds

 
The Cushion-Cut Diamond is an antique cut that has a classic, romantic appeal. It is, more or less, a cross between the Old Mine Cut, which was popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and a modern Oval-Cut Diamond. 

 

Symmetry

Symmetry indicates to the precision of the shape and procedure of facets in a diamond. Although to the naked eye finish features only have a tiny affect on appearance, symmetry is a substantial aspect. In diamonds that have low clarity grades, symmetry is less important, but in diamonds with very high clarity grades, symmetry is very essential. 

 

What Is Diamond Certification?

A certificate is a blue print of a loose diamond. Retailers Wholesalers, and consumers know a certificate as either a diamond grading report or a diamond dossier. A certificate reports a diamond's precise measurements, weight, cut and overall excellence. A certificate points out a diamond's individual characteristics and is a very valuable tool for classifying a stone. When shopping for a loose diamond, keep in mind that stones that have a grading report will help you make an educated decision on the diamond that is right for you.

 

 

What Is Diamond Fluorescence?

Fluorescence is a logically transpiring phenomenon that performs in certain minerals and gems. Some quality diamonds display a visible light when they are exposed to ultraviolet light. This light is known as fluorescence. Under most lighting conditions, a diamond's fluorescence is not visible to the naked eye, although the diamond will exhibit a soft colored glow if held under an ultraviolet lamp. 

Do All Diamond Fluoresce?

Not all diamond fluoresce. If a specific diamond does not fluoresce, the grading report will list the diamond's fluorescence as either inert or none.

What Are The Different Types of Diamond Fluorescence?

The degree of fluorescence diverges from faint to medium to strong to very strong. Faint means that the stone has a slight glow that is challenging to see under ultraviolet light. Very strong means that the diamond emits a deep glow that is very clear under ultraviolet light. The color of the fluorescence can also vary, although blue is the most common color. Yellow, green and white are other colors that a fluorescent diamond may exhibit.

How Does Fluorescence Affect A Diamond?

Fluorescence usually has no consequence on a diamond's appearance in steady lighting conditions. In some cases, however, a strong blue fluorescence can make a yellow colored diamond appear whiter. In rare cases, it can or cause a stone to appear milky or oily.

Diamond Fluorescence Guide

 

 

 

 

Diamond Cut

 

Understanding Brilliance, Dispersion & Scintillation

Well–balanced diamonds exhibit three different properties: brilliance, dispersion and scintillation. As light strikes a diamond's surface, it will either reflect off the table of a polished stone or enter the diamond. The light that is reflected is known as the diamond's brilliance —the flash of white light one will see when looking at a stone. As light travels through a stone, some of the light rays are separated into flashes of color. This is known as dispersion. The result of dispersion—the separation of white light into its spectral colors— is known as fire. Scintillation is flashes of color that are viewable as an observer moves a diamond back and forth.

 

 

 

The Old Mine Cut featured large facets and rounded corners, since the cutting was all done by hand at the time. They were designed to catch the beauty of candlelight. The Cushion-Cut Diamond contains 58 facets.

 

Diamond Selector

 

 

 

Fancy Color Diamonds Education Center

Fancy colored diamonds are exceedingly rare stones. Approximately one out of every 10,000 naturally manufactured diamonds are considered “fancy colored.” The term “fancy” was coined by the Gemological Institute of America to distinguish between natural-color polished diamonds which display color and white diamonds. Fancy color diamonds increase in value the more saturated they are with color. Whereas white diamonds are graded using D-Z scale, fancy colored diamonds are graded based on the degree to which the diamonds are saturated with color. In the 1970s, the GIA developed a grading scale for fancy color diamonds. Fancy color diamonds not referred to by letters but by the degree of fullness present in the stone. The color saturation is graded as follows: faint, very light, light, fancy light, fancy, fancy dark, fancy intense, fancy deep or fancy vivid. Fancy color diamonds come in a wide array of colors, including yellow diamonds, pink diamonds, orange diamonds, blue diamonds, pink diamonds, red diamonds, black diamonds, and purple diamonds, among others. 

 

Fancy Yellow (Canary) Diamonds

Yellow diamonds (also known as canary diamonds) are the most well-known of all fancy diamonds. Although many white diamonds appear yellow and are listed on the far end (Y-Z) of the standard diamond color scale, they are not considered fancy yellow diamonds.

 

Fancy Pink Diamonds

Pink diamonds are some of the most alluring fancy diamonds on the market. Due to their extreme rarity, pink diamonds are some of the most valuable stones that you can buy. Pink diamonds can contain any of the following hues: very light pink, light pink, fancy light pink, fancy pink, fancy intense pink, fancy vivid pink, fancy deep pink.

 

Fancy Green Diamonds

Fancy green diamonds are the second rarest fancy color diamonds, after red diamonds. Since green is a mixture of blue and yellow, green colored diamonds commonly range from blue-green to yellow-green. Some fancy green diamonds can also display hints of grey or brown as well.

 

Fancy Blue Diamonds

Fancy blue diamonds are among some of the rarest colored diamonds and therefore most valuable. The diamonds range in color from light blue to dark blue. The color breakdown for blue diamonds is as follows: faint blue, very light blue, light blue, fancy light blue, fancy blue, fancy intense blue, fancy dark blue, fancy deep blue and fancy vivid blue.

 

Fancy Orange Diamonds

Orange diamonds often contain brown, yellow or pink overtones and hues. Fancy orange diamonds typically come from the Argyle mine in Australia, or from South Africa. Orange diamonds are mostly graded as fancy orange, fancy intense orange, fancy vivid orange, fancy deep orange and fancy dark orange.

 

 

Fancy Brown Diamonds

Fancy brown diamonds are also known as chocolate diamonds, and receive their color from a change in the diamond’s molecular structure. Light brown diamonds are known as champagne diamonds and brown diamonds that contain hues of orange are known as cognac diamonds.

 

 

Metal Types | Engagement Ring Education | 

Choosing the right metal for an engagement ring is a fundamental part of the ring-design process. Once you know a bit about the basics of ring metals, doing the research and deciding on a metal is a rewarding and simple procedure. Deciding between white gold, yellow gold, or platinum is as much as matter of personal preference as it is of budget. People who prefer silver jewelry, for example, will likely prefer white gold or platinum engagement rings and wedding rings because their color more closely resembles silver or white. Gold not only comes in different colors (yellow, white, rose), but also in different grades of purity measured in karat weight (k or kt) —not to be confused with the unit of weight for diamonds, expressed as carats or carat weight (ct or cttw). 18K gold contains 75% gold—the remaining 25% is an alloy—and 14K gold contains 58.3% gold(in the case of 18K white gold, the alloy is what gives the gold its silver/white color). Gold is highly desirable because it does not tarnish, rust or corrode. It is a strong metal, which can still be sculpted into various shapes and is typically mixed with other metals in fine jewelry production to give it more strength and resilience. Platinum is much rarer and more durable than gold, but notably more expensive. Before you make a final decision, it is worth weighing the pros and cons of the various types of engagement ring metals.

 

Yellow Gold Engagement Rings

Yellow gold is the most common of the golds, partly because gold is yellow in its naturally occurring state. The yellow gold used in fine jewelry is typically alloyed with silver and copper; its color depends on the amount of pure gold in the alloy. The advantages of gold are that is does not corrode, tarnish or rust, so it can be counted on to provide lasting beauty. 

 

White Gold Engagement Rings

White gold is an incredibly beautiful and popular choice for engagement ring settings, which is quickly becoming the number one choice in engagement ring metals. White gold has the overall look of platinum, but is notably less expensive.

 

Platinum Engagement Rings

Platinum is a rare and valuable metal that is only found in limited quantities in a few, select regions of the world. The annual worldwide production of platinum is approximately 160 tons, compared to 1,500 tons of gold. This is why platinum is more expensive than the other precious metals.

 

Rose Gold Engagement Rings

Rose gold is a gold and copper alloy commonly used for specialized jewelry and coveted for its warm, reddish color. Rose gold is also known as red gold and pink gold, and sometimes as Russian gold, as a result of its popularity in Russia in the early 19th century. The difference between red, rose and pink gold is their copper content.

 

14kt Gold Engagement Rings

14 karat gold is one of the most popular choices for engagement and wedding rings today. 14kt gold contains 58.3% gold—14 parts gold and 10 parts of an additional metal or combination of metals such as nickel, silver, or copper. 14kt has the advantage of strength and hardness. 

 

18kt Gold Engagement Rings

18 karat gold is among the most beautiful and popular of metal choices for engagement rings and wedding rings today. 18kt gold is composed of 75% gold— 18 parts gold and 6 parts of an additional metal or combination of metals such as copper, zinc, cobalt, nickel, silver, or palladium.

 

 

DIAMOND CLARITY
DIAMOND INCLUSIONS
FLAWLESS DIAMONDS

Diamond Clarity refers to the presence (or absence) of inclusions in a diamond. Extremely rare flawless diamond do exist but the vast majority of naturally mined diamonds have imperfections or inclusions, including tiny feathers, scratches, trace minerals, and other characteristics that may impair the clarity of the stone. Inclusions can hinder how the light reflects, lessening the brilliance and prismatic effect of color in a diamond. Although not the only aspect affecting the sparkle of a diamond, when the clarity is poor light will not well through the stone making it look dull, cloudy or simply have visible eye sores.

When gemologist inspect diamonds for overall quality, they must painstakingly determine the clarity of the diamond. Using a 10x magnification loupe, gemologist determine the size, type, and position of the imperfections.

Flawless diamonds (FL, IF) may be the rarest and most expensive of all diamonds, however a diamond with imperfections visible only under magnification will be the best value for money and will not detract from its beauty.

When you have an intention to buy a diamond jewelry, for a guarantee that you will be selecting a diamond with no inclusions visible to naked eye, limit your selection to those diamonds graded VS2 or higher. "VS" means "very slightly included". Shopping for SI (slightly included) diamonds, however, will maximize your dollar and is great way to purchase a larger, better cut diamond at no additional cost. Such "eye clear" diamonds range from SI2 and upwards are recommended for the buyer looking for the very best value for money without compromising on the look or size of the stone. Eye-clean diamonds will not have any visible inclusions when viewed in the face-up position at 6-12 inches. Remember, that when a diamond is mounted into most engagement ring settings, small inclusions become even less visible because you are not looking through the stone. The average diamond ring sold in the US is SI2 or I1 in clarity.

FL
Flawless: No internal flaws. Very rare and very expensive diamond.


IF
Internally Flawless: No internal flaws. Also very rare and very expensive.


VVS1-VVS2
Very, Very Slightly Included: Extremely difficult to see inclusions under 10x magnification. Rare and expensive.


VS1-VS2
Very Slightly Included: Inclusions are not visible to the unaided eye. High quality.


SI1-SI2
Slightly Included: Inclusions are visible under 10x magnification. Good quality diamond.


I1-I2-I3
Included: Inclusions and flaws visible to naked eye.

DIAMOND SETTING
JEWELRY MODELS
DIAMOND JEWELRY APPEARANCE

The diamond setting is what we may think of as the "ring" (or other jewelry) portion without the center diamond. It is the band (referred to as the shank), any accent stones and the prongs which hold the center diamond. There are some kinds of diamond setting :


METAL : setting in either platinum, gold or others.

SIMPLE SHANK : A simple, traditional "solitaire" setting where there are no accent stones.

 
Solitaire Settings


SIDE STONES: These may be tapered stones (or baguettes) on either side of the center stone or smaller versions of the center stone on either side called a 3-stone ring. The 3 stones represent the past, present and future.

 
Side Stones Settings


PAVE’: Several small diamonds "paved" either halfway around the shank or fully around.

 
Pave' Settings

 

MOUNT : Traditional 4-prong settings allow maximum light to showcase brilliance; however, 6-prong settings may be used for larger center stones. There are also 2-prong settings to make unparalled brilliance.

 Studs 6-prong


DIAMOND CARAT WEIGHT
DIAMOND MEASUREMENT
DIAMOND SIZE


A carat is the unit of measurement which the jewelry industry uses to weight a diamond. One carat is equal to 0.20 grams. Often diamond weight is declared in points. One carat is equal to 100 points. Thus, a 0.75 carat diamond is equivalent to 75 points.

Simply put, carat weight is the size of the diamond. For someone likes to wear big jewelry and admires large diamonds, a stone of a higher carat weight might be the right choice. Larger diamonds are rarer than smaller diamonds as large raw diamonds are less frequently found during mining while very small diamonds are relatively commonplace. As the carat weight of a diamond increases, so does its rarity and its value, thus prices will be exponentially higher as the carat weight rises. A 1.00 carat diamond will be more than twice the price and value than that of 0.50 carat diamond.

In order to maximize carat weight and still get a diamond that is flawless to the eye and very white, consider dropping color and clarity ratings. Size and quality of cut will always be noticed first, where color and clarity can be very difficult to distinguish or appreciate in real life. The average diamond engagement ring sold in the US is about 0.50 carat weight, so anything that size or larger should be impressive.

The diamond weight will broadly speaking determine also the size of the stone, however a slightly deeper or shallow cut may result in very slight variations in the size of the "face" of the diamond. Below is a chart displaying popular carat weight and their ideal size in millimeters for round and princess cut diamonds.