Diamond Terms

Speaking the jeweler’s language:

BLEMISH: A blemish on the exoteric of a diamond, such as a scratch, abrasion, nick or chip.

BLUE-WHITE: Refers to a design that glows (flouresces) dejected beneath ultraviolet light.

BRILLIANCE: White ablaze reflected aback from a diamond.

BRILLIANT: A annular design with 58 facets.

CARAT: A assemblage of weight, according to 200 milligrams. In age-old times one carat was according to one carob bean or four grains of rice.

CARBON: The raw actual of which chunk are made. Occasionally a design will accommodate tiny pockets of carbon which can be apparent as atramentous spots aural the stone.

CLOUD: A array of baby inclusions, or centralized flaws, aural a diamond.

CROWN: The top of a diamond. Aggregate aloft the girdle.

CULET: The basal angle of a diamond, usually actual small.

DISPERSION: Black ablaze reflected from aural a diamond; additionally alleged fire.

EYE-CLEAN: Refers to a design that has no inclusions or blemishes arresting to the naked eye.

FACET: A able apparent on a diamond. A round, full-cut design usually has 58 facets.

FLUORESCENCE: A diamond’s acknowledgment to ultraviolet (UV) light, causing the bean to afterglow in assorted colors.

FULL-CUT: A design with 58 or added facets.

GEMOLOGIST: A actuality who has been accomplished and accepted in chunk and black stones.

GIA: Gemological Institute of America, an independent, non-profit alignment which sets and upholds standards for allocation chunk and added adored stones.

GIRDLE: The narrow, unpolished bandage about the widest allotment of the diamond; the girdle separates the acme and the pavilion of the stone.

HEAD: The prongs which authority a design in its setting.

INCLUSION: A blemish aural a diamond, such as carbon spots or fractures.

KARAT: The admeasurement of the abstention of gold; 24-karat actuality authentic gold. Jewelry is fabricated from 18K and 14K gold, which accommodate added metals for strength.

LASER-DRILLED: A design that has been advised with a laser to abolish carbon spots.

LOUPE: A baby accumulative bottle acclimated to appearance gemstones

OFF-MAKE: A ailing ample diamond.

PAVÉ: A adjustment of ambience chunk actual carefully together, giving the apparition of one or added beyond diamonds.

PAVILION: The basal of a diamond; aggregate beneath the diamond’s girdle.

POINT: One-hundredth of a carat. A design belief one-and-a-half carats weighs 150 points.

SEMI-MOUNT: A ambience which is complete except for the capital stone, which will be called separately.

SINGLE-CUT: A design with alone 16 or 17 facets.

SPARKLE: The activity of the ablaze absorption from a diamond; the sum of the accuracy and the blaze (dispersion).

TIFFANY: A simple, affected 2-3mm arena ambience with a arch that holds a distinct diamond.

by Fred Cuellar, columnist of the acknowledged book “How to Buy a Diamond.” Added questions?