Jacob Watches

Making a beaded necklace or bracelet for Beginners
I make all my beaded jewelry by hand, on my website I give many genuine gemstone beads to choose from so people can customize their necklaces (also bracelets & earrings). Whatever beads you might use the technique is the same, I personally use only sterling silver parts & genuine beads such as black onyx, turquoise, red coral, aventurine, amazonite (very popular), rhondonite, mother-of-pearls, freshwater pearls, etc... I personally use only Beadalon wire which is extremely solid, it comes in many colors & variety some ticker & more solid... Much more expensive then most other wires but this is worth it if you want to make a necklace or bracelet that will truely last. Beadalon can be found in most jewelry findings online stores, Ebay, etc... Also, you need crimps (can be found in sterling silver, plated silver & other metals) and crimps covers (to hide the crimps & give it a nice professional look). There are special pliers sold to use with crimps & crimps covers which makes the job easyer but I have done it before with regular pliers well. Start by mesuring the correct leight of wire you want cut it with about 2-3 inches extra to what you need. The extra will be cut at the end but will make it easyer to work with & do the tips. Always have a ruler with you, it will be helpfull many times. So if you want a 16" necklace cut about 18-19" long of wire. I always start in the middle, so if you have a pendant or a centerpiece for the necklace put it on now. Make sure the bail or loop is solid. Usually I put a sterling silver ball on each side of the pendant large enough to stop the pendant from moving. Look at the bail or loop, make sure the beads you add on each side are larger. Now is time to add all the beads you want, using the ruler make sure you stop at the desired leight. Also dont forget that there will be a clasp at the end which will add some leight. For the clasps, there are many on the market. I usually use sterling silver lobster clasp or spring clasp. Also you need a jump ring soldered to fit with your clasps. So once you are done adding all those beads start ending the tip on one side. insert a crimp, then the clasp loop, then fold your wire back into the crimp. Tighten the wire so there is no loose wire between the crimp & clasp. Then squeeze the crimp shut with some pliers. Once that is done it should be solid. I always pull a little on it to double check. Ok now you cut the extra wire on that side leaving about 4-5mm. Using the pliers you fold it over the crimp. Now grab a crimp cover open it wide enought using your finger & set it on top of the folded 4-5mm wire, covering it & the crimp. Close the crimp cover using your pliers delicatly. Once that is all done one side is totally finished. Do the same on the other side using once again a crimp but of course a jumpring instead of a second clasp! Then a crimp cover again. Dont forget it must be tight at the end. You shouldn't see any of the wire. Then again dont make it too tight or the necklace will be stiff. I hope this is easy to understand. It is quite easy to do but the first pieces you make might need a little work redone later when you get better at it. Shop around before you buy any findings, some places are making way to much profit on people. Search for "jewelry findings" in search engines, and take a look on Ebay also, compare before you buy! I usually use sterling silver beads of size 2mm, 3mm & 4mm. And for my stone beads I use 4mm & 6mm. Thank you, It you think this is too much trouble visit my website! My prices are very reasonable. www.sterlingsilverart.com

Patrick is an internet marketer giving his reviews on various products as they come out on his personal blog at <a href="http://howtomarketingonline.com/2007/01/27/profit-lance-unleashed/">Marketing Online Tips & Tricks</a>

Custom Jewelry And Enhancer Bails Work For Your Pendant
Enhancer Bails Work. Generally, an enhancer is a bail which opens to allow the necklace, pearls, for instance, to be inserted and the enhancer is closed to secure it to the necklace. The types of closures are an important consideration. Some only "snap" shut. Others only have a small "figure 8" shaped safety that folds from one side over a small bead on the other to make the closure.



The "figure 8" safety is one commonly seen on bangle bracelets, gold necklaces with box or cylindrical clasps and on bracelets. The most secure type of enhancer both "snaps" shut and has the "figure 8" safety for added assurance the enhancer will not come open while being worn on the necklace.



Generally, a 14k gold enhancer bail will run from about $50 to $90 in the most common sizes. Fancier ones and added stones will certainly increase the price. If the pendant you have will need a loop soldered on to fit the enhancer, or if the enhancer must be soldered to the pendant, the cost will rise a little. A simple loop soldered on will be about $14 to $18 in my neck of the woods. Solder directly to the enhancer will run from $10 to perhaps $15, including soldering and refinishing. This is added to the cost of the enhancer.



Prices certainly may vary from location to location. Keep in mind, in the usa most jewelers can get the findings, parts, like enhancer bails, for essentially the same prices, regardless of location. For any pendant, and enhancer of the right size is needed to maintain balance in the look of the jewelry. The enancer should fit the necklace and not overpower or look too small for the pendant.



Then again, a necklace of pearls should also balance in size with the pendant. I have seen some enhancers which are much too large for the pendant part of the jewelry and detract from the beauty. If the necklace requires a larger opening, you might choose a longer and more "slim" enhancer which can accommodate a larger necklace but is narrow enough to look in balance with the pendant.



The best thing I can suggest is to go to a jewelry shop and ask to see enhancers. Generally, not many are kept in stock since it is very difficult to predict what a particular customer may need. You can generally see life sized images in catalogs from suppliers. At this time, the store should be able to tell you what labor or modifications to your pendant are needed to fit the enhancer.



There is alot of people that are looking for a some custom jewelery like a gold jerusalem cross pendant with small diamonds or cz at the center of each cross. This unusual form of cross is not likely to be found in stock in jewelry stores. Sometimes these stores will have cross jewelry but most will not be made in gold.



My suggsent is, you will likely have to go to jewelry stores and ask if they can special order the cross for you. At this time of the year, the sooner you can do this the better. Once you get the cross, any competent jeweler should be able to add a stone to the cross.



I did find one jewelry supplier who has a Jerusalem Cross in their religious jewelry catalog. This company is Stuller Findings. The company sells only to businesses but so many jewelry stores use Stuller for supplies and various jewelry items it should not be too difficult to find a store with a Stuller account. The cross could then be ordered. The order would need to specify white gold.



Alternative suggestion. There are many of these crosses listed on Internet sellers sites along with other jewelry that you might like. I do not know if white gold is available or not and that will take a search and perhaps an inquiry to the seller. If you can get the cross that way, still, a local jeweler should have little problem setting a stone in the cross. Whether stones may be set in the side crosses will depend on how the cross is made in the first place. Center should be no problem in the larger cross.



Custom Work: A jewelry store who advertises "custom work" should be able to make the cross if you cannot find one. This approach will be more expensive and it might be pushing to get this custom work done by the time that you need it at. If you try the custom direction, please download and print or otherwise get pictures of the cross for the jeweler to see. This will be needed to get the cross done properly and initially to work up and estimate of cost.



There are certainly some other suppliers that jewelry stores use who will have a Jerusalem cross available. When checking stores, I recommend local stores first and not mall chain stores. Local stores often have a lot more flexibility for special ordered items such as the cross. Local stores are often more eager to place a special order than some chain stores appear to be.

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Emeralds; Captivating Gemstones of Great Value
Emeralds are amazing gemstones. The intense green color they possess can be compared to none. Human beings have been captivated by emeralds since Egyptian times. It is even said the some Egyptian mummies were buried with emeralds. The fact is that these gems are fascinating, natural wonders that humans cherish now and will love for a long time to come. Emeralds belong to the gemstone family of beryl. Other well known members of this family are aquamarine, morganite and heliodor. Pure beryl is colorless; in the emerald, the green color occurs when chromium or vanadium are present. Emeralds come in many different green and bluish shades. The gemstones with the most clear surface and most vibrant colors are more valuable because of their beauty and rarity. Some emeralds can be even worth more than diamonds. Many emeralds today are oiled and treated in order to improve clarity. Although these treatments are commonly viewed as an acceptable way to increase the gemstone’s appearance, the buyer should be made aware of the treatment before purchasing the gem. This is something important to remember when looking to buy high quality emeralds. Although fine emeralds can be found today in countries like Brazil, Madagascar, Russia, Zimbabwe and India, Colombian emeralds are the most prized due to their transparency and amazing color. A Trapiche emerald is a rare emerald sometimes found in Colombia, which displays six raylike spokes that emanate from its center. These emeralds are extremely valuable and rare. Today, because of the great demand of emeralds in the market, many scammers have come to play a dirty role in the emerald business. Many emeralds are grown in labs and closely resemble the real thing. You could be cheated hundreds, even thousands of dollars if you are not extremely careful when purchasing an emerald. Make sure that you buy the gem from a trusted jeweler, and always ask if the emerald is natural or synthetic. The difference in price can be major. For thousands of years man has loved emeralds. Many have gone to great lengths to find the precious gems and others have even worshiped them. The fact is that the love that man has for the natural beauty and for the cultural meaning of emeralds is not going to go away. Demand for them will keep rising and beautiful fine jewelry will be made with them. Have you had the privilege of owning one of these beautiful gemstones?

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Jewellery Making For Beginners
Getting started on jewellery making can cost as much or as little as you decide. There are some basic tools you will need, and others that you can get as you move on.

The most fundamental thing you need, and the most fun, is beads. This all comes down to your taste, there are many styles of bead available so whatever jewellery you would like to wear, whether chunky or delicate, brightly coloured or soft, choose the appropriate beads.

Beads are also made out of many different materials. I like working with glass beads because the colours are beautiful and they shine in the light, but you don't care what I like, right?

The other basic things you will need are findings. These are the bits and pieces which form the skeleton of the jewellery.

For earrings, first decide what type of earrings you will make. For pierced ears I find fishhooks the easiest as you can buy these ready made and simply attach your earring design to them. I use head pins to make dangly earrings. Beads can easily be threaded onto them and the flat base leaves a smooth finish at the end of the earring. However, stud earrings and clip on earrings are also possible. You buy the backings for these and beads or designs can be glued into place.

For necklaces you require thread, at a thickness which fits easily through your beads. This needs to be strong, I use waxed linen thread but also nylon would be perfect. And you will need a method on fastening the finished necklace together. Jump rings are just small rings of metal which hook into bolt rings, which are the metal rings with the small lever to open and shut them.

I recommend, but it is not essential, a bead board. These have grooves running around them and inch/centimetre markings so that you can easily measure and design your necklace before stringing it together, this avoids having to restring it to make changes or correct mistakes.

The basic toolkit includes round-nosed pliers, flat-nosed pliers and flush wire cutters. These are for creating loops in the wire to attach the findings or other beads and for cutting the wire with a flat edge so as not to leave any sharp edges on your jewellery.

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Everyone Wants Big Diamonds
As a status symbol big diamonds have no equal. It shows that you have the ability to spend an extravagant amount of money on jewelry. When not being displayed these beautiful gems are hidden away in secure locations and rarely see the light of day. When was the last time you have seen the Esther Williams famous Champagne diamond ring or the Taylor Burton pear shaped diamond?



Finding a good jeweler is the first step you need to take when purchasing any jewelry item. It is also necessary to do some research on the grading system of diamonds. Many good article are available on the internet to assist you in understanding the 4 C's of diamond grading. After you have learned the fundamentals your jeweler can clarify your understanding.



The American Gem Society (AGS), the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), and the International Gemological Institute (IGI) are the three most widely known and respected diamond grading laboratories in the world and each of them has developed a very similar nomenclature for identifying the 4 C's of diamonds. The 4 C's stand for Carat, Color, Clarity, Cut and I like to add shape to the 4 C's list.



The first of the 4 C's is the Carat. A carat is 0.2 grams or 200 milligrams and is always referenced within 2 decimal points. For example the the Golden Jubilee is considered the largest faceted diamond in the world and weighs in at 545.67 carts. The Taylor-Burton diamond is 69.42 carats. This is a highly accurate grading scale used to determine the weight or size of a diamond but it does not apply a value to the diamond.



The next thing you need to look at when purchasing a diamond is the color of the diamond. A white diamond is not white but clear in color. Different colors in diamonds are produced because of impurities trapped in the diamond during the formation process. Since nature rarely create anything pure many diamond will have show some color to the naked eye. Color range from totally colorless (D) to a pale color (Z). Diamonds of a higher grade than (Z) fall into the fancy color diamond range. A diamond with a color range greater that (K) usually have a descriptive phrase such as grade (M) Faint Brown.



White diamonds are usually more expensive because of their rarity, D through F, but some diamonds in the fancy color range can command a very high per-caret price. Pink diamonds have sold for up to $1,000,000 a carat. The largest Fancy Vivid Pink diamond is the The Steinmetz Pink Diamond and is 59.60 carats in weight.



Clarity Grading is the third factor in determining the quality of a diamond. This grading requires education and years of practice for a gemologists to master. The number and nature of the defects in a diamond is taken into account when applying the clarity grading code. Basically the diamond is looked at with the naked eye and under a 10X magnification lens.



Internally Flawless (I.F) when it presents no internal defects under 10x magnification.



Very slightly included (V.V.S.1 to V.V.S.2) when it presents defects that are very difficult to locate under 10x magnification.



Slightly Included (S.I.1 to S.I.2) when it presents defects that are easy to locate under 10x magnification.



Imperfect (P.1 to I.1) when it presents defects that are hard to locate with the naked eye.



Imperfect (P.2 to I.2) when it presents defects that are easy to locate with the naked eye.



Imperfect (P.3 to I.3) when it presents defects that are very easy to locate with the naked eye.



Next is the cut of the diamond and the cut has nothing to do with the shape of the diamond. The proportions and symmetry of the diamond cut determines the light dispersion, brilliance or life of the diamond. If the diamond's reflective qualities are below standard then the appearance of the diamond will be adversely affected. Many of the diamond cut over a couple hundred years ago were cut to maximize the carat weight with little regard to the diamond's reflective qualities. Many of the older stones have been recut to increase its brilliance. A good cut give the diamond it brilliance or the ability to handle light in a pleasing fashion. The brightness will seem to come from the very heart of a diamond.



In 2001 the EightStar company of California wanted to prove that optical perfection of the round brilliant diamonds could be obtained by using an exclusive light-tracking instrument called a FireScope which allows a diamond cutter to align facets so precisely that the flow of light into and out of a diamonds can be completely controlled. The American Star as slowly cut from 14.89 to 13.42 carats over a six-week period. Cutting the diamond for maximum light output and not size increased the beauty of the American Star and many of the older diamonds have gone through a recut.



There are several standard categories for the shape of the diamond but there are many variations on each standard categories. Basic categories include Round, Emerald, Pear, Heart, Marquise, Oval, and Princess cuts.



The Round cut is the standard for the diamond shape and is used in most engagement rings.



The Emerald cut is rectangular or square step cut with diagonally cut corners and usually has 2 to 4 rows of parallel facets to the center of the stone. A very popular style of cut used for Emeralds hence the name.



Pear or teardrop in shape and may or may not have a large flat surface in the center of the stone and is usually cut to have about 56 to 58 facets.



Heart shaped cut is heart in shape and if a shield shaped cutlet is present (flat center) then it will usually have 32 crown facets. If no culet is present then 24 pavilion facets is the norm.



The Marquise shape is oval in shape with curving sides and pointed ends and was developed in France in the mid 1700s. It is believed to have been named after the Marquise de Pompador, who was a mistress of King Louis XV.



Oval in shape and covered with triangular facets.



The Princess shape is a very popular square or modified rectangular shape. There are many variations of crown and pavilion facets cuts on the market.



The final shape of the raw diamond us usually determined by the imperfections found in the diamond. Many imperfectsions can be remove or hidden by and experienced jeweler in mounting the diamond in the final jewelry piece and by the proper cut of the diamond.

David Cowley has created numerous articles on Diamonds. He has also created a Web Site dedicated to Diamonds. Visit http://www.diamonds-team.com

World Famous Diamonds 2
World Famous Diamonds 2. This is a multi part article and is strictly for educational purposes.



The Beau Sancy



Also called The Little Sancy is a rounded pear shaped and weights about 34 carats and has been confused with its counter part called The Sancy which is 54 carats. This diamond was bought by Prince Frederick Henry of Orange the grandfather of King Fredrick I of Prussia, who died in the year 1647. The Beau Sancy is now in the possession of the head of the house of Hohenzollern, Prince Louis-Ferdinand of Prussia, grandson of William II, the last Emperor of Germany



The Beluga



The Beluga diamond weighs over 103 carats and is the largest standard oval brilliant cut diamond in the world. This diamond was featured in an article about Blood Diamonds in the March 2002 issue of National geographic magazine.



The Black Orlov



The Blace Orlov is said to have derived its name from the Russian Princess Nadia Vyegin-Orlov who owned it during the mid 1800s. It is a cushion cut stone weighing 76.50 carats and is a very dark gun metal color. It has also been rumored to have been cut from a 195 carat stone that belonged to a shrine near Pondicherry, India in the 1900s. There is no evidence of a Russian princess by that name nor has India ever produced any large black diamonds of note. In 1969, the stone was sold for $300,000.



The Blue Empress



The Blue Empress is a rare blue pear shaped diamond that weights about 14 carats and is part of a necklace valued at around $16,000,000. The necklace is made from 18K white gold with smaller white diamonds surrounding the blue empress.



The Blue Heart



This diamond weights 30.82 carats and is of a rare deep blue color. In 1910 Cartier purchased the diamond and sold it to an Argentinean woman named Mrs. Unzue. Van Cleef & Arpels bought the stone in 1953 for an estimated $300,000. The Blue Empress is on exhibit in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C. Along with the Hope diamond and the Heart of Eternity, it is one of the world most famous blue diamonds.



The Blue Magic



Blue diamonds are among the rarest of colored diamond and they obtain their color from the small amounts of boron that was trapped during its crystallization process. The Blue Magic is pear shaped and weights 12.02 carats. It is estimated to be work between $5,000,000 and $6,000,000.



The Briolette of India



The Briolette of India is 90.38 carats and if the legends hold up it may be the oldest diamond on record. Richard the Lionhearted believed to have taken it on the Third Crusade. The gem is very unique and remains the most famous briolette-cut diamond in the world.

David Cowley has created numerous articles on Diamonds. He has also created a Web Site dedicated to Diamonds. Visit http://www.diamonds-team.com

Facts About Black Diamonds
Black diamonds are also called carbonados diamonds. The Portuguese in Brazil coined the term carbonados in the mid-18th century. It derived from its visual similarity to porous charcoal. Black diamonds are found only in Brazil and the Central African Republic.



Approximately 600 tons of conventional diamonds have been mined, traded, polished since 1900. But not a single black diamond has been discovered in the world's mining fields. The geological settings where diamonds are found or mined are virtually identical with the one exception, the Black Diamond.



Diamonds are created by very high heat and pressure. The only naturally occurring source of this type of environment on earth is under the earths curst. Conventional diamonds are mined from explosive volcanic rocks (kimberlites) that transport them from depths in excess of 100 kilometers by volcanic action. Where Black Diamonds are found, the geological settings are not compatible with the formation diamonds.



So how are Black Diamonds made? Stephen Haggerty and Jozsef Garai, both of Florida International University, believe that Black Diamonds originate in outer space. Black diamonds have been found to contain trace elements of nitrogen and hydrogen, which they claim are sure indicators of an extraterrestrial origin.



New research supports the claim by Haggerty showing that black diamonds formed in stellar supernovae explosions. Black diamonds were once the size of asteroids, a kilometer or more in diameter when they first landed on Earth.



The study published in 2006 analyzed the hydrogen in black diamond samples using infrared-detection instruments and found that the quantity indicated that the mineral formed in a supernova explosion prior to the formation of the Solar System. These diamonds were formed by carbon-rich cosmic dust in an environment near carbon stars. The diamonds were incorporated into solid bodies that subsequently fell to Earth as meteorites.



Many people around the world consider diamonds great treasures. Some diamonds are found naturally in a range of colors, and the colors can increase the value of the stone because of the rarity of the color. The colors range from pink to black. Black diamonds are some of the rarest diamonds in the world.



Black diamonds are not sparkling like those of other colors, but these jewels can make stunning jewelry. The value of these beautiful stones and their stunning appearance make them popular gifts. Jewelry made with these distinctive jewels have become increasingly popular in the last few years.



The black diamonds have many myths about them especially in India. Some people believe that these diamonds resemble the eyes of a snake so they were dedicated to an Indian god. One huge diamond made a perfect part for a statue of Buddha because of the black color. If you really want a piece of history then purchase a black diamond because it may be as old as the solar system itself.

David Cowley has created numerous articles on Diamonds. He has also created a Web Site dedicated to Diamonds. Visit http://www.diamonds-team.com

Watches to the Trade
Never Worn Old Stock - Stainless Air King Style Number: 14000 - Silver stick dial. Smooth Bezel. Oyster Bracelet.

Rules For Wearing Or Not Wearing Engagement Rings - By Women
This may be a really lame question but I got to thinking. When you have a wedding ring or engagement ring do you wear it ALL the time? What about in the shower, doing dishes or doing yard work? I don't have a ring yet, but I'm already nervous about losing it or damaging it. I guess thats what insurance is for, but it still wouldnt be fun to have to go through the pain of losing a ring you love.



I never take mine off. I was in the hospital for 4 weeks and had to have some surgery and they had to tape my ring to my finger cause I would not take it off. I wear gloves when I do the dishes but with my luck if I took it off I would lose it.



I just take off my ring when I take a shower or when I am doing something messy like washing dishes because junk gets built up on your ring. But that it!



I wear it all the time except for when I shower. I get it cleaned once a month though. Plus I clean it myself everyday after I shower. My ring gets loose in the winter when the weather is cold, but it never slips past my knuckle. It spins a lot, but doesn't come off. If your scared it might fall off, they have these new plastic, flexible wraps that you can put around the bottom of your ring, kind of like a rubber grip to stop it from coming off. Then at least you don't have to have it sized. Make sure whoever your FH buys your ring from, sizes it right. It should feel a little tight going over your knuckle and should not be easy to come off. You should have to push your ring up to go over your knuckle.



I take it off before bed & put it back on after I take my shower in the morning. I forgot to put it on today because I was rushing out of the house this morning, and that's happened a few times since I got the ring. I also take it off if I'm cooking something that I have to stick my hands into. Also, if I'm not leaving the house (and therefore, putting myself together, etc.,) I may not even wear it.



It's a personal choice. For me, I'm clumsy and if I slept with it I'd probably be all scratched up by now. For that reason, too, I don't really want to wear it all the time. It's an heirloom and I know my Mom chipped the stone a little & I don't want to do that - or knock it out! Also, I don't want to have to have it professionally cleaned very often because, personally, I think it's a frivolous expense.



When I have a wedding band, I will probably just leave it on all the time and may not wear the e-ring on an everyday basis. They won't be soldered together so that I have the flexibility to wear what I want when I want to.

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The 4C's Of Diamond Grading
A certificate is not the same thing as an appraisal. A certificate describes the quality of a diamond, but it does not place a monetary value on the gem. An appraisal places a monetary value on your diamond, but does not certify the quality of the diamond.



The Gemological Institute of America (GIA), the American Gem Society (AGS), and the International Gemological Institute (IGI) are the three most widely known and respected diamond grading laboratories in the world. Each of the grading laboratories have developed a very similar nomenclature for identifying the 4 C's of diamonds. The 4 C's stand for Carat, Color, Clarity, and Cut. We will also discuss the Shape of diamonds in this article.



Carat Grading



The weight or size of a diamond is measured in carats. A carat is 0.2 grams or 200 milligrams and is always referenced within 2 decimal points. This is a highly accurate grading scale used to determine the weight or size of a diamond.



Color Grading



All diamonds are compared against to an internationally accepted set of master stones and ranges from totally colorless (D) to pale yellow or brown color (Z). Brown diamonds darker than K color are usually described using their letter grade, and a descriptive phrase, for example M Faint Brown. Diamonds with more depth of color than Z color fall into the fancy color diamond range.



Color grades D through F are naturally the most valuable and expensive because of their rarity. Color G through I will show virtually no visible color to the untrained eye. Selecting the right jewelry to mount the diamond in can minimize color grade J through M.



The coloration of diamonds can be caused by several factors. Impurities trapped in the diamond during its formation, the crystal lattice structure of the diamond, and the exposure to radiation can all lead to the wide verity of colors available in diamonds.



Clarity Grading



Clarity is determined by the number of blemishes on the surfaces of the diamond and the number of inclusions such as air bubbles, cracks, and foreign material inside of the diamond. When both terms are being referenced the term defects is usually referenced. Nature rarely produces anything that is with out defects and this hold true for diamonds. Most diamonds will have some type of defect or flaw.



When grading the Clarity of a diamond it is necessary to observe the number and the nature of any internal defects in the stone. The size and position of the defects are also taken into account. A diamond is said to be Internally Flawless (I.F) when it presents no internal defects under 10x magnification by an experienced eye of laboratory gemologists.



A diamond is said to be Very Very Slightly included (V.V.S.1 to V.V.S.2) when it presents defects that are very difficult to locate under 10x magnification.



A diamond is said to be Very Slightly Included (V.S.1 to V.S.2) when it presents defects that are difficult to locate under 10x magnification.



A diamond is said to be Slightly Included (S.I.1 to S.I.2) when it presents defects that are easy to locate under 10x magnification.



A diamond is said to be Imperfect (P.1 to I.1) when it presents defects that are hard to locate with the naked eye.



A diamond is said to be Imperfect (P.2 to I.2) when it presents defects that are easy to locate with the naked eye.



A diamond is said to be Imperfect (P.3 to I.3) when it presents defects that are very easy to locate with the naked eye.



Cut Grading



The symmetry and proportions of a diamond cut determine the life, brilliance and light dispersion. If any of these cutting factors are below standard then the appearance of the diamond will be adversely affected.



The cut of a diamond has nothing to do with the shape of the diamond. The cut refers to the diamond's reflective qualities. A good cut give the diamond it brilliance or the ability to handle light in a pleasing fashion. The brightness will seem to come from the very heart of a diamond.



When a ray of light touches the surface of a diamond, part of the light is reflected back, this is external reflection. The rest of the ray penetrates the stone and is then reflected toward the center of the diamond. This is known as refraction. The ray of light is reflected to the surface, where it is seen as the colors of the spectrum. This is known as dispersion.



If light enters the diamond through to top or table and then leaks out from the sides or bottom instead of reflecting back to the eye, then the diamond will seen to have less brilliance and fire. A diamonds cut is the most important of the four Cs. If all of the rest of the grading scale is at the higher end of the spectrum and the cut has been utilized to maximize the size of the diamond then a very poor quality stone rill be the result. Happily this trend in size instead of quality is no longer prevalent in the diamond market. Today standard mathematical algorithms are used to determine the best cut for any shape diamond.



Shape



The shape of diamond will fall into one of several standard categories but there are many variations on each standard categories. Basic categories include Round, Emerald, Pear, Heart, Marquise, Oval, and Princess cuts.



Round



The standard for the diamond shape and is used in most engagement rings.



Emerald



Rectangular or square step cut with diagonally cut corners. Usually has 2 to 4 rows of parallel facets to the center of the stone. A very popular style of cut used for Emeralds hence the name.



Pear



Pear or teardrop in shape and may or may not have a large flat surface in the center of the stone. This stone is usually cut to have about 56 to 58 facets.



Heart



Heart in shape and if a shield shaped cutlet is present (flat center) then it will usually have 32 crown facets. If no culet is present then 24 pavilion facets is the norm.



Marquise



Oval in shape with curving sides and pointed ends and was developed in France in the mid 1700s. May have been named after the Marquise de Pompador, who was a mistress of King Louis XV.



Oval



Oval in shape and covered with triangular facets.



Princess



Very popular square or modified rectangular shape. There are many variations of crown and pavilion facets cuts on the market.

David Cowley has created numerous articles on Diamonds. He has also created a Web Site dedicated to Diamonds. Visit http://www.diamonds-team.com