Diamond Engagement Rings 2012

H

Hearts and arrows: Also known as “H&A”, these are mostly round cut diamonds having state-of-the-art cutting quality and that are known to present a visual design of 8 hearts looking down through the pavilion and 8 arrows while looking at the diamond in the face-up position while using H&A loupe.

I

Ideal cut: A diamond polished to the highest precision and perfection causing perfect balance between brilliance and fire.

Inclusion: A naturally occurring imperfection in a diamond.

Invisible setting: A technique used to set several diamonds together with no visible gold prongs. This placing gives the effect of 1 significant diamond when the small diamonds are fixed with each other.

K

Karat: The measurement of gold’s purity, with 24 karat being pure gold. Not to be confused with carat weight of diamonds.

L

Laser drilling: A clarity enhancement technique, whereby a laser is used to drill into to a dark inclusion which is then bleached in order to enhance the inclusion’s overall look.

Loupe: 10x magnifying lens used to evaluate diamonds.

Luster: The level to which a diamond reflects light.

M

Mine cut diamond: An old form of the brilliant diamond with a cushion shaped outline, high crown, small table, deep pavilion and an extremely large faceted culet.

N

Natural: A small rough diamond portion which can be found on some polished diamonds.

Natural Diamonds: Includes all real diamonds which are mined rather than synthetically developed.

O

Old European cut diamond: The earliest known form of brilliant cut diamond with a very small table and steep crown.

Optical property: A gem’s intrinsic ability to interact with light.

P

Pave: A jewelry setting technique where quite a few small diamonds are mounted close with each other to build a glistering diamond crust that covers the entire piece of jewelry and obscures the material below it.

Pavilion: The bottom section of a polished diamond, usually coned-shaped.

Pinpoint: Internal characteristic, minute to very small, usually a whitish dot in a diamond.

Platinum: A hard metal with excellent durability, white in color.

Polish: The way in which polishers finish the smoothness of facets on diamonds.

Prongs: Metal (gold, silver, platinum) spikes used to hold the gemstones into position. A prong setting ring refers to the way in which the center diamond is held.

R

Rhodium: A white metal within the platinum family, commonly used to plate white gold jewelry to give it a whiter, shinier surface.

S

Scintillation: The tiny areas of light in a polished stone that flash on and off as the diamond, the observer or lighting moves.

Shank: The shank of a ring is referred to as the side area, also generally known as the shoulders.

Star facet: One of the 8 triangular facets located near the table facet and pointing towards the outline of a brilliant cut diamond.

Solitaire: A type of diamond ring typically including one larger center diamond on it’s own. The diamond is also typically called the solitaire.

Symmetry: Balance of facets, and symmetry of the parts of the stone.

T

Table: The greatest facet, situated on top of the crown of the diamond.

U

Underside View: Exploring the diamond through the bottom, instead through the face (table view).

W

White Gold: White gold is actually a gold alloy made from pure gold, that is yellow, and a blend of white metals, usually including silver, nickel, platinum and palladium. Read more about White Gold.

Wholesale Price List (Rappaport): A price list used by diamond traders to trade diamonds at the wholesale level. The Rappaport diamond price list indicates the going rates at wholesale for every carat weight, color and clarity mixture in New York. There are various price lists for “Rounds” and “Pears”.

To the A-Z jewelry and diamond guide part 2

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