Round Brilliant Cut
The round brilliant cut diamond is the most popular and most expensive diamond shape available today
Princess Cut
The princess cut is generally a square cut (four sides of equal length) However, many princess cut diamonds are slightly rectangular. Its brilliance and unique cut makes it a favorite for engagement rings
Emerald Cut
The Emerald cut diamond is shaped with rectangular facets to create a unique optical appearance highlighting the clarity of a diamond
Pear Cut
The pear shape brilliant-cut diamond is also called a teardrop shape and is a popular choice for diamond jewelry. The diamond is always worn with the narrow end pointing toward fingers
Oval Cut
An oval diamond has an exquisite brilliance that is similar to a round diamond. Its elongated shape creates the illusion of larger size diamond
Marquise Cut
The "football" shape of a marquise diamond can maximize the carat weight of a larger-looking diamond. The name originates from the Marquise of Pompadour for whom King Louis XIV of France had a diamond designed to mirror the perfect shape of her mouth
The diamond is nature's most precious stone. Amongst all natural minerals the diamond is the hardest. The name DIAMOND comes from the Greek word ADAMAS meaning "the invincible" because it is the hardest material on earth. The diamond is recognized today as the birthstone for April. Diamond is also the gem that marks the 60th and 75th wedding anniversaries.
Diamonds are created deep within the earth, under huge pressure and high temperatures, from carbonic gases. The largest diamond mines are in Australia, South Africa, and Russia. The first diamonds were discovered in India and were the sole property of kings and royalties.
When the diamonds are mined the raw stone does not show all the extraordinary qualities of the gem. Only after the diamond is professionally cut and polished its true inner beauty is reflected and revealed. The cutting and polishing of a diamond is considered a delicate procedure requiring special skills, scientific knowledge, tools and experience.
Each diamond is unique. Diamonds come in a wide range of sizes, shapes, colors, and distinct internal characteristics. A diamond's value is determined using all of the Kane & Ashley: Clarity, Color, Cut and Carat.
A diamond's clarity indicates the presence or absence of inclusions and blemishes within the stone. Blemishes include scratches and nicks on the diamond's surface. Inclusions are commonly on the inside, and some might even break the surface of the stone. Gemologists determine a diamond's clarity by examining it under a magnifying lens.
There are eleven clarity grades in the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) clarity grading system. They range from "Flawless" which, as the name implies, is a perfect diamond to "Included" which is a diamond with minor imperfections. All Yvel diamonds are of the exceptional clarity grades of VVS2, VVS1, IF & FL.
The diamond carat weight is the measurement of how much a diamond weighs. A metric "carat" represents 200 milligrams. Each carat can be subdivided into 100 'points'.
The modern carat system started with the carob seed. In older days, gem traders used the carob seeds as weights on their balance scales. The carat is the same gram weight around the world. Some weights are considered "magic sizes" half carat, three-quarter carat, and carat.
Diamonds come in a rainbow of colors ranging from colorless to light yellow. Within that range, colorless diamonds are the rarest, which makes them the most valuable. They set the standard for grading and pricing other diamonds in the normal color range.
The GIA D-to-Z scale is the industry standard for color-grading diamonds. Each letter represents a range of color based on a diamond's tone and saturation.
DEF- colorless GHIJ- near colorless KLM- faint NOPQR- very light STUVWXYZ- light
A diamond's proportions, symmetry and polish determine how light reflects when it enters the diamond. The better the cut grade, the more it will sparkle.
A beautiful diamond looks the way it does because of three optical effects: white light reflections called brightness, flashes of color called fire, and areas of light and dark called scintillation. The term "cut" also describes a diamond's shape.
