Glossary
Baguette
shape
A rectangular-shaped diamond with rows of step-like facets. If the baguette’s
two long sides taper inward, it is called a Tapered baguette.
Bezel
setting
With a bezel setting, a rim holds the stone and completely surrounds the
gem. Bezels can have straight edges, scalloped edges, or can be molded
into any shape to accommodate the stone.
Brilliance
Liveliness, or sparkle in a stone when light is reflected from the surface
and from the total internal reflection of light.
Brilliant-cut
Brilliant cuts are scientifically found to reflect the most light from
within the stone, and often are considered to have the most brilliance
of all cuts. A round brilliant-cut diamond has 58 facets. Other brilliant
cuts include the heart, oval, marquise and pear shaped.
Carat
Refers to the measure of weight of a diamond. One carat is equivalent
to 200 milligrams. One carat can also be divided into 100 “points.” A
.75-carat diamond is the same as a 75-point or 3/4-carat diamond.
Certification
(or Diamond Grading Reports)
There are many recognized gemological laboratories that can grade your
diamond for a fee.
Clarity
A diamond often has natural imperfections, commonly referred to as "nature’s
fingerprints." These inclusions contribute to a diamond’s identifying
characteristics. Inclusions are found within the diamond. Inclusions can
be white, black, colorless, or even red or green. Most inclusions are
undetectable by the human eye, and can only be seen with 10X magnification.
Inclusions are ranked on a scale of perfection called clarity. The grades
of clarity vary from F (Flawless) and (Internally Flawless) through to
I (Included). Clarity scale I can be seen by the human eye without magnification.
The position of these birthmarks can affect the value of the diamond.
Click here for more on clarity.
Color
Diamonds are graded on a color scale established by the Gemological Institute
of America (GIA). The scale ranges from D (colorless) to Z. Fancy colors
refer to diamonds with hues like pink, blue, green, yellow and very rarely
red. Fancy colors are not included in this color scale and are considered
extremely rare. Click here to learn more about color.
Crown
This is the upper portion or the top of a diamond.
Culet
The bottom point of the diamond. It may be polished in some stones. Please
note that sometimes the cutter may choose to make the culet a surface
instead of a point.
Cushion
cut
A mixed-cut diamond shaped like a square pillow. Click here to learn more
about cutting styles.
Cut
Cut refers to the angles and proportions a skilled craftsman creates in
transforming a rough diamond into a polished diamond. Based on scientific
formulas, a well-cut diamond will internally reflect light from one mirror-like
facet to another and disperse and reflect it through the top of the stone.
This results in a display of brilliance and fire. Diamonds that are cut
too deep or too shallow lose or leak light through the side or bottom,
resulting in less brilliance and ultimately value. Click here to learn
more about cut.
Cutting
style
Cutting styles are different than diamond shapes. The simplest and most
common way to explain cutting style is to categorize it into the following
three basic types: Step-cut, Brilliant-cut and Mixed-cut. Click here to
learn more about cutting styles.
Diamond
Grading Reports
There are many recognized gemological laboratories that can grade your
diamond for a fee. Click here to find more information on diamond grading
reports.
Emerald
shape
A rectangular or square-shaped cut-cornered diamond. Click here to learn
more about diamond shapes.
Fancy
shapes
Any diamond shape other than round – e.g. marquise, square, emerald, oval,
heart and pear. Click here to learn more about diamond shapes.
Fluorescence
When exposed to ultraviolet light, a diamond may exhibit a more whitish,
yellowish or bluish tint, which may imply that the diamond has a property
called fluorescence. The untrained eye can rarely see the effects of fluorescence.
Diamond grading reports often state whether a diamond has fluorescent
properties. Fluorescence is not considered a grading factor, only a characteristic
of that particular diamond.
Girdle
The girdle is the outermost edge of the diamond between the crown and
the pavilion.
Inclusions
Often referred to as "nature’s fingerprints," these are internal
imperfections within most diamonds. They are what makes a diamond so unique,
as a fingerprint does for a person. These birthmarks are measured on a
scale of perfection known as clarity. Some common names of inclusions
include cloud, crystal, pinpoint, and feather. The position of inclusions
can affect the clarity of a diamond and therefore the value.
Marquise
shape
A boat-shaped diamond that is long and thin with gently curved sides that
come to a point on either end. Marquise is part of the brilliant-cut family.
Pavilion
Bottom portion of the stone, under the girdle, measuring to the culet.
Polish
Indicates the care taken by the cutter in shaping and facetting the rough
stone into a finished and polished diamond.
Princess
cut
A square or sometimes rectangular-shaped modified brilliant-cut diamond.
Click here to learn more about cutting styles.
Radiant
cut
A rectangular or square shaped diamond with step-cut and scissor-cut on
the crown and a brilliant-cut on the pavilion. Click here to learn more
about cutting styles.
Shape
Shape refers to form or appearance of a diamond - i.e. whether the diamond
is round, triangular, square, marquise, pear, oval or heart-shaped.
Step-cut
The step cut has rows of facets that resemble the steps of a staircase.
The emerald cut and the baguette are examples of the step cut. Click here
to learn more about cutting styles.
Symmetry
A diamond's symmetry is the arrangement of the facets and finished angles,
created by the diamond cutter. Excellent symmetry of a well-cut and well-proportioned
diamond can have a great effect on the diamond's brilliance and fire.
Grading reports will often state the diamond's symmetry in terms Excellent,
Very good, Good, Fair, or Poor. Click here to learn more about cut.
Table
spread
Term used to describe the width of the table facet, often expressed as
a percentage of the total width of the stone.
Trillion
shape
Is a triangular-shaped diamond with 50 facets. Trillions are commonly
used as sidestones. Click here to learn more about diamond shapes.