Diamond Buying Guide
To help you on your search to finding the perfect engagement ring, browse the Diamonds International Diamond Buying Guide and learn all the diamond related terms you may come across. Our staff will also be more than happy to explain the terms when you visit at any of our diamond jewellery stores, Brisbane.
Alloy
A combination of two or more metals.
Appraisal
A written estimate of the approximate retail replacement value of an item described. Appraisals may be used for insurance purposes and should be updated every few years. Find out about Diamonds International's lifetime of free diamond jewellery inspections.
Asscher Cut
A modified square cut Emerald Diamond, the asscher cut diamond is characterised by a smaller table and step facet.
Baguette
Baguette cut is a style of 'step cutting' for small, rectangular or trapeze shaped gemstones, primarily diamonds. Baguette is the French word from 'rod'.
Bezel
The sloping surface of a brilliant cut gemstone above the girdle and below the table, also know as crown.
Blemish
A clarity characteristic that occurs on the surface of a diamond, often a result of the environment the diamond has encountered since being unearthed.
Brilliance
The intensity of the internal and external reflections of white light to the eye from a diamond.
Brilliant Cut
Round brilliant gemstones consist of a total of 58 facets with 1 table, 8 bezel facets, 8 star facets and 16 upper-girdle facets on the crown; 8 pavilion facets, 16 lower-girdle facets, and usually a culet on the pavilion, or base. Brilliant cut is the most popular style of cutting for diamonds.
Carat
A unit of weight for diamonds and other gemstones. One carat is equal to 200 milligrams.
Certification
A grading report that is given to gemstones by a reputable and recognised gemological laboratory that defines the characteristics and quality rating of a gemstones.
Chanel Set
A style of setting used for diamond jewellery where the stones sit perfectly adjacent to each other in a metal channel.
Colour Grading
A system of grading white diamond colours based on a it's absence of colour. GIA use a grading which runs from D (totally colourless) to Z (light yellow). Colour is one of the Four C's of Diamond Quality.
Crown
The upper portion of a cut gemstone above the girdle. It consists of the table and crown facets below it.
Cushion Cut
Cushion cut refers to a square to rectangular shaped gemstone with rounded corners, resembling a pillow.
Cut
Refers to both the man-made geometric proportions and finish of a polished diamond. Cut is one of the Four C's of Diamond Quality.
Diamond
A diamond is mineral made up of 99.9% pure carbon atoms arranged in an isometric or cubic arrangement.
Emerald Cut
Rectangular in shape, the outer edges of the stone are flat planes.
Eye Clean
A term used to describe a diamond with no internal flaws visible to the unaided eye.
Facet
The smooth, flat surface of a polished diamond.
Fancy Cut of Fancy Shape
A style of diamond cutting that describes all other diamond shapes other than the round cut.
Fire
Small flashes of colour across the surface of a diamond.
Flaw
Any external or internal imperfection on a fashioned diamond.
Flawless
The term for a diamond without any external or internal flaws when viewed by a trained eye under efficient illumination and magnification of no less than ten power.
Four C's
The phrase that describes the four factors affecting diamond value; colour, clarity, cutting and carat.
GIA
Refers to the Gemological Institute of America, an independent, non-profit organisation which sets and upholds standards for grading gemstones.
Girdle
The outer edge or outline of a diamond's shape.
Head
The part of a ring that contains the prongs which hold a diamond in its setting.
Heart-Shaped
A fancy cut diamond which is cut to resemble the shape of a heart.
Imperfect or Included
A clarity characteristic that occurs on the surface of a diamond, often a result of the environment the diamond has encountered since being unearthed.
Light yellow
A term used by diamond dealers that covers a range of colours in the low end of the diamond colour-grading scale.
Lustre
The degree to which a gemstone reflects light.
Marquise Cut
An elongated shape with pointed edges. The Marquise shape is inspired by the smile of the Marquise de Pompadour.
Mounting
An item of jewellery in which one or more stones are set.
Natural
A term used to describe the portion of the original surface of a rough diamond that has been cut on a fashioned gemstone.
Oval-Cut
As the name suggests an oval shaped diamond. The oval diamond seemingly lengthens hands and fingers.
Pave
A style of jewellery where the diamonds are set very close together to create a diamond crust that obscures the metal beneath it.
Pavilion
The lower part of a diamond beneath the girdle. The pavilion is shaped like a cone on a round diamond.
Pear-Shaped
Combines features of the Marquise and Oval shaped Diamonds to resemble a teardrop.
Pink Diamond
A term to describe and fancy diamond of a pale reddish, purplish-red, purplish or violetish hue.
Platinum
The most rare and pure precious metals.
Princess Cut
The princess cut diamond is typically a square with sharp, uncut corners.
Prong Set
A setting used for diamonds where a claws of prongs hold a gemstone in its mounting.
Quadrillion
A square diamond with 49 brilliant facets, 21 crown facets, 24 pavilion facets and four girdle facets.
Radiant
The radiant cut diamond is a straight-edged square to rectangular shape.
Round Cut
A round shaped diamond- by far the most popular diamond. Round cut diamonds consist of 58 facets: 1 table, 8 bezel facets, 8 star facets and 16 upper girdle facets on the crown; and 8 pavilion facets, 16 lower girdle facets, and a culet on the pavilion or base.
Saturation
The intensity of brightness or dullness of the colour.
Setting
The style in which a gemstone is held by metal into a mounting, for example, bezel, pave, channel or prong.
Shape
The basic outline of a diamond, for example, round, pear, oval, heart, princess, marquise and emerald.
Solitaire
A ring containg a single diamond.
Sparkle
The liveliness of light reflecting from a diamond.
Table
The largest facet that caps the crown of a faceted diamond.
