In This Issue

Newsletter

Where the world comes to find out about diamonds

November 2013 Volume 3 Number 11

In this Issue

We feature Union Diamonds, What is the Ideal Cut Dia- mond? Diamond Mines and Miners around the world. Plus much more and all our regular features!

Price of Diamonds

Where the world comes to find out about diamonds

Newsletter of the Price of Diamonds website

Price of Diamonds Newsletter November 2013 Edition

Editor in Chief ~ Editorial ~ 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. Dear Reader,

This Newsletter is provided subject to the condition that it shall not be circulated in any form without the This month we feature Union Diamonds as the publisher’s cover and acknowledgement of the mate- Diamond Dealer of the month. rial contained herein and is not to be sold, hired or otherwise disposed of for any fee or consideration Also what is the Ideal Cut Diamond? Diamond other than by prior arrangement. It may be distributed online and passed along only in its current form and Mines and Miners around the world plus much with the above proviso. Comments and articles pub- more and all our regular features! lished in the Price of Diamonds Newsletter are not necessarily the opinions of the Publishers or Editors Do have a great month and happy reading! and are offered solely for information purposes only.

This publication is designed to provide accurate and Michael informative information only in regard to the subject Price of Diamonds matter covered. This publication does not purport to offer any professional advice of any legal, financial or psychological service and is sold with the understand- ing 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 as- sistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought. The reader is solely responsible for his/her own actions.

All copyrights and trademarks belong to their respec- tive owners

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Copyright © 2013. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Technical Author Services Pty Ltd 2 Price of Diamonds ~ Diamond Dealer of the Month ~ ignorant questions by phone. After you have called they call back right away. They email in minutes. They go into any level of detail needed to satisfy your query. They will even fax you a cert, or a Sarin report, or any photo of a setting. Pretty much anything you want virtually instant- lthough Union Diamond are one of the ly. A most well known diamond dealers in the US it is a good ideal to find out more about them In various follow up tests, every staff member by reading this review before you buy diamonds amazingly showed an excellent level of from uniondiamond.com. knowledge and patience.

Who are Union Diamond Union Diamond Products The Union Diamond Corporation was started in Union Diamond have access to an extremely September 2001 by Scott Anderson, CEO and wide and diverse range of products, partially Tony Rixom, COO of Union Diamond. Union because they are really wholesales originally Diamond used to be a wholesale operation sell- and evidently have retained all the contacts that ing loose diamonds to jewelry stores and other wholesales would have. You can ask for what dealers. However they have extended their oper- you want, and if they do not already have it in ation to sell direct to consumers. stock, they will be able to get it for you in a day or so. Union Diamond Corporation now sells wholesale and retail loose diamonds, pre-made and This includes all the cuts, sizes, grades, unusual custom-made jewelry, and watches online and shapes even as well as extra fine qualities for the through their showroom in Atlanta, Georgia. All discerning buyer. They have a very simple and their products are distributed from one location. easy to use search engine. It is also very fast and Their customer service includes education by orderly and very clear. live diamond experts offering telephone consul- tations. including advice from diamond industry Usually a diamond grading report accompanies veterans president and CEO Scott Anderson and any of the loose diamonds. The most common COO Tony Rixom. will be a Gemological Institute of America (GIA) or an American Gem Society (AGS) re- This is a smaller but growing operation that port. These laboratories are recognized world gives excellent, personal service and great pric- over and are totally independent of Union Dia- es. mond.

Union Diamond Customer Service The price of diamonds at Union Diamond are According to reports and feedback from past very competitive. The margin on the diamond clients, the customer service of uniondi- price is small and they offer some of the cheap- amond.com is nothing short of superb. The con- est I have seen around. sultants are very knowledgeable about diamonds and also very patient and helpful. Something Union Diamond Payment Options often missing when a person asks many inane or Union Diamond accepts Visa, MasterCard, Dis-

Copyright © 2013. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Technical Author Services Pty Ltd 3 Price of Diamonds cover and American Express. All orders paid Union Diamond Warranties for by credit card pay the stated price. Union Union Diamond also warrants that all mer- Diamond Corporation state, “All credit card chandise will be free of workmanship and orders must be shipped to the billing address. manufacturing defects. They also suggest that We are happy to send your order to a work or you contact your insurance professional and alternate shipping address but that address have the item fully insured. must be placed on file your credit card company. All packages must have an adult signatory More Information on Union Diamond for release.” Union Diamond is located in Atlanta, Georgia 30339, USA and is required to collect sales tax However, paying by bank wire will give the for items purchased and delivered within the customer a 3 percent discount from the regular State of Georgia. They do not collect any sales stated price. On a big ticket item, this is a tax for items that are shipped anywhere else worthwhile saving. But you have to make your within the USA so if any sales or use tax is due choice in the beginning. You cannot change in your state, it will be your responsibility to midstream to get the discount. This is likely contact the state in question and inquire about because the merchant incurs fees for credit any possible tax liabilities. card use. Bank wires are cheaper for the merchant so they can offer the discount. The Union Diamond Corporation also advise that all the diamonds advertised on their site Returns Policy of Union Diamond have been supplied from legitimate sources not The Union Diamond Corporation (”Union Dia- involved in funding conflict and in compliance mond”) offers a Thirty (30) day return guaran- with United Nations Resolutions. Union Dia- tee. As most dealers only offer 7 days this is mond Corporation state they guarantee that quite generous. This does not apply to custom their diamonds are conflict free, based on per- order however. Whereas a standard order item sonal knowledge and/or written and verbal can be resold, custom made products are un- guarantees provided by any supplier of these derstandably much more difficult to sell. diamonds.

Union Diamond state, ” In the event that a cus- If you have bought any diamonds, diamond tomer decides to exchange an item, the ex- jewelry or other products from uniondi- change must be made within the 30 day return amond.com, please feel free to leave your feed- and exchange period from the date of ship- back on the quality of service and products in- ment. The exchange of an item does not extend cluding any uniondiamond.com online com- the original return and exchange policy and the plaints and special attention or service given by customer should be fully aware that any such uniondiamond.com online. right to return or exchange any item under our 30 day return policy will expire after the 30th ~oo00oo~ day of the date of the original shipment.”

Full details of the return policy is on the website.

What is the Ideal Cut Diamond?

The Ideal Cut diamond is one in which the lesser carat weight. Care should be taken when light entering from the top and sides of the dia- buying discounted diamonds because of this. A mond is reflected back through the top to the jeweler promoting the higher carat weight may viewer. This gives the most brilliance and spar- omit to inform you of the deeper cut and the kle and is how a diamond is really supposed to resultant less reflection and brilliance of the be. stone and corresponding less value. In short it This is achieved by the cut. The light rays from may not be such a bargain after all. all sides should bend towards the center and For the technically minded the actual propor- reflect back through the top in a blaze of light. tions needed to produce the maximum brillian- If the diamond is poorly cut, say too narrow or cy consistent with a high fire quality in a round too deep, then not all the light rays will do so diamond are computed as a percentage of the and some will be lost resulting in a less bril- girdle diameter, are as follows: total depth, liant stone. In a diamond that is cut too deep in 59.3% (without provision for girdle thickness); fact it may even appear black in the center of crown depth, 16.2%; pavilion depth, 43.1%. the stone due to lost light. In a shallow cut The bezel angle is 34° 30% and the pavilion stone the light ‘leaks’ through the bottom and angle is 40° 45%. the diamond will give off a dull reflection. Ask the jeweler or dealer if the cut is a Ideal The ideal Cut is achieved through a special Cut and get him or her to put it in writing. mathematical formula designed for cutting dia- There is no substitute for getting a independent monds to a specific set of proportions discov- appraisal also and doing your own due dili- ered by Marcel Tolkowsky in 1919. gence. It is important to know this when buying a dia- That way you can be sure you are getting the mond as, for example, although a deeper stone ideal diamond in the form of an Ideal Cut! may have more carat weight but would not be such a desirable stone as the ideal cut with a ~oo00oo~

Fucauma Diamond Mine. Newly constructed and open just a few years. 40 percent owned by Endiama and 35 percent by Trans Hex. The Luarica Diamond Mine is also 70 percent owned by Endiama and Trans Hex col- lectively The Luzamba Diamond Mine is Angola’s largest alluvial mine and Endiama own a 50 percent slive of that too with Odebrecht own- ing the other 50 percent. Damtshaa Diamond Mine is a open pit mine Diamond Mines & Miners owned by De Beers. Around the World The Jwaneng Diamond Mine is the richest mine in world and also owned byDe Beers. ou might be surprised to learn just how The Letlhakane Diamond Mine is another De Y many diamond mines there are in the Beers mine. world. And the Orapa Diamond Mine is the largest There are just fewer than 40 diamond mines and oldest of four owned by, you guessed in, in the world currently. Around 11, such as DeBeers/Botswana. the Argyle Diamond mine in Western Aus- tralia (The larges) are big mines but the ma- Congo (DROC or RDC) jority are small as mines go. Bakwanga Mine: (aka Bushimaïe, Lubilash) An alluvial river mine. Some are alluvial mines, which is to say Forminière Diamond Mine. Also an alluvial where diamonds can be found on the surface mine located on the River Tshikapa, in Kasaï having been exposed by erosion due to weather or water. Lesotho The rest are either open pit or cut with some The Letseng Diamond Mine is an open-cast underground. mine in the Maluti Mountains 70 km from Mokhotlong. Most of the diamonds produced are industrial grade. That is to say, they are unsuitable for Namibia jewelry as the quality of the diamond is too Elizabeth Bay Mine. An open-cast mine in inferior. But they are excellent as diamond the Namib desert, just south of Lüderitz. cutters in industry to cut hard substances Namdeb. such as steel. However laser is now replacing Orange River (Daberas) Mines. A collection many diamond cutters even when it comes to of small Orange River alluvium mines in . cutting diamonds themselves. Namdeb Namib Gov. Marine Mining. Diamond mining on the sea Here is a list by country. bed. Namco Mining operates a dredging fleet off the west coast of Namibia. Angola Catoca Diamond Mine. This the fourth larg- Sierra Leone est diamond mine in world. Magna Egoli Mine. This is the largest mech- anized mine in Sierra Leone.

The Koidu-Sefadu Mines are sSubsistence Argyle Diamond Mine based in the Kimberley is digging in alluvium pits west of Koidu. owned by Rio Tinto Ltd is the largest producer of diamonds in world today. They produce mostly indus- And the Koidu Open Pit Mines takes ad- trial grade diamonds but also produce the majority of vantage of a Kimberlite pipe just south of the much sought after pink diamonds. Koidu. map Borneo South Africa Cempaka Diamond Mines and based in Cempaka/ The Baken Diamond Mine is located along Riam Kanan, South Kalimantan and the alluvial diamonds are mined by indigenous artisanal Kalimantan the Orange River in North Cape. Owned by miners. Trans Hex. The Cullinan Diamond Mine. Probably one Canada of the more famous diamond mines. This is Diavik Diamond Mine. The Diavik diamond mine is an open Pit/Hard Rock diamond mine once located in the NWT. owned by De Beers but now owned by Petra The Ekati Diamond Mine, also located in NWT was Diamonds. Canada’s first diamond mining operation. Finsch Diamond Mine, also owned by De India Beers is an open-pit mine not far from Lime Panna Diamond Mine. An alluvial mine in the state of Acres. Madhya Pradesh. One of the oldest diamond mines is the Kim- berley Diamond Mine. Mining operations Russia started in but the Kimberley Open Pits were Aikhal GOK Mine is a collection of three open-pit kimberlite pipe mines: Aikhal, Jubilee, and Sytykan closed in 2005. all based in Siberia The Koffiefontein Diamond Mine opened in 1870 and Another Siberian mine is Anabar GOK Mine. This is closed in 2006. in the northern most location of Russia’s diamond The Oaks Diamond Mine. Located in the Limpopo mines. province this is an open-pit mine also operated by De Jubilee (Yubileinaya) Mine. A newer open-pit kim- Beers. berlite mine close to Udachny. Alrosa. The Venetia Diamond Mine is a high producing mine The Mirna Mine is the largest diamond deposit in with over 40 percent of the worlds diamonds pro- Russia. duced there. Udachnaya (Udachny) Pipe Mine is one of the deepest diamond mines in the world. Tanzania Williamson Diamond Mine. Another open cut owned USA mostly by De Beers. Crater of Diamonds State Park, Arkansas. Mostly for tourists although some larger jewelry quality stones Zimbabwe have been found there Murowa Diamond Mine. Open Pit and Underground. Kelsey Lake Diamond Mine, Colorado 75% owned by De Beers. River Ranch Diamond Mine is another Open Pit and Principle Diamond Mining Companies Underground mine. Also mostly owned by De Beers. Some of the principle diamond mining companies include: Australia ALROSA, operates mainly in Russia.

BHP Billiton, 80% owner of the Ekati mine as well as many other mineral mines, iron ore and other metals. Camphor, 4.9% owner of Gahcho Kue Diamond Mine Project. De Beers, probably the most famous diamond miner and owner of 20 mines in Africa, 70% owner of the Northwest Territories Snap Lake Diamond Mine Project, 100% owner of Ontario’s Victor Diamond Mine Project, 60% owner of the Northwest Territories’ Gahcho Kue Diamond Mine Project and participant in numerous joint ventures world- wide. A finger in many diamond ‘pies’. Also now have their own retail stores around the world. Debswana, a partnership between De Beers and the government of Botswana. Endiama, the national diamond-mining company in Ango- la and exclusive concessionaire Harry Winston Diamond Corporation, a 40% owner of the Diavik mine. Petra Diamonds, operates in five African countries, mines include the Cullinan, Koffiefontein and Williamson mines, also the sole operator of the Alto Cuilo project in Angola. Rio Tinto Group, partial owner of Argyle, Diavik (60%), and Murowa diamond mines. Tahera Diamond, owner of the Jericho mine in Canada.

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What about other gemstones

Amethysts

Emeralds Garnets Jade Opals Pearls Peridot Rubies Sapphires Topaz

Copyright © 2013. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Technical Author Services Pty Ltd 8 Price of Diamonds ~ Diamond News Around the World ~ Rio Tinto to Offer Three Red Diamonds in Despite strong demand for high-end jewelry Pink Diamonds Tender in Japan, overall sales there fell 14 percent The Wall Street Journal’s Scene Asia report- because of the weak yen. ed that Rio Tinto plc Second-quarter net income rose to $106.8 (ASX:RIO,LSE:RIO,NYSE:RIO) is on tour, million, or 83 cents per share, from $91.8 showing the diamonds that will be included in million, or 72 cents per share, a year earlier. its 30th annual Argyle Pink Diamonds Ten- Per-share profit beat the average Wall Street der. The company expects the Argyle Phoe- estimate by 9 cents, helped by lower pressure nix, one of three “beyond rare” red diamonds from diamond and gold costs. being offered, to fetch the highest price. As quoted in the market news: Though Rio Tinto declined to release price Afri-Can Marine Minerals Corporation estimates for any of the gems in the tender, (TSXV:AFA) recently released a historical they expect the Argyle Phoenix, the largest of estimate report stating that the Historical Esti- its three red diamonds, to attract the highest mate remaining on Diamond Fields Interna- bid. The tender has offered just six red dia- tional Ltd Mining Lease 111 is of 868,000 monds in its history, and never in the same carats of diamonds. The analysis estimated year. the remaining Historical Estimate from two Because of their rarity, red diamonds are hard reports: a resource estimate and a feasibility to estimate in price. Earlier this year, a 1.92- study prepared by MRDI and AGRA-Simons carat red diamond sold for more than $3.2 in 2000, and a resource estimate prepared by million, or $1.6 million per carat, at a Chris- SRK Consulting on a small area of ML 111 tie’s auction in Geneva. The sale set a record called Diaz Prospect 1, in 2006. for a red diamond on a per-carat basis. Tiffany’s Global Sales Up 4.4 Percent in Lat- As quoted in the press release: est Quarter The Historical Estimate report summary is as Reuters recently reported strong diamond de- follows: mand boosted Tiffany & Co.’s (NYSE:TIF) • The analysis has estimated the remaining global sales by 4.4 percent in the quarter end- Historical Estimate from the two following ed July 31, to $925.9 million. That’s lower reports: than the $941.4 million that analysts were • A resource estimate and a feasibility study expecting, but the company has still opted to prepared by MRDI and AGRA-Simons in raise its profit expectations to a range of 2000; $3.50 to $3.60 per share, 7 cents higher than • A resource estimate prepared by SRK Con- the previous range. sulting on a small area of ML 111 called Diaz As quoted in the market news: Prospect 1, in 2006; Sales growth would have been 8 percent if • ML 111 has 3 geological features that host not for the strong U.S. dollar, which reduces Historical Estimates; the value of goods sold overseas. • Marshall Fork is the main deposit that has Same-store sales climbed 5 percent, in line seen intermittent production between 2001 with estimates. Excluding currency fluctua- and 2007, and the Historical Estimate remain- tions, they were up 7 percent in Europe and 8 ing in Marshall Fork stands at about 148,000 percent in Japan. carats;

• Diaz Reef has seen some small scale produc- GJF proposes Voluntary Self Regulation steps tion and the Historical Estimate remaining to curb gold imports there stands at about 479,000 carats; • North Bay is composed of 3 deposits, has Says government policies have not yielded never been in production, and the Historical substantial positive results in reducing the Estimate remaining stands at about 241,000 CAD so far carats. Rioo Tinto appoints Jean-Marc Lieberherr to Source: Diamond Investing News head its diamond business (diamondinvestingnews.com) Jean-Marc Lieberherr will take on the role be- In Short ginning September 1, 2013

Avraham Eshed buys a single emerald rough Staff of Axis Bank get one day Gold Appraisal of over 2,000 carats at Gemfield's auction training programme

The auction of high quality rough emeralds The training was conducted at the IIGJ resulted in revenues worth $31.5 million Kisna launches Heart Beat jewellery collection Scott Kay appoints David Minster as CEO The launch took place at the IIJS 2013 Previous to this new role, David Minster Pranda launches new logo and tagline worked at David Yurman as CEO The new brand identity celebrates the compa- Global gold jewellery demand up 20% in Q2 ny’s 40th anniversary India and China help propel demand Ganjam sponsors candidate for Craft Olympi- Gem Diamonds' revenues drop 21% in H1 ad – the World Skills Competition,

Profits plummet 40% The candidate Mr Bhabesh Chandra Jana was awarded ‘Medallion for Excellence’ in Jewel- Emerald centre planned in Malipo County lery

The Malipo mine boasts large-scale emerald IIJS 2013 Show Survey deposits “We have garnered new business,” say 91 % of Ghanasingh Be True launches haute couture exhibitors jewellery collection GSI associates with Sanghvi Jewels The collection has been designed by Maheka Mirpuri Will provide Diamond Jewellery Certification service Voila launches Desi Wooman collectionThe timepieces are inspired by celestial maidens H.V. Jewels unfolds a glamorous evening

Copyright © 2013. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Technical Author Services Pty Ltd 10 Price of Diamonds Showcases its ‘Sparkling Desires Forever’ line The website is more user friendly and enhanc- of jewellery es efficiency and continuity of the KP

GJEPC and BDB confirm support towards GIA seeking new President and CEO World Diamond Mark® DHR International will undertake a global Says this support is imperative towards the search for the same health of the diamond and jewellery industry ~oo00oo~ AWDC announces launch of renewed KP website

Up and Coming Diamond & Jewelery

Shows in 2013

NOVEMBER Telephone: +00-38-04-44-90-6337 Vietnam International Jewelry Fair Fax: +00-38-04-44-90-6337 Dates: 07/11/2013 - 11/11/2013 Email: [email protected] 5 Days, Thursday To Monday Website: www.jewellerexpo.kiev.ua/ Location: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam CONTACT DETAILS: +848-39144056 JUNWEX Ekaterinburg Telephone: +848-39144057 Dates: 21/11/2013 - 24/11/2013 Email: [email protected] 4 Days, Thursday To Sunday Website: www.vietnamjewelryfair.com/en/ Location: Atrium Palace Hotel Ekaterinburg CONTACT DETAILS: China International Gold, Jewellery & Gem Telephone: +7-495-5443831 Fair- Shanghai Fax: +7-495-5443838 Dates: 08/11/2013 - 11/11/2013 Email: [email protected] 4 Days, Friday To Monday Website: http://eng.rjexpert.ru/content/ Location: Shanghai World Expo Exhibition view/214/195/ and Convention Center, Shanghai, China CONTACT DETAILS: DECEMBER Telephone: +852-2516-1677 Dubai International Jewellery Week Fax: +852-3749-7542 Dates: 04/12/2013 - 07/12/2013 Email: [email protected] 4 Days, Wednesday To Saturday Website: www.jewelrynetasia.com Location: Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Center, Dubai Jeweller Expo Ukraine November CONTACT DETAILS: Nadeera Jayaratne Dates: 14/11/2013 - 16/11/2013 Telephone: +971-4308-6477 3 Days, Thursday To Saturday Email: [email protected] Location: Kyiv Expo Plaza Kyiv ,Ukraine Website: www.jewelleryshow.com/ CONTACT DETAILS: Copyright © 2013. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Technical Author Services Pty Ltd 11 Price of Diamonds

KGJS Kerala Gem & Jewellery show Fax: +7-812-320-8090 Dates: 06/12/2013 - 08/12/2013 Email: [email protected] 3 Days, Friday To Sunday Location: Le-Meridien Convention Centre, Website: eng.rjexpert.ru/content/ Cochin view/214/195/ CONTACT DETAILS: Jaipur Jewellery Show Telephone: +32-3-2335313 Dates: 20/12/2013 - 23/12/2013 Fax: +32-3-2336503 4 Days, Friday To Monday Email: [email protected] Location: Chamber Bhawan, Jaipur, Raja- Website: www.kgjs.in sthan, India CONTACT DETAILS: Best Adornments of Russia Telephone: +91-141-510 4776/7 Dates: 11/12/2013 - 15/12/2013 Fax: +91-141-510 4666 5 Days, Wednesday To Sunday Email: [email protected] Location: All-Russian Exhibition Centre, Website: www.jaipurjewelleryshow.org Moscow CONTACT DETAILS: Mr. Alexey Poltavsky ~oo00oo~ Telephone: +7-812-303-9876

~ Diamond Quotes ~

If God wanted us to bend over he'd put diamonds on the floor. Joan Rivers

Let us not be too particular; it is better to have old second-hand diamonds than none at all. Mark Twain

No pressure, no diamonds. Thomas Carlyle

This shape and faceting arrangement is de- Diamond signed for maximum brilliance, sparkle and beauty and is perhaps the most popular shape. Glossary Carat Perhaps everyone know the term carat. The basic unit of weight for a diamond. A carat is ere are some common words used in equal to 200 milligrams, or one-fifth of a gram. the Diamond Industry and in this It is said that the word is derived from the H newsletter. word carob. In early India the carob bean was used for measuring the weight of gems as eve- 4Cs ry carob seed weighs exactly the same. Diamonds are graded and priced according to what is universally referred to as the "4C's". Clarity They are Cut, Color, Clarity and Carat Weight. Clarity is the term given to indicate the purity Below an explanation of each of the 4Cs: of a diamond. Most diamonds have minute im- perfections and the clarity is the way of grad- Appraisal ing the purity depending on the number of im- A valuation of property by the estimate of an perfections the diamond has or does not have. authorized person. With diamonds the appraisal is a written estimate of the approximate re- Cloud tail replacement value of diamond jewelry, A cluster of very small inclusions inside a dia- which may be used for insurance coverage or mond that give a cloud effect. Tiny clouds will other purposes. It is not the same as a grading not interfere with the flow of light, but large or report, which evaluates a diamond's character- numerous clouds can affect brilliance. istics (such as cut, clarity, carat, symmetry, etc.) only. Color Diamonds are traditionally thought of as white Blemish or clear. But diamonds in fact do have color A scratch or abrasion on the surface of a dia- and this can be graded. mond. Provided they do not interfere with the symmetry of the stone and do not interfere Crown with light in the stone they are not considered The crown is the top section of a diamond, important. above its widest point, or girdle, that compris- es the table, and the star-, bezel- and upper- Brilliance girdle facets. brilliance is the white light that is reflected through the top of a diamond. This can be in- Culet crease by the diamond being cut to the correct A facet on the very bottom of a diamond. It is proportions to take advantage of the reflection best to have a small or medium culet. A large of light from the facets to the brilliance. culet will make it look like there is a hole in the bottom of the stone due to leakage of light. Brilliant Cut Absence of a culet makes the point of the dia- A Brilliant Cut, sometimes called the Ameri- mond more easily damaged or chipped. can Brilliant, is a 58-facet round diamond,

Cut Eye-clean This describes the shape of the diamond. There A diamond that has no inclusions visible to the are basically eight cuts of diamond. naked eye -- flawless to the naked eye. This is normally true of all diamonds with a grade of Round Brilliant about SI-1 or higher on the clarity scale. Emerald Cut Princess Cut Facet Heart Cut The polished flat surfaces on a diamond. For Oval Cut example, a round brilliant diamond has 58 fac- Marquise Cut ets including the culet. Pear Cut Round Brilliant Fair Cut Diamonds cut to less than perfect proportions. Some of the most popular diamond cuts in- They have been cut to maximize the weight of clude Heart, Emerald, Marquise (Oval with the stone instead of enhancing the brilliance pointed ends), Oval, Pear, and Princess with and sacrifice fire and brilliance. The less ex- the Round Brilliant (R/B) probably being the pensive stones may have good and very good most popular. cuts but will not have the same brilliance and fire that people would expect from a diamond. Depth % (percentage) The height of a diamond (measured from the Fire culet to the table) divided by the width of the Fire is the colored light that is reflected from diamond. The depth % is critical to creating inside the diamond. Colored light reflected brilliance and fire in a diamond. A depth % from within a diamond. As in a prism light en- that is too low or too high will cause light to tering a diamond is divided up into the spec- leak out of the stone, causing the diamond to trum. The better quality diamond with better lose sparkle. proportions the better the 'fire' of the diamond. This is called "refraction" or "dispersion" in Depth the diamond trade. The height of a diamond (measured from the culet at the very bottom to the large table facet Fluorescence on the top). A glow, usually of a bluish color, which ema- nates from certain diamonds when exposed to Diamond ultraviolet light. Two thirds of all diamonds The simplest of all the gemstones consisting of fluoresce to some degree but how they do so pure crystallized carbon. A diamond crystalliz- depends very much on the type of ultra violet es under enormous pressure deep beneath the light they are under. earth's surface Diamonds can be from 1 to 3 billion years old--more than two-thirds the age Girdle of the Earth itself. Diamond is also the hardest this is the narrow band around the outer cir- substance known to man. In fact, it can only be cumference of a diamond. This is where a jew- cut and polished by another diamond. Despite elry setting holds the diamond in a ring. its hardness, however, it is not indestructible. If a diamond is struck at the right angle, it can Good Cut chip or break. Diamonds cut with acceptable, but not perfect,

Copyright © 2013. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Technical Author Services Pty Ltd 14 Price of Diamonds proportions. They generally have very good altered rock, undecomposed kimberlite, which brilliance and fire and make excellent jewelry. miners call "blue ground.

Ice Loupe A colloquial word for diamonds, much favored A loupe is a small magnifying glass used to by Hollywood in movies about gangsters. view gemstones. Usually 10x, or ten-power, magnification. The FTC requires all diamond Ideal Cut grading be done under 10-power magnifica- Ideal Cut diamonds are usually more expen- tion; any flaws not detected under this magni- sive than all other cut grades. This is due to fication are considered to be non-existent by three major factors: 1) extra time and skill are some dealers. required to cut to such precision; 2) they are in great demand, and perhaps most importantly, Make 3) more of the original rough diamond must be Make describes the quality of the finish and sacrificed to achieve ideal proportions. Ideal proportions of a diamond. A good make will Cut diamonds are also round diamonds that are have proportions that maximize brilliance and perfectly proportioned (having depth percent- fire. A poor make will decrease sparkle and ages and table percentages that some people fire due to the loss of light as it travels through feel produce a "perfect" balance of fire and the stone. The cutter is responsible for the brilliance). They almost always have the high- make of a diamond as he is the one that cuts it est grades on polish and symmetry as well, in- to achieve the maximum brilliance and fire. dicating the great care taken in the overall fashioning of the stone. These diamonds have Mohs Scale had the finest craftsmanship to maximize the The Mohs scale is a table of relative hardness beauty of the diamond. that ranks a mineral's strength and durability on a scale from 1 to 10, with 1 being talc and Inclusion 10 being diamond. Developed over 100 years An impurity within a diamond, such as a spot ago by Frederic Mohs. or irregularity in the crystal structure of the stone. These can include a cloud, a fracture, Moissanite another diamond inside the bigger one, liquid, Moissanite is silicon carbide and is manufac- etc. Inclusions can either be visible with the tured in a laboratory. It is virtually indistin- naked eye (usually SI-3 clarity and below) or guishable from diamonds and it takes a real visible only under magnification. Fewer inclu- expert with special equipment to be able to tell sions means a finer clarity grade, increased the difference. rarity, and increased value. Pavilion Kimberlite This is the bottom half of a diamond, from the Kimberlite is a mica peridotite and a source of lower girdle to the culet tip at the bottom. The rich deposits of diamonds. The deposits occur- pavilion should be neither too deep or too shal- ring at Kimberley, South Africa were the first low otherwise light will leak out and the dia- recognized and the source of the name. The mond will lose fire and brilliance. Kimberly diamonds were originally found in decomposed kimberlite which was colored yel- Peridotite low by limonite, and so was called "yellow Any of a group of igneous rocks having a ground." Deeper workings encountered less granite like texture.

Point called the table. It should be in proportion to A measure of diamond weight. One point the rest of the diamond to gain the best fire and equals 1/100th of a carat. A diamond that brilliance. weighs 0.50 carat is said to weigh 50 points. Tourngat Polish Diamonds cut to fit very strict requirements for A grade given to the external finish of a stone. depth percentage and table percentage. These The polish grades are from poor to excellent. outstanding proportions maximize fire and Good polish is crucial for maximum brilliance brilliance in the diamond. Also a region of of a diamond, but it takes a trained eye to dis- northern Quebec. tinguish between polish grades. Weight Poor Cut the weight of a diamond is measured in car- Poorly cut diamonds with proportions and fin- ats.A carat is .2 grams. A gram of diamond ish that make them look relatively lifeless to would be a massive 5 carats. Very large in dia- the eye. Such stones are ok for industry but not mond terms although the actual diamond is for jewelry. physically small.

Sparkle Wholesale The 'sparkle' of a diamond is the combination Wholesale prices are listed PER CARAT to of fire and brilliance. The light that reflects out show this price difference. For instance, a 1/2- of a diamond as it moves. Sometimes called carat round brilliant diamond of G/VS2 quality "scintillation" by older dealers. may sell for $3,600 per carat ($1,800 for the stone), whereas a 1-carat stone of the same Stones quality would likely cost $6,300 per carat A word for diamonds and other precious gems. ($6,300 for the stone) because it is twice the size and more rare. Symmetry A diamond should by symmetrical. Symmetry Zirconia is the grade used to describe the uniformity of Also known as Cubic Zirconia, this is a sub- the cut of the diamond. This can range from stance often used as a substitute to genuine dia- excellent down to poor. The un-symmetrical a monds. It is a carborundum substance and easi- diamond is the poorer will be the quality of ly told from diamonds due to being heavier light through the stone. than diamonds.

Table ~oo00oo~ The top or large flat face of the diamond is