Where the world comes to find out about diamonds Newsletter July 2012 Volume 2 Number 7
Where the world comes to find out about diamonds Newsletter of the Price of Diamonds website Price of Diamonds Newsletter July 2012 Edition Editor in Chief Michael Moore Advertising Technical Author Services Pty Ltd The PRICE OF DIAMONDS NEWSLETTER Is the Newsletter of the Price of Diamonds website and is available by subscription only. This Newsletter is provided subject to the condition that it shall not be circulated in any form without the publisher s cover and acknowledgement of the material contained herein and is not to be sold, hired or otherwise disposed of for any fee or consideration other than by prior arrangement. It may be distributed online and passed along only in its current form and with the above proviso. Comments and articles published in the Price of Diamonds Newsletter are not necessarily the opinions of the Publishers or Editors and are offered solely for information purposes only. This publication is designed to provide accurate and informative information only in regard to the subject matter covered. This publication does not purport to offer any professional advice of any legal, financial or psychological service and is sold with the understanding that the publisher, editor and contributors are not engaged in rendering any legal, financial, psychological or any other professional service and is offered for information purposes only. If any legal, financial, psychological or any other professional advice or assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought. The reader is solely responsible for his/her own actions. Dear Reader, ~ Editorial ~ The theme this month is all about selling diamonds. Sometimes the need arises to sell a diamond or some diamonds, Where do you sell it, How do you sell it and for how much. We address these questions in this issue. I do hope you have a great month! Michael Price of Diamonds Contents Editorial 2 Diamond Dealer of the Month Sell My Diamonds 3 Up and Coming Diamond Events 5 Selling Diamonds 6 Diamond Reports 9 Diamond News 10 Glossary 12 Copyright 2012 By Technical Author Services Pty Ltd. All Rights Reserved. All copyrights and trademarks belong to their respective owners ~oo00oo~ 2
~ Diamond Dealer of the Month ~ Sell My Diamonds R ead this write up and find out who Sell My Diamonds really are before you sell your any diamonds or gold to them. It may affect the diamond price you get from them. It is always a wise move to do some due diligence on a diamond dealer before you sell your diamonds to them. Who are Sell My Diamonds We-buy-diamonds.com and sell-mydiamonds.com domain names both resolve to www.sell-my-diamonds.com which is the website of Joden World Resources. Joden World Resources was Established in 1970 and is a family owned operation. They are based in Grove City, Pasadena, USA and are open Mon.-Thurs. 9-5, Fri. 9-8 and Sat. 9-5. The current president is one Joe Murawski. Joden World Resources II is listed as a wholesale trading company in the United States and for select European markets. It is also al member of the Jewelers Board of Trade and the Diamond Appraisers Guild and the Diamond Dealers Club of New York City. The staff members collectively have over 220 years experience in the jewelry and Diamond business and include GIA Graduate Gemologists. The websites are listed by the Wayback machine at www.archive.org, as being online from October 1999 and the Joden World Resources has been in business for over 38 years at the same location. What Does Sell My Diamonds Buy Sell My Diamonds are open to buy any of the following subject to appraisal and inspection of course. Certified diamonds Natural, colored diamonds; yellow, pink, blue, red Period and Antique Jewelry Georgian Period: 1714-1830 Victorian Period: 1837-1900 Arts and Crafts Movement: 1894-1923 Art Nouveau Period: 1890-1915 Edwardian Period: 1901-1910 Art Deco Period: 1920-1935 Retro Period: 1935-1949 Estate and Modern: 1950-Present Gold Chains Antique Gold Jewelry Gold Bracelets Gold Earrings Gold Rings Gold Necklaces White Gold Rings White Gold Pendants 3
Yellow Gold items of every sort. Platinum Rings Diamonds Platinum Jewelry Color stones; sapphire, emerald, ruby. Rare colored stones; natural alexandrite, chrysoberyl cats eye Rolex Cartier Patek Philippe Van Cleef and Arpels Estate Jewelry Antique Jewelry Gold Tiffany and Company Faberge Sell My Diamonds Price Quoting To sell to Sell My Diamonds, you can enter the details about the items you have to sell in their form online to get a preliminary estimate of the value of your item. You can call their President by phone also and discuss what you want to sell. You can send your item in for appraisal also and get a quote from them. Sell My Diamonds bid on and buy estate jewelry and estate collections of any size and value. They also offer pre-packaged shipping boxes and items can be shipped to either, their attorney, bank or directly to Sell My Diamonds. Usually within one day of receipt (and it is recommended that registered postage and contents insured is used) of the package, Sell My Diamonds will either make a cash offer or ship the items back, fully insured. If the offer is accepted they will immediately send a check. If not the items are simply shipped back. They also have agents in many of the major cities who are able to review estate lots in person. How Much and When does Sell My Diamonds Pay Sell My Diamonds state, We are fully insured and have certified Gemologists on staff. We promise to appraise your items for their current fair market value. Our customers are often pleasantly surprised by the higher price of our bids when compared to other offers. We want you to become a regular customer. We make offers for your item on the price we would pay another dealer. We will also give you the appraisal value based upon what it would cost you to replace the item at retail. One should bear in mind that when selling jewelry, particularly diamonds, it is rare to get the full retail value unless there is something particularly interesting or striking about the diamonds. Bear in mind that one of the purposes of the Diamonds are Forever campaign by De Beers, was to reduce the secondary market in diamonds. Hence the price you get on the second hand market is substantially less than for a new diamond. The last Word on Sell My Diamonds As has been stated, selling diamonds, jewelry or any similar item is not going to net you the original price of the item. The mark up or premium on jewelry and diamonds is a good 30 to 50 percent depending so this should be kept in mind. The advantage with a company such as Sell my Diamonds, is that they are quick and honest and give a fair price for the industry comparatively speaking. If you have sold any diamonds or jewelry to www.sell-my-diamonds.com, please feel free to leave your feedback on the quality of service of www.sell-my-diamonds.com including any complaints and special attention or service given by www.sell-my-diamonds.com online. ~oo00oo~ 4
Up and Coming World Diamond Events Auctions, Exhibitions in 2012 By Month in 2012 By Date By Country July 29-31 Rapaport at JA NY Summer August 12-14 Rapaport at JCK Toronto 23-27 Rapaport at IIJS - India International Jewellery Show 2012 September 02-05 Rapaport at International Jewellery London 2011 (IJL) 08-10 Rapaport at The Smart Jewelry Show - Dallas 19-23 Rapaport at Hong Kong Jewellery and Gem Fair Australia JAA International Jewelery Fair Sydney Sydney Exhibition Centre, Darling Harbour Sept 2-4th 2012 Hong Kong June Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair Hong Kong Convention Center 21-24 June and in Sept 19-25th Malaysia 18th Malaysia International Jewellery Festival 2012 (Spring Edition) [Malaysia] April 20,2012 To April 23,2012 October 06-08 Rapaport at Jewellery Wonder 2012 07-10 Rapaport at Dubai International Jewellery Week MIJ Exhibition Sdn Bhd 19th Malaysia International Jewellery Festival 2012 (Autumn Edition) [Malaysia] October 5,2012 To October 8,2012 ~oo00oo~ 5
Selling Diamonds P eople often ask how to sell diamonds? Selling a diamond can be a lucrative venture or it can be a big disappointment. If you have a unwanted diamond you would like to sell there are a number of actions you will need to know about and take. Firstly you will need to get the diamond appraised. You want to know exactly what you have and how much it is worth. You will then have a good idea of the price you can ask for the diamond. You can find a good appraiser by contacting the Appraisers Association of America if you are in the US or the equivalent in your country of residence. When you find a decent appraiser you should ask for an appraisal for the Rapaport Value. Rapaport is a company that publishes a wholesale price sheet for diamonds much in the same way. Galves in the US or Red Book in Australia does, for example. The price you get from the appraiser will then be the best price you will be able to get for your diamond. A minor but important point also is that a seller who has gone to the trouble of getting a proper appraisal is a serious seller, from the point of view of the buyer. So let s now talk about buyers. The best buyer you can get would be of course your family, relations and friends. Very often you might find a family or friend has seen the diamond and has always had a wish or desire for it so, apart from anything else, it would be an easy sale. You can show the appraisal and would be likely to get the best deal this way as there are no dealers or auction houses to pay off. This is by far the best buyer you can find. Failing that there is always the jewelry store. A few important points here, if you are offering the diamond for inspection, ensure you never let the diamond go out of your sight. You do not want a switch to take place and you find yourself lumbered with a diamond of lesser value or, even worse, a fake diamond! It happens more frequently than you expect so be warned! The jewelery will probably make you an offer that is under the dump value. The dump value is a trade term and basically means an amount between 60 to 80 percent of the diamond Rapaport value. Definitely do not accept an offer below the 60 percent mark. It is ok to accept an offer between 60 and 80 percent but you might like to look around at a few jewelers to get the top price. Keep in mind however that once you have refused a jewelers offer and walked out, you cannot walk back in and say I will accept it! Two methods that are not advised are newspa- 6
pers and on consignment. Newspapers generally do not bring much interest except perhaps from crooks that will come and inspect the diamond and say it is not for them and leave but then have vital information about the diamond, where it is and the layout of your house! Fred Cuellar, the famous diamond expert, did a survey of newspaper ads for diamonds and found there was only an 11 percent success rate in selling diamonds that way. Not very fruitful. Selling a diamond on consignment is also potentially dangerous. The diamond is out of your sight for a long period of time and any switch of your diamond can be made for a fake or, at best, a rough diamond with no value whatsoever. You then get a call to say your diamond did not sell. Pawnshops come into this category also. Apart from the fact that you will only be offered about ten percent of the value, the diamond is out of your sight and who knows what you will get back if you decide to redeem it! So keeping the above in mind when you want to know how to sell diamonds will help you get the best possible price for your diamond. How do I Best Sell My Vintage Diamonds How do I best sell my vintage diamonds is a question I am often asked. Well you do have a number of choices when it comes to selling vintage diamond jewelery. Firstly you need to realize that you are unlikely to get the full value of a diamond when selling it unless you sell it privately. There is a big mark up on diamonds and if you sell one to a dealer, the person you are selling to (unless it is a private sale to an individual) will also want to make some money when they on sell it, usually to another dealer. So it is usual, if sold to a dealer, that you will get around one third of the retail value of the diamond. Selling to a dealer is the quickest option of course. The dealer will pay you up front their price for the diamond. You will get the least amount of money however. Selling by auction of course may net you more but, by virtue of it being an auction and subject the bidding at that time, you may even get less. One can sell through an auction house such as Sotheby s and this may be the best way to go, particularly if the diamond or diamond jewelry is of a high value. It will cost around 10 to 20% but they do work to get the best price on the day. One can also sell by online auction. Here you need to establish the genuineness of the buyer to ensure that, a) they are a genuine buyer and not just bidding for fun and b) that they are actually going to pay for the diamond. It can be tricky also as the buyer has to buy the diamond without seeing it. This means that if they are unsatisfied they can return it or complain so your description online has to be scrupulously accurate. Selling to a private individual can net a better result financially. The individual can inspect the diamond and see if it is what they want. This way can take longer and is perhaps more suitable if you are not in any hurry. It helps, in any sale, if you have a certificate of appraisal or a valuation of the diamond (Really no one should buy a diamond without a certificate accompanying that diamond). In fact it would be good to have two independent valuations and you can keep the diamond in a bank vault or with a trusted person perhaps so that it can be inspected without being removed until the actual sale takes place. Especially if it is a large and high value diamond. 7
Another method of selling diamonds is by consignment. You simply hand the diamond over the dealer or jeweler and get them to sell it for you at an agreed price. You can get more this way and of course will have to pay the dealer but, again, it can take some time this way. There may be other ways of selling vintage diamonds but the above is a good guideline to start with. Selling Loose Diamonds Sometimes the occasion might arise where you want to sell loose diamonds. It is important then to know the price of diamonds when selling loose diamonds. The first thing is to get a independent gemmological laboratory to value and appraise them and issue a certificate for the diamonds. This will tell you, and prospective buyers, the quality and characteristics of the diamonds and their value. Selling loose diamonds means you usually will not get the same price or better than the one you paid for them. Usually you only get a third of the price but you may be able to improve that if you sell by auction. Whether it is worth while selling by auction, such as Sotheby s, for example, will depend on the quantity and the quality of the stones you have. If you have stone that are worth many thousands or hundreds of thousands of dollars then it is likely a worth while activity. If you have just a few stones worth a thousand or two or even just a few hundred you might go better on ebay or one of those sorts of auctions. Of course with any auction there is no guarantee you are going to get any particular amount for your diamonds and it may depend on a number of factors such as the effectiveness of the auctioneer, if a person who wants your loose diamonds happens to be at the auction or viewing it online etc. It is a good idea to thoroughly check around and see what is the best way of selling your loose diamonds before you actually commit to a particular auction. It is a fact that if you sell direct to a dealer or jeweler you are only going to get about 25 percent of the value of the diamonds. Most important, if you really need to sell loose diamonds, make sure you understand what your options are and what the price of diamonds is going to be before you start! ~oo00oo~ What about other gemstones? Here are some sites about various other gemstones Amethysts Emeralds Garnets Jade Opals Pearls Peridot Rubies Sapphires Topaz 8
Diamond Price Trend T he trend for diamond prices has been rising although there has been a tendency to level off over the past couple of years. Diamond prices are affected by peoples ability to pay and so the vast majority of retail diamond sales, those in the lower price ranges, have slowed somewhat while those diamond in the higher price range tend to do better. The larger diamonds sold at auction continue to do well with healthy increases in value. small, their value is heavily concentrated and they can be worn when travelling enabling one to carry value around rather easily and they are not detectable by current screening apparatus at airports. Of course one can lose value in buying and later selling retail jewelry so some work is needed to locate a good source of diamonds at preferably wholesale rates. Loose stones are also always cheaper that set stones of course. One big advantage of diamonds is that they are ~oo00oo~ 9
~ ~ Diamond News ~ ~ The Diamond Manufacturers & Importers Association of America (DMIA) held their general membership meeting on June 18 in New York, and hosted the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) to share the latest measures in detecting synthetic diamonds. GIA's Tom Moses, the senior vice president of GIA Laboratory and Research, and Wuyi Wang, the director of research and development for GIA New York, were featured speakers. GIA s main purpose at the meting was to give everyone a brief update on synthetic diamonds, said Moses, adding that we have had events like those in the last couple of weeks that makes us all aware about how important identification is. So the important thing is to have a real respect of the process and a voice of confidence that we as an industry can really identify these synthetic stones. Moses explained the types of processes were used to create synthetic diamonds, Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) and high-pressurehigh temperature (HPHT). While difficult, there isn t a significant breakthrough that has made the creation of synthetic diamonds easy CVD and HPHT still are the only two ways. A lot of people think of CVD as a new method of diamond growth, but the first synthetic diamonds were CVD, Moses continued. Indeed the first recognized synthetic diamond was made in 1952 by Union Carbide Corporation through CVD. The benefits of CVD, explained Moses, was that it did not require high pressure in the process, and that more than one crystal could be grown at a time. The process, however, as a f few drawbacks as well it is extremely difficult to grow CVD diamonds with depth, especially more than 3mm thick. The CVD process is also a slow one, as the average growth rate per hour is around 100 microns. Though this process can be sped up, it results in lowerquality, and a brownish color, which is a characteristic of most CVD diamonds. Despite these drawbacks, there have been many high-quality stones made through the CVD process in recent years. In 2006, Apollo Diamonds grew near colorless diamonds, while in 2011 Gemesis created diamonds up to 0.9 carats that ranged from IF to VS qualities. The largest near colorless CVD stone ever made was documented in 2010 to be around 1.05 carats. This is not something that we can stop, said Moses, advising that synthetic diamonds were occupying a parallel market to the natural stone market. We cannot be intimidated by them, so we have to coexist with them. 10
While gemologically its becoming more and more difficult to identify CVD diamonds, declared Moses, there are many ways in which to distinguish a real stone from a labcreated one. CVD diamonds, for example, have irregular black inclusions and dispositions of nondiamond carbon in them. They also have a red orange fluoresce under an Ultra Violet (U.V.) light. Labs can also spot CVD-type growth in a diamond under a U.V. light a characteristic that a CVD diamond will have no matter what treatments its undergoes. Almost all of these identification methods, however, require lab-grade equipment and expertise. There are non-lab devices, some better than others, that will give you an indication that you should test more, but no device will tell you outright said Moses. It is becoming a refer to a gem lab situation more and more. Turning to HPHT, Moses noted that while this method can create diamonds of all colors and sizes, the stones are more easily identifiable. And while the largest HPHT stone ever made was 4.09 carats, HPHT stones are usually 0.4 to 0.6 carats in size. These stones are a bit easier to identify, and as time goes by, we might even see less of these made, said Moses, adding that CVD was the preferred process, though HPHT is still popular with many companies. Because the HPHT process requires metal catalysts to speed up production of stones, many HPHT stones have recognizable metal inclusions that distinguish them from natural ones. A very good identification tool is a magnet if you can pick the stone up with a magnet, it s an HPHT synthetic, explained Moses. Others ways of identification include noticing with lab-grade equipment, specifically high energy U.V. source equipment, whether or not the stone has specific graining patterns and color zoning that is different from natural stones. RAPAPORT http://www.diamonds.net ~oo00oo~ This space to Let! Contact michael@priceofdiamonds.org For details. 11
Diamond Glossary H ere are some common words used in the Diamond Industry and in this newsletter. 4Cs Diamonds are graded and priced according to what is universally referred to as the "4C's". They are Cut, Color, Clarity and Carat Weight. Below an explanation of each of the 4Cs: Appraisal A valuation of property by the estimate of an authorized person. With diamonds the appraisal is a written estimate of the approximate retail replacement value of diamond jewelry, which may be used for insurance coverage or other purposes. It is not the same as a grading report, which evaluates a diamond's characteristics (such as cut, clarity, carat, symmetry, etc.) only. Blemish A scratch or abrasion on the surface of a diamond. Provided they do not interfere with the symmetry of the stone and do not interfere with light in the stone they are not considered important. Brilliance brilliance is the white light that is reflected through the top of a diamond. This can be increase by the diamond being cut to the correct proportions to take advantage of the reflection of light from the facets to the brilliance. Brilliant Cut A Brilliant Cut, sometimes called the American Brilliant, is a 58-facet round diamond, This shape and faceting arrangement is designed for maximum brilliance, sparkle and beauty and is perhaps the most popular shape. Carat Perhaps everyone know the term carat. The basic unit of weight for a diamond. A carat is equal to 200 milligrams, or one-fifth of a gram. It is said that the word is derived from the word carob. In early India the carob bean was used for measuring the weight of gems as every carob seed weighs exactly the same. Clarity Clarity is the term given to indicate the purity of a diamond. Most diamonds have minute imperfections and the clarity is the way of grading the purity depending on the number of imperfections the diamond has or does not have. Cloud A cluster of very small inclusions inside a diamond that give a cloud effect. Tiny clouds will not interfere with the flow of light, but large or numerous clouds can affect brilliance. Color Diamonds are traditionally thought of as white or clear. But diamonds in fact do have color and this can be graded. 12
Crown The crown is the top section of a diamond, above its widest point, or girdle, that comprises the table, and the star-, bezel- and upper-girdle facets. Culet A facet on the very bottom of a diamond. It is best to have a small or medium culet. A large culet will make it look like there is a hole in the bottom of the stone due to leakage of light. Absence of a culet makes the point of the diamond more easily damaged or chipped. Cut This describes the shape of the diamond. There are basically eight cuts of diamond. Round Brilliant Emerald Cut Princess Cut Heart Cut Oval Cut Marquise Cut Pear Cut Round Brilliant Some of the most popular diamond cuts include Heart, Emerald, Marquise (Oval with pointed ends), Oval, Pear, and Princess with the Round Brilliant (R/B) probably being the most popular. Depth % (percentage) The height of a diamond (measured from the culet to the table) divided by the width of the diamond. The depth % is critical to creating brilliance and fire in a diamond. A depth % that is too low or too high will cause light to leak out of the stone, causing the diamond to lose sparkle. Depth The height of a diamond (measured from the culet at the very bottom to the large table facet on the top). Diamond The simplest of all the gemstones consisting of pure crystallized carbon. A diamond crystallizes under enormous pressure deep beneath the earth's surface Diamonds can be from 1 to 3 billion years old--more than two-thirds the age of the Earth itself. Diamond is also the hardest substance known to man. In fact, it can only be cut and polished by another diamond. Despite its hardness, however, it is not indestructible. If a diamond is struck at the right angle, it can chip or break. Eye-clean A diamond that has no inclusions visible to the naked eye -- flawless to the naked eye. This is normally true of all diamonds with a grade of about SI-1 or higher on the clarity scale. Facet The polished flat surfaces on a diamond. For example, a round brilliant diamond has 58 facets including the culet. Fair Cut Diamonds cut to less than perfect proportions. They have been cut to maximize the weight of the stone instead of enhancing the brilliance and sacrifice fire and brilliance. The less expensive stones may have good and very good cuts but will not have the same brilliance and fire that people would expect from a diamond. Fire Fire is the colored light that is reflected from inside the diamond. Colored light reflected from within a diamond. As in a prism light entering a diamond is divided up into the spectrum. The better quality diamond with better proportions the better the 'fire' of the diamond. This is called "refraction" or "dispersion" in 13
the diamond trade. Fluorescence A glow, usually of a bluish color, which emanates from certain diamonds when exposed to ultraviolet light. Two thirds of all diamonds fluoresce to some degree but how they do so depends very much on the type of ultra violet light they are under. Girdle this is the narrow band around the outer circumference of a diamond. This is where a jewelry setting holds the diamond in a ring. Good Cut Diamonds cut with acceptable, but not perfect, proportions. They generally have very good brilliance and fire and make excellent jewelry. Ice A colloquial word for diamonds, much favored by Hollywood in movies about gangsters. Ideal Cut Ideal Cut diamonds are usually more expensive than all other cut grades. This is due to three major factors: 1) extra time and skill are required to cut to such precision; 2) they are in great demand, and perhaps most importantly, 3) more of the original rough diamond must be sacrificed to achieve ideal proportions. Ideal Cut diamonds are also round diamonds that are perfectly proportioned (having depth percentages and table percentages that some people feel produce a "perfect" balance of fire and brilliance). They almost always have the highest grades on polish and symmetry as well, indicating the great care taken in the overall fashioning of the stone. These diamonds have had the finest craftsmanship to maximize the beauty of the diamond. Inclusion An impurity within a diamond, such as a spot or irregularity in the crystal structure of the stone. These can include a cloud, a fracture, another diamond inside the bigger one, liquid, etc. Inclusions can either be visible with the naked eye (usually SI-3 clarity and below) or visible only under magnification. Fewer inclusions means a finer clarity grade, increased rarity, and increased value. Kimberlite Kimberlite is a mica peridotite and a source of rich deposits of diamonds. The deposits occurring at Kimberley, South Africa were the first recognized and the source of the name. The Kimberly diamonds were originally found in decomposed kimberlite which was colored yellow by limonite, and so was called "yellow ground." Deeper workings encountered less altered rock, undecomposed kimberlite, which miners call "blue ground. Loupe A loupe is a small magnifying glass used to view gemstones. Usually 10x, or ten-power, magnification. The FTC requires all diamond grading be done under 10-power magnification; any flaws not detected under this magnification are considered to be non-existent by some dealers. 14
Make Make describes the quality of the finish and proportions of a diamond. A good make will have proportions that maximize brilliance and fire. A poor make will decrease sparkle and fire due to the loss of light as it travels through the stone. The cutter is responsible for the make of a diamond as he is the one that cuts it to achieve the maximum brilliance and fire. Mohs Scale The Mohs scale is a table of relative hardness that ranks a mineral's strength and durability on a scale from 1 to 10, with 1 being talc and 10 being diamond. Developed over 100 years ago by Frederic Mohs. Moissanite Moissanite is silicon carbide and is manufactured in a laboratory. It is virtually indistinguishable from diamonds and it takes a real expert with special equipment to be able to tell the difference. Pavilion This is the bottom half of a diamond, from the lower girdle to the culet tip at the bottom. The pavilion should be neither too deep or too shallow otherwise light will leak out and the diamond will lose fire and brilliance. Peridotite Any of a group of igneous rocks having a granite like texture. Point A measure of diamond weight. One point equals 1/100th of a carat. A diamond that weighs 0.50 carat is said to weigh 50 points. Polish A grade given to the external finish of a stone. The polish grades are from poor to excellent. Good polish is crucial for maximum brilliance of a diamond, but it takes a trained eye to distinguish between polish grades. Poor Cut Poorly cut diamonds with proportions and finish that make them look relatively lifeless to the eye. Such stones are ok for industry but not for jewelry. Sparkle The 'sparkle' of a diamond is the combination of fire and brilliance. The light that reflects out of a diamond as it moves. Sometimes called "scintillation" by older dealers. Stones A word for diamonds and other precious gems. 15
Symmetry A diamond should by symmetrical. Symmetry is the grade used to describe the uniformity of the cut of the diamond. This can range from excellent down to poor. The un-symmetrical a diamond is the poorer will be the quality of light through the stone. Table The top or large flat face of the diamond is called the table. It should be in proportion to the rest of the diamond to gain the best fire and brilliance. Tourngat Diamonds cut to fit very strict requirements for depth percentage and table percentage. These outstanding proportions maximize fire and brilliance in the diamond. Also a region of northern Quebec. Price of Diamonds would be a massive 5 carats. Very large in diamond terms although the actual diamond is physically small. Wholesale Wholesale prices are listed PER CARAT to show this price difference. For instance, a 1/2- carat round brilliant diamond of G/VS2 quality may sell for $3,600 per carat ($1,800 for the stone), whereas a 1-carat stone of the same quality would likely cost $6,300 per carat ($6,300 for the stone) because it is twice the size and more rare. Zirconia Also known as Cubic Zirconia, this is a substance often used as a substitute to genuine diamonds. It is a carborundum substance and easily told from diamonds due to being heavier than diamonds. Weight the weight of a diamond is measured in carats.a carat is.2 grams. A gram of diamond ~oo00oo~ 16