“A Diamond is a natural mineral consisting essentially of pure carbon crystallized with a cubic structure in the isometric system. Its hardness in the Moh’s scale is 10; its specific gravity is approximately 3.52; it has a refractive index of 2,42 and it can be found in many colours.” Definition supplied by the DTC.
A gemstone of this description that has been mined from the earth is the only gem that can be called a Diamond. The term “cultured” is not acceptable in conjunction with “diamond.”
Cutting diamonds requires much experience, skill, and patience. Cutters apprentice for many years under the watchful eye of a Master. A rough diamond will be passed through many hands on its journey to the final polish.
The first step in the cutting process is marking the rough. The cutter will plan the cutting of the rough and mark it accordingly. He will determine what inclusions can be eliminated, how well the stone will be proportioned and how large the final gem will be.
After marking, the stone will be given to a cutter for splitting either by a process known as cleaving (splitting the stone parallel to the grain) or sawing (splitting the stone by sawing through the crystal against the grain). Sawing is a difficult process that can take several hours and literally be done one millimeter at a time.
The next step in the process is called bruting or rounding. This is when the girdle will be shaped and the cone that will become the pavilion is fashioned. The cutter tries to retain as much of the rough as possible in keeping with the original goals. The result could be that the diamond has something called a girdle natural which is retention of part of the original skin of the rough to eliminate unnecessary loss of weight, and is considered the mark of good craftsmanship.
The next step is performed by the blocker. This is when the culet, the four bezel facets on the crown, and the four pavilion mains are fashioned. The rest of the faceting is accomplished in the step called brillianteering which adds 24 crown facets and 16 pavilion facets.
Lastly the diamond will be ready for its final polish when any external blemishes like girdle fringing is removed and the diamond is finished as the beautiful gem that will out-shine all others.
The most widely accepted standard for clarity grading is the scale developed by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). Its greater number of classifications makes it the strictest system. (An alternative scale is the AGS, which has slightly fewer classifications.)
Diamonds are weighed in terms of points and carats. Carat comes from the carob seed, (from a tree in the Mediterranean region) which was a method of measure in ancient times. There are 142 carats to the ounce!
Because of the density difference between gemstones, two stones can appear to be the same size, yet have different weights. For example: Emerald weighs less than diamond, so an emerald that actually weighs 1 carat will look bigger than a 1 carat diamond. On the other hand, ruby weighs more than a diamond, so a ruby that weighs 1 carat will look smaller than a 1 carat diamond. As discussed previously, this is the result in differences in specific gravity.
An enhanced diamond sold by Yehuda Diamond Company has a built-in signature “flash effect.” Easily seen under normal 10X magnification, the flash effect appears as a line of vivid color at the location of the enhancement.
The flash is usually purple or green in color. When jewelers see the flash, they can easily identify the precious stone as a Yehuda Diamond and take the proper precautions of not introducing the stone to the jeweler’s torch or boiling acids or bases – the only things that may effect the enhancement.
Be sure you receive the Yehuda Lifetime Guarantee CD with every purchase of a Yehuda Clarity-Enhanced Diamond. The lifetime guarantee safeguards your purchase and ensures that you have purchased a genuine Yehuda Diamond, not an inferior imitation.
An enhanced diamond sold by Yehuda Diamond Company has a built-in signature “flash effect.” Easily seen under normal 10X magnification, the flash effect appears as a line of vivid color at the location of the enhancement.
The flash is usually purple or green in color. When jewelers see the flash, they can easily identify the precious stone as a Yehuda Diamond and take the proper precautions of not introducing the stone to the jeweler’s torch or boiling acids or bases – the only things that may effect the enhancement.
Be sure you receive the Yehuda Lifetime Guarantee CD with every purchase of a Yehuda Clarity-Enhanced Diamond. The lifetime guarantee safeguards your purchase and ensures that you have purchased a genuine Yehuda Diamond, not an inferior imitation.
Learn what we and other Jewelers are doing to prevent the sale of Conflict Diamonds. All our diamonds have been obtained from reputable sources not involved in the funding of conflict and in accordance with the Kimberly Process.
To learn more, go to www.diamondfacts.org
Tradition tells us that each wedding anniversary should be celebrated by giving your loved one a gift made from a different material. Paper symbolizes the first year of marriage, but with each passing year, the gifts become more precious or more rare. This progression is meant to symbolize the growth in a couple’s relationship through the years.
The origins of the traditional list are not known, however some of the traditions are believed to date back to medieval times. Today, we accompany these traditions with a more modern list that not only offers greater variety, but in many cases, puts a higher value on earlier anniversaries. In addition, a list of jewelry and gemstone traditions offers recommendations for those who prefer to adorn their loved one with something truly precious each year.
YEAR
TRADITIONAL
MODERN
JEWELRY/GEMS
8th
9th
12th
13th
14th
15th
20th
25th
30th
35th
40th
Ruby
50th
Sapphire
Sapphire
55th
Gold
60th
65th
