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Before you select and buy a diamond, it is advisable to learn about this fascinating gemstone, so that you understand which features contribute to its lasting beauty and value. While each diamond is a unique, natural treasure, all diamonds share certain attributes that allow their comparison and evaluation. These features are commonly know as the 4Cs
Colour, Clarity, Cut and Carat Weight.
The cut of a diamond is defined by the number, exact shape and alignment of its facets; and therefore the cut also determines how well the diamond can perform. The performance is measured by the efficiency by which the diamond can reflect light back to the observer’s eye. Independent of its clarity and colour, a diamond with a good cut will be very lively and display brilliance and fire, whereas a lesser well-cut stone might appear dark and dull. Another advantage of well-cut diamonds is, that they appear larger than those of the same carat weight that have a less precise cut. The best return of light and brilliance is achieved when the cut of the diamond is neither too deep, nor to shallow.
An ideal cut diamond is a round brilliant cut or square princess cut diamond that is cut to very exact proportions within very tight size tolerances and features perfect symmetry, finish and polish. Due to the “perfect” cut, brilliance, fire and scintillation of the diamond are optimized making this diamond stand out by its beauty and lively sparkle. A special sub category of ideal cut diamonds are the Hearts and Arrow diamonds.
Hearts and Arrow cuts are round brilliant cut diamonds that are cut to very precise tolerances. When looking at these diamonds from the table down, one can see a radial aligned pattern of arrows, whereas one can see 8 hearts that are placed within small “V”-shapes when looking at the diamond from the pavilion up. Since these diamonds are cut to exacting standards, they reflect and refract light to the fullest extent possible and hence are the best performing diamonds in the market.
A diamond’s beauty is defined by how well it reflects and refracts light. There are three different properties present in a well-cut diamond, that define its performance: Brilliance, scintillation and dispersion.
Brilliance is essentially light that enters a diamond and that gets nearly entirely reflected.
When a light ray enters a diamond and gets broken into the spectrum colours, then the resulting phenomenon is called dispersion or “fire”.
Scintillation can be described as flashes of reflected light emanating from a diamond’s polished facets that are observed when either the diamond, or light source, or the onlooker is moving. Scintillation is often referred to as “sparkle”.
The colour of a white diamond is graded on a scale from D-Z; D representing the colourless side of the scale, whereas Z marks the end point of the light yellow colour range. The scale is subdivided into five main groups:
Diamonds in this colour range are the most rare and most thought-after on the colour scale. D and E colour diamonds are colourless whereas F colour diamonds display a very faint trace of colour when viewed by a gemologist face down. Diamonds in the colourless range benefit from being set in white gold or platinum, since the white metal colour promotes the whiteness of the diamond; whereas when set in yellow gold the diamond would look more yellow than it actually is.
Diamonds in this colour range look colourless when viewed from top, but display a minute amount of colour when inspected against a white background in the face down position. The colour is not noticeable for an untrained observer once the diamond is placed into its setting. In terms of value for money, near colourless diamonds represent a great value proposition.
Diamonds in this colour range might display a slight amount of colour, if the diamond is viewed in the face up position. In the face-down position a faint colour is visiblen even to the untrained onlooker. These diamonds are best set in yellow gold, since the colour of the gold reflected into the diamonds and the diamond’s own body colour are a good match. The predominant body colour of white diamonds is yellow, however some diamonds take on a brown colour hint, which is a result of structure related, internal graining in combination with trace elements of nitrogen.
Tanishq doesn’t promote diamonds in this colour range.
Natural diamonds are the result of carbon exposed to immense pressure and heat deep in the core of the earth. The formation process can result in a variety of internal characteristics called 'inclusions' and external characteristics called 'blemishes.' Inclusions and blemishes are referred to as ‘clarity characteristics’ and the evaluation of diamonds for clarity is standardized at 10 power magnification; meaning that the described clarity characteristics can only be observed when the diamond is view with a 10 x loupe or eye glass.
While most diamonds are not perfectly pure, the closer they come, the higher is their value. Clarity is an important value factor for a diamond, because the size, number and location of clarity characteristics impact the durability of the diamond. Even though a diamond is the hardest material on earth, it is not unbreakable. If for instance a surface-reaching feather is present in a diamond, a hard knock might cleave the diamond.
- Flawless (FL)
No inclusions and no blemishes visible under 10x magnification
- Internally Flawless (IF)
No inclusions visible under 10x magnification
- Very, Very Slightly Included (VVS1 and VVS2)
Inclusions so slight they are difficult for a skilled grader to see under 10x magnification
- Very Slightly Included (VS1 and VS2)
Inclusions are observed with effort under 10x magnification, but can be characterized as minor
- Slightly Included (SI1 and SI2)
Inclusions are noticeable under 10x magnification
- Included (I1, I2, and I3)
Inclusions are obvious under 10x magnification, which may affect transparency and brilliance
To make sure that no clarity characteristics are “eye-visible” it is advisable to select a diamond in the VS2 clarity range or higher.
Diamonds in the SI clarity range represent a great value, if the inclusion or the clarity characteristic that is present in the diamond is in an area that is covered by the setting. It is advisable to balance your preferred clarity range with a suitable colour range. Commonly diamonds in the VS2 or higher clarity range are paired with D-F colour range diamonds, whereas SI clarity diamonds create a good value proposition when combined with a G-I colour range stone.
Most blemishes and inclusions are too small to be noticed by anyone other than a trained diamond expert. To the un-aided eye (without an eye glass), a VS and an SI diamond may look the same, but actually these diamonds are vastly different in terms of overall quality and associated value. For this reason a precise assessment of a diamond's clarity by an expert diamond grader is very important.
However, diamonds come also in other colours than white, these so called fancy colour diamonds are very rare. The colour of a yellow diamond is caused by trace elements of nitrogen that were present in the atmosphere when the diamond was formed. Other fancy colour diamonds include green, pink, red, green and blue.
When comparing diamond colours; as a general rule, it is recommended to look at two diamonds that are at least two colour grades apart, so that it is even possible to discern a colour difference. Also, when looking at diamonds in the face up position, it is very difficult to make out any colour difference and the colour is best noticeable from the side view.
Carat (with a “C”) is a measure of the weight for precious stones. One carat equals 0.20 grams. In early days of trading gemstones the dried seeds of the Carob tree were used as a standard measure of weight for diamonds and gemstones and the origin of the word “carat” can be traced back to “carob”.
In the process of cutting rough diamonds, up to 2/3 of the weight gets lost to achieve the desired shape and cut of the finished polished diamond. Considering the cutting losses and the fact that large pieces of rough in high quality are unearthed much less often than small rough diamonds, it becomes evident why for instance one 2 carat diamond costs a lot more than two 1 carat diamonds of the same quality.
When relating to the size of round diamonds, the dimension measured to establish a size to weight ratio is the diameter of the diamond. For instance, the size of a reasonably well proportioned 1 carat diamond is approximately 6.5mm. However, this doesn’t mean that a 2 carat diamond measures 13mm, (but only 8.2mm in actuality) because much of the diamond weight is attributed to the depth of the diamond.
The choice of your diamond will be guided not only by considerations of the size, but also of the available budget. When a “bigger look” is preferred, then maybe a different diamond shape than round will provide a better size to weight ratio. For instance, marquise cut diamonds have a shallow pavilion and since less of the diamond weight is attributes to the depth of the stone, a one carat marquise cut diamond looks larger than a one carat round brilliant cut diamond. Naturally, other quality considerations, such as the colour and clarity of the diamond will also guide your selection and although the carat weight is an important influencing factor for the price, it is not the only one.
Diamonds are cut into many different shapes after evaluating the available rough diamond carefully with a view to maximize its yield. Each of the shapes has its very own appeal and character. Generally speaking, the shape describes the outline contour of the diamond, such as round, oval, rectangle, square, etc. Then the specific cut defines the shape further. There are three different cut categories for diamond cuts:
Brilliant cut diamonds have 58 facets, 33 on top and 24 at the bottom and the culet. In this cut, all 58 facets appear to radiate from the center through the top of the diamond. This is the most common diamond cut.
The round brilliant cut diamond is the most popular diamond shape, but there are also modified brilliant cuts, such as oval and pear brilliant cut diamonds, that are appreciated for their lesser common shapes.
Stones with outlines that are either square or rectangular and whose facets are rectilinear and arranged parallel to the girdle, are known as step- or trap-cut stones. These stones often have their corners truncated, creating an emerald cut with an octagonal outline. This corner-cutting is done, because sharp corners are points of weakness where a diamond may cleave or fracture. Instead of a culet, step-cut stones have a keel running the length of the pavilion terminus. A step cut resembles stair steps due to the three concentric rows of facets arranged around the table, culet and pavilion.
Typical representatives are the emerald cut, the baguette cut and the Asscher cut.
Mixed cut diamonds combine the facet arrangements of the step cut and brilliant cut. For instance, the crown of the diamond is cut as a brilliant cut and the pavilion as the step cut.
Typical examples for step cuts are the princess cut and the radiant cut.
Asscher Cut Diamonds
The Asscher cut, a variant of the square emerald cut, is a typical representative of a step cut diamond. The basic facet arrangement follows that of an emerald cut diamond, but the Asscher cut has a square shape with cut corners. At the first sight an Asscher cut appears to be octagonal in shape. Since inclusions and blemishes are very visible and noticeable in this cut, it is recommended to select an Asscher cut diamond with a high clarity grade.
Cushion Cut Diamonds
The Cushion Cut Diamond is a classic cut that has a vintage appeal. Technically speaking, it is a cut combination between an old mine cut, and a modern oval-cut diamond. A typical cushion cut features 58 facets. Its outline can be described as a square-ish oval pillow shape.
Emerald-Cut Diamonds
The emerald cut is a cut known to bring out the best in a diamond, when the execution of the cut is precise. This cut is often selected for diamonds with a high clarity grade, since even small blemishes would be quite visible in the large “window” facets of the emerald cut, therefore it is no wonder that emerald cuts are associated with high-quality diamonds. While the cut is lesser brilliant than cuts with triangle and kite-shaped facets, it wins by the sheer elegance of the facet alignment and precise proportions of its symmetry. The emerald cut originated by being applied to emeralds first. Later when it was discovered what stunning effect the same cut can achieve in a diamond, it became a classic cut shape for diamonds as well.
Heart Shaped Diamonds
The heart shape cut features amazing brilliance and is characterized by a cleft at the top. The heart shape underlines a romantic connotation and hence makes it a popular cut for an engagement ring diamond, embodying the symbol of lifelong commitment. Symmetry is an essential attribute for a heart shape cut diamond, because only if the two halves of the diamond are identical in size and facet distribution will the diamond look attractive. It is desirable to make the split between the two lobes obvious and pronounced. The wings should have a round shape and the tip should be vertically aligned to the split at the top. Diamonds cut in the heart shape of less than .50 carat don’t present a good size-carat weight ratio; they appear small, particularly when set in prong settings.
Marquise Diamonds
The marquise cut diamond, also called “navette cut” (French) is a boat-shaped, classic diamond cut. It uses a similar facet arrangement as featured in the round brilliant cut diamond, but one axis is elongated and forms the distinctive “boat shape”. Overall the cut is very suitable for maximizing the carat weight yield of a rough diamond. The marquise cut is shallow as well as big looking for it’s weight. Due to it’s elongated shape, lower colour and clarity grades are more noticeable than they are in a traditional round brilliant cut diamond.
Oval Diamonds
The oval cut is very similar to the round brilliant cut, but features one elongated axis. The oval shape creates the optical illusion of stretching the finger joint and serves to make fingers and the hand look longer and more elegant. The oval cut is an ideal choice for diamond buyers, who want a diamond with a lot of brilliance, but a more unusual shape than a traditional round brilliant cut diamond.
Pear Shape Diamonds
The pear cut is a combination between the round brilliant cut and the marquise cut and also belongs into the family of brilliant cut diamonds. This traditional cut is less defined in proportion that other brilliant cuts and it is available in many shape variations ranging from skinny, stretched elongated drop shapes to short and rounded teardrop shapes. Depending on the facet size and symmetry angles, a pear shape diamond might display a bow tie pattern, which is a darker area within the diamond viewed from the top. Bow ties often occur in shallow cut pear shape diamonds and are the result of finding a balance between carat weight and perceived size. Pear shape cut diamonds are very elegant and are a good match for a buyer with a taste for uniqueness and personal style that favors the uncommon.
Princess Cut Diamonds
Princess cut diamonds are favored for their square shape that lends them their timeless elegance. Their square (or sometimes rectangular) shape makes them stand out from the many round and soft-cornered cuts and the remarkable brilliance that the facet arrangement produces is unmatched by any other square cut. When selecting a princess cut diamond it is important to keep the setting style in mind; which should be designed such that all four (sharp corners) are covered with metal or prongs. This protects the diamond from accidental cleavage through impact, but also avoids injuries to the wearer, as a princess cut diamonds corner is very sharp. Generally speaking, the princess cut is a very forgiving cut, which doesn’t make slight clarity characteristics or a lower colour grade very obvious. For this reason a princess cut is a good option for a buyer who would like to maximize carat weight (size) and who is willing to accept a lower clarity grade or colour to stay within the given budget.
Radiant Cut Diamonds
The radiant cut combines the advantages of high brilliance and the fine elegance of a square or rectangular shape. The radiant cut is one of the best-known mixed cuts and has grown in popularity in recent years. A radiant cut is a good choice for a buyer who wants a rectangular diamond shape, but prefers more brilliance than for instance an emerald cut can provide.
Before you select and buy a diamond, it is advisable to learn about this fascinating gemstone, so that you understand which features contribute to its lasting beauty and value. While each diamond is a unique, natural treasure, all diamonds share certain attributes that allow their comparison and evaluation. These features are commonly know as the 4Cs.
Cut – The cut of a diamond is defined by it’s proportions, it’s symmetry and it’s polish. The expertise with which these steps of the cutting process have been executed determine the performance of the cut diamond. A polished diamond’s beauty is shaped by it’s complex relationship with light. The amazing display you see when looking at a diamond is a combination of three attributes:
Clarity - Describes how clear, or pure a diamond is. A clarity grading scale starting with "F" representing a flawless diamond to "I" defining a diamond that has inclusions, represents the number, location and size of clarity characteristics. The majority of jewellery quality diamonds fall into the grades between “F” and “I.” Some diamond buyers will select a diamond that is included, as long as these clarity characteristics are not visible to the naked eye.
Colour – Diamonds are graded in a colour scale from white to yellow, that ranges from the most treasured “Colourless” (D-E-F colour) to “near Colourless” (G-H-I-J colour) to “faint yellow” (K-L-M colour) to “very light yellow” (N and above). Most diamond buyers who select a white gold or platinum setting prefer a colourless diamond, so that no yellow reflection of the stone is diminishing the white look of the metal; whereas customers, who prefer a yellow gold look don’t mind a faint yellow diamond, that is matched with the yellow hue of it’s setting.
Carat - Carat is a measure of weight and is equivalent to 0.20 grams. The higher the diamond weight, the more the buyer has to invest. However, there are other "C's" that determine the final price of a diamond to a large extent.
While the shape of a diamond is not a part of the four “Cs”, it is indirectly attributed to the cut. The shape of diamond plays an important role in the selection of any diamond, as it determines the style and appeal of the jewellery piece it is set in. Diamonds from Tanishq are available in a wide range of shapes, including: round, princess, emerald, square, oval, radiant, pear, heart, marquise and cushion shaped.
It is quite important to understand the anatomy of a diamond – or how a diamond is build. Since the proportions of the facets and their alignment in perfect symmetry are responsible for the desired effects of brightness, fire and scintillation, it is important to know, what attributes to look for in the selection of a diamond. The evaluation of the anatomy of the diamond is essentially examining all aspects of the execution of its cut.
A diamond’s structure is composed of eleven main elements: Crown, table, girdle, pavilion, culet, star facets, bezel facets, upper girdle facets, lower pavilion facets, pavilion facets:
Crown:The crown is the upper portion of a diamond extending from the table to the girdle. The crown is composed of the table, the star facets, the bezel facets and the upper girdle facets.
Table:The table is the main and largest polished facet located on the top of the diamond.
Star Facets:The star facets are those facets that are surrounding the table. Two of their sides are aligned with the bezel facets.
Bezel Facets:The bezel facets are those four-cornered facets that form the band of facets between the star facets and the upper girdle facets.
Upper Girdle Facets:The upper girdle facets are those triangular facets that are framed by the girdle and the bezel facets.
Girdle:The girdle is the mid point (circumference) of the diamond where the crown and pavilion meet.
Pavilion:The pavilion is the bottom portion of a diamond that extends from the girdle down to the culet.
Lower Girdle Facets:The lower girdle facets are those facets that are framed by the girdle at the top and the pavilion facets to the sides.
Pavillion Facets:The pavilion facets are those facets that shape the “tip” of a diamond. They all originate from one point (or facet) which is the culet.
Culet:The small or pointed facet at the very bottom of the diamond.
The term “ideal cut” is not undisputed; as many diamond cutters don’t agree which performance factors constitute the most desirable cut result. While some diamonds are cut to maximize fire (dispersion/ the effect of visible rainbow colours within the diamond), other cutters prefer to optimize scintillation, which gives a diamond its life and sparkle.
An Ideal Cut diamond is a diamond that is cut to perfect proportions. Its angles and symmetry are ideal and the facets feature and excellent finish and polish.
A True Hearts Diamond is a round brilliant cut, or a square princess cut diamond that shows an almost flawless “Hearts and Arrows Pattern” of perfect optical symmetry. The result of this precise cut is a maximized performance of fire, brilliance and scintillation.
In the evaluation of diamonds, rarity equals value. With diamonds in the regular range, value is based on the absence of colour, because colourless diamonds are the most valued. Fancy colour diamonds are those diamonds that are outside the normal colour range. These represent the most rare and most valuable diamonds. Fancy colour diamonds are found in a number of colours ranging from pink, red, yellow and blues to greens. In the value evaluation of fancy colour diamonds, even very slight colour differences can have a big impact on the price that they can command.
Compared to fancy yellows and browns, diamonds that feature a noticeable hint of any other hue are considerably more rare. Even in light tones and weak saturation, as long as they show colour in the face-up position, they qualify as fancy colours. Green, red, and blue diamonds with medium to dark tones and moderate saturation are very rare.
Grading fancy colour diamonds is complex and specialized. It takes highly trained laboratory expert to finalize the process precisely.
The fancy colour grading system is designed to account for the fact that not all coloured diamonds have the same depth of colour. For example, yellow diamonds occur in a wide range of saturations, while blue diamonds do not.
Diamonds with red or reddish colours are immensely rare and command a high price. Pure pink diamonds are more popular than diamonds that are purplish, orangy, brownish, or grayish. Diamond marketing experts advertise some very attractive diamonds in this category as “rose-coloured,” and some stones with purplish tints as “mauve” diamonds.
Blue diamonds are very rare. They mostly have a slight hint of gray, so they’re rarely as highly saturated as blue sapphires. Their colour is caused by the presence of boron impurities. The higher the concentration of boron, the deeper the blue colour will be.
Fancy green diamonds are mostly light in tone and low in saturation. Their colour often appears sedate, with a grayish or brownish overcast. The hue is often in the yellowish green category. In most green diamonds, the hue is limited to the surface area and hardly ever reaches through the entire diamond. That is the reason why cutters try to leave as much of the natural rough around the girdle as possible as this allows more colour to appear in the diamond.
Green diamonds receive their colour when radiation removes carbon atoms from their regular positions in the crystal structure. Radiation can occur naturally when diamond deposits are near radioactive rocks, or induced as a result of man-made irradiation treatment.
Naturally coloured green diamonds are extremely rare. Since they are so rare and it is very likely that their colour has been caused by artificial irradiation, green diamonds are always regarded with great suspicion and examined extra carefully in gemological laboratories. Despite all efforts and available evaluation technology, modern gemological testing cannot always determine colour origin in green diamonds for certain.
Brown is the most common fancy diamond colour and also the earliest to be used in jewellery. Second-century Romans set brown diamonds in rings. In modern times, however, they took some time to become popular. Brown diamonds were typically considered only suitable for industrial use, until the 1980s, when abundant quantities of them began to appear in the production of Australian mines. The Australians made them fashionable and set them into jewellery. Promoted by diamond marketeers, who gave them names like “cognac” and “champagne”, they became a great success with diamond jewellery buyers. Today, brown diamonds are found in many medium-priced jewellery designs. Brown diamonds range in tone from very light to very dark. Diamond buyers prefer brown diamonds in medium to dark tones with a warm, golden to reddish appearance, as these present a nice colour combination with yellow gold. Most brown diamonds often show a hint of greenish, yellowish, orangy, or reddish modifying colours.
Diamonds in yellow colour are the most common fancy colour. They are sometimes marketed as “canary.” This is however not a proper grading term, but it is commonly used in the trade to describe fancy yellow diamonds.
An engagement ring represents the style and taste of its wearer. While the selected diamond shape and size provides important attributes for the ring design, it is the setting type that defines the look and feel of the ring even further.
The following design considerations are meant as style guidelines when choosing an engagement ring design:
Following these initial ring-shape defining consideration, you can now select a setting style that meets your lifestyle and personality.
Prongs represent the most classic setting technique. This setting allows the diamond to take the center stage and only four to six small claws are holding the diamond in place. The setting is constructed to minimize the appearance of gold (or platinum). Since less of the diamond is covered with metal, more light is able to pass through the diamond, which supports its brilliance and sparkle.
Bezel settings are cherished for their outstanding durability and their pure simplicity. A bezel setting encases the diamond in a rim of metal (gold or platinum). Since the finishing edge of the setting is completed with a “bright cut” (which is an angled, high-polished area along the edge that is cut with a graver), the set diamond will appear larger. Bezel settings can accommodate all diamond shapes and cuts and they provide the highest impact protection of any setting type.
A half bezel setting is, as the word indicates, a partial bezel setting. It is, just like the full bezel setting, a very secure setting type, but allows more light to access the diamond. Usually the bezel walls will be placed towards the location where most impact is anticipated. The look of a half bezel setting is very contemporary and is also a popular setting type for gents rings.
A tension setting is a modern setting type that developed from the availability of more sophisticated gold and platinum alloys, which feature greater hardness and springiness. These gold alloys were launched into the market in the late 1970s and provide the opportunity to design new setting types that can hold a diamond by a great amount of tension that is created within the ring. In the application of tension settings for rings, a small grove is cut into the right and left side of a split ring shank and the girdle (the outside edge that marks the circumference of the diamond) of the diamond is “snapped” into these groves. Tension setting rings are typically wider than regular prong ring designs and they less frequently feature accent diamonds.
Channel settings are applied to designs when there is a need for accent diamonds that are “well protected”. The basic concept of the channel setting is based on creating a row of diamonds. The diamonds are placed as close together as the girdles of the diamonds allow, subsequently this diamond row is secured by two walls, or channels, that protect the diamonds from two sides. Channel settings are particularly suitable for women with active lifestyles and those who work with their hands a lot.
As implied in the name, the bar setting is characterized by two metal bars (or one bar and one prong) that hold the diamond. The bar setting is a contemporary look that appeals to the modern woman. Since the bars are covering the diamond with less metal than for instance a bezel setting, more light can reach the diamond, which in turn supports its brilliance and sparkle.
Pave settings are used to set small diamonds close to each other to create the impression of a “paved” area. Pave settings are frequently used around solitaire rings to frame the center diamond.
Despite the fact that diamonds look so pristine and impenetrable, they have an uncanny affinity to grease. This property of diamonds is even used during diamond mining, when ore that contains diamond will stick to a grease belt while plain ore, that doesn’t have a grease attachment is filtered out. What this property of diamonds means to the wearer of diamond jewellery is, that diamonds will attract grease over time. This grease, combined with dust and other pollutants in the air settles around and under the diamond and diminishes it shine and sparkle. To keep your diamond jewellery as beautiful and brilliant as it was on the day you bought it, it is recommended that you clean your diamond jewellery regularly. For the cleaning treatment you can prepare a small bowl of warm water with a dash of dishwashing liquid and submerse your diamond jewellery for some minutes. If you notice some dirt accumulation that is not dissolving in the warm water on its own, you can use a small brush with soft bristles and remove the residue with a few gentle strokes. After the soap bath is completed, rinse your jewellery under running water to remove the soap film completely; then dry your diamond jewellery with a soft cloth.
Another cleaning process that is very effective is the use of small ultrasonic cleaning units that are available for cleaning eyewear and dentures. These small home-use units are either operated by electric current, or by batteries and they produce high frequency vibrations in a water bath or cleaning solution. The agitation caused by the vibration helps to dissolve grease and dirt quickly and is a very efficient way to clean diamond jewellery.
If you notice that fibers or strings got caught between the diamonds and the prongs holding them, please bring this diamond jewellery piece to your Tanishq store so that our experienced staff can confirm that the diamond is still securely set and that there is no risk of the diamond coming loose or getting lost.
During the storage of diamond jewellery it is advisable to keep it away from other jewellery pieces. Not only can the exposed facets of your diamond jewellery scratch the metal surfaces of neighboring jewellery pieces, also other softer jewellery materials, such as gemstones and pearls, can get scratched by diamonds. Even when storing diamond jewellery pieces together and apart from other jewellery, it is important to avoid that two diamond pieces touch each other. While diamonds are very hard, they can scratch each other.
Gold is a rare precious metal, with a remarkable combination of chemical and physical properties. The name gold derives from the Old English word for yellow, 'Geolu' and gold is the only yellow metal. Pure gold does not oxidize under normal conditions, meaning that it will not corrode or tarnish. Gold's special physical properties of high electrical conductivity and chemical inertness make it an excellent and reliable conductor, particularly in harsh environments with extreme temperature ranges. Gold finds uses in many technical applications, in the manufacturing of PCB boards and in electrical circuits. It is amazingly malleable and therefore lends itself especially for jewellery making.
The purity of gold is measured in karats. The term “Karat” is different from the unit of measure “Carat”, which is used to measure gemstone weights. The purity of gold in karat terms determines its value. “Karat” is derived from the word “Carob” and stems from ancient trading times, when the seeds of the Carob tree were used as a reference weight to measure the weight of precious metals. Pure gold is very soft and malleable and therefore needs to get alloyed with other metals to achieve the strength and hardness that is required to create useable objects. The mixing of gold with other metals also changes it’s colour. 24 karat is 100 % pure gold, and is more expensive and less durable than gold that is alloyed with other metals.
24 Karat - 24K Gold with 100% purity
22 Karat - 22K Gold with 91.6% purity
18 Karat - 18K Gold with 75% purity
14 Karat - 14K Gold with 58.33% purity
24 karat gold is soft pure gold without any alloys and features a deep yellow colour with a rich luster. Gold of lesser karats (22K-14K) are all alloyed with a combination of silver, copper, nickel and zinc. These alloying elements add strength, but they can also impact the depth of the colour. Any gold alloy combination below 14 Karat will render a dull and pale colour. For beauty, durability, and wearability 14K and 18K gold are highly recommended.
In its pure form, gold has a high metallic yellow luster, but when alloyed with other metals, such as silver, copper, zinc, nickel, platinum, palladium, etc. it displays various colour shades like white, pink/ rose and green.
Yellow gold is the most frequently used gold colour and is considered timeless colour. It is usually alloyed with silver and copper. Depending on the karat gold (14K, 18K or 22K), the color of yellow gold may vary from a softer shiny yellow to a bright rich yellow luster. This is due to the varying alloy combinations. Yellow gold is the ideal gold colour for setting warm coloured gemstones. For instance when setting emeralds it is recommended to set the gemstone into a yellow gold setting, as the warm colour of the gold will make the emerald appear deeper green and more precious.
White gold is harder than yellow gold and features a bright band shiny luster. It is often alloyed with a high percentage of silver, or a mixture of other white precious metals, such as palladium. Some white gold alloys are created by the use of nickel. This metal is known to cause allergies, which manifest themselves in the form of skin rashes and itchy skin. Tanishq uses nickel-safe white gold alloys that meet international consumer protection standards. White gold is never fully white and to improve the whiteness it is electroplated with rhodium. Rhodium is a platinum group metal which features an exceptional whiteness and hardness. Rhodium plating therefore not only makes the jewellery piece look more white, bbut it also provides the surface with a layer of increased hardness, which in turn provides a higher degree of scratch-resistance.
Pink gold or rose gold does not exist in nature. Instead it is created by mixing the yellow gold content with copper, silver and zinc. The higher the copper concentration in the alloy is, the deeper will be the rose colour of the resulting gold. Rose gold is available in a number of purities. The higher the concentration of the non-gold components of the alloys are, the paler is the resulting rose gold colour. The colour of rose gold ranges from a deep, almost copper-red colour, to a light radiant blush pink depending; on the recipe of the specific gold alloy. Pink gold alloys are very fashionable and are the preferred gold colour for fancy colour pink diamonds as well as pink sapphires and tourmalines. The surrounding pink gold colour in a setting bounces its colour reflection onto the gemstone and makes it appear more deeply saturated and hence more valuable.
Green gold is a popular gold colour in the US and supports fair skin tones very well. It is not particularly popular in Asia, because the cultural preferences there are more geared towards deeply saturated gold tones. Green gold is an excellent base alloy for fired enamels, because it consists only of precious metals and hence doesn’t tarnish under the high firing temperatures required for the creation of fine enamel surfaces.. For the creation of green gold, pure gold is alloyed with silver to achieve a green gold colour. Green gold is often used as a contrast colour in multi-colour jewellery designs and adds a spot of a different and unusual colour to an otherwise rather traditional appearance.
Platinum is an extremely rare precious metal that is even more rare than gold. It is usually more expensive than gold, but on various occasions in recent history, ruled by the laws of supply and demand, it has been traded lower than gold. Platinum is found in only a few locations around the world, mainly in, South Africa's Merensky Reef, Russia's Ural Mountains and a few small mines in the US and Canada.
Platinum is a strong, dense metal, with a high specific gravity. It is nearly double as heavy as 14 karat gold and features some very unique attributes that make it a very desirable jewellery metal. Due to its softness paired with great strength, platinum doesn’t wear away which means that the original weight that a jewellery piece has at the time of purchase will remain the same, even after decades of intensive wear. This is also the reason why large diamonds are frequently set in platinum, as the prongs will remain strong and the exceptional whiteness of platinum makes the diamond appear more white and hence more valuable. Platinum is incredibly strong, for instance a wire of the thickness of a hair can bear the weight of 1 kg. Platinum is used in jewellry, laboratory equipment, electrical contacts, dentistry, and automobile emissions control devices. The highest amount of the available platinum production is used by the automobile industry followed my the medical sector. Platinum for the use of jewellery only consumes about 5% of the annual platinum production.
The annual worldwide production of platinum amounts to about 160 tons, compared to about 1500 tons of gold. The mining and refining processes are complex and labour intensive. In order to refine one single ounce of platinum from mined ore, about 10 tons of ore need to get processed for ore extraction. The refining process from rock to final platinum ingot involves many mechanical and chemical steps- some of which have to be repeated up to five times until the desired purity is reached. Since platinum is usually found together with platinum group metals (ruthenium, rhodium, osmium, iridium and palladium) which all have very similar properties, the separation of the individual metals is very time consuming. The complete platinum refining cycle takes five months.
Platinum, is the purest of all the precious metals used for the fabrication of premium jewellery and is commonly alloyed into a purity of 95%. Platinum has an very bright and white luster, particularly when alloyed with ruthenium. Platinum is harder than gold with a hardness of 4-4.5 on the Mohs hardness scale, equivalent to the hardness of iron, whereas gold has a hardness of 2.5 on the Moh’s scale.
The purity of platinum is not expressed in Karats, but in parts of thousands. Pure platinum is 1000 of 1000 parts pure, whereas the most common alloy used in India is 950/1000 parts pure. Expressed in percentage, this equals a purity of 95%. While some countries permit platinum alloys of as low as 585/1000 parts, the Indian quality standard is set at a minimum of 950 parts.
Platinum is hypoallergenic and fully tarnish-resistant. Platinum jewellery maintains its colour (no plating required), brilliance and weight, even after long and intensive years of wear and is the nearly fully maintenance free, particularly compared to gold and silver, which are both precious metals that need to get re-polished in regular intervals to maintain their shine and luster.
Platinum is known for centuries, but in the current high purity form it is a recent precious metal, since the technology of melting and refining platinum to today’s high purity standards is less than 200 years old. The metal has gained increasing popularity because of its amazing strength and appeal. However it has remained an exclusive jewellery material, because its high density, combined with its high purity commands a much higher price, than for instance 18 Karat white gold. Platinum will cost approximately double the amount of an identical design made in 18 Karat white gold.
Gemstones are the jewellery designer’s way to add colour and allure to a jewellery creation. Historically, gemstones have been used for thousands of years since their colours, hardness, shine and rarity made them appealing to their owners. Oftentimes gemstones, across cultures, are attributed with special powers. This thought is found in the concept of Navratna, where each of the nine stones represents a planet. The Navaratnas are the sacred nine gemstones as per Vedic texts and Indian Astrology that have a profound impact on human life. These Navratnas are linked to the nine planets and are also referred to as the Navagrahasj. In the Western world each zodiac sign is linked with a “Birthstone”. Traditionally there are three Precious Gemstones, namely Emerald, Ruby and Sapphire. However there are hundreds of other gemstones, previously known as “semi-precious” that are now called "Fine Gemstones”; acknowledging the fact that some rare fine gemstones, such as aquamarine or tourmalines can command a much higher per carat price than an average precious stone. Tanishq offers a wide selection of precious and fine gemstones that are sourced by our expert gemologists for our unique jewellery design creations.
A coloured gemstone is the naturally occurring crystalline form of a mineral. Depending on the gemstones’ crystalline structure, it can be transparent, translucent or opaque. To bring out the best of the gemstone’s colour, there are a multitude of different cut types:
Ranging from the best-known faceted cut type, to the buff-top cabochon to special mixed cuts, where to top of the stone is a cabochon and the bottom is faceted; there are many variations to these most prevalent cut types. There are also gemstone beads in many shapes and styles available, as well as flat cut gemstone slices, as well full three-dimensional objects.
The function of the cut is to display the gem’s inherent beauty to the greatest extent possible. Since this involves aesthetic preferences on which there is little consensus, such as shape and faceting styles, the cut is the most subjective of the quality attribute analysis
A good faceted cut enhances and reflects light evenly. The faceted cut is designed to create maximum brilliance and scintillation in the most symmetrically pleasing way. Faceted gems feature two parts, crown and pavilion. The crown’s job is to catch light and create scintillation, while the pavilion is responsible for both brilliance and scintillation. If a gem is cut too shallow, light will pass straight through the gem, rather than returning the light to the eye as brilliance. This is termed a “window”. In well-cut gems, most light returns as brilliance. Brilliant areas are those showing bright reflections. Extinction is used to describe dark areas where little or no light returns to the eye. The proportions of the cut are often dictated by the shape of the rough stone material. Many times gemstones are cut to optimize the yield rather than keeping the beauty of the individual stone in mind. There are no fixed rules for cutting coloured gemstones, and often the cutter makes a decision based on the location or size of an inclusions in the gemstone. The objective is to minimize undesirable effects and maximize colour and brilliance.
In natural gemstones, clarity describes the amount of clarity characteristic that are present in a stone. These clarity characteristics are divided into two types, inclusions; which are found inside of the gemstone and blemishes, which are present on the outside. Flawless coloured gemstones are more rare than flawless diamonds. Nevertheless, even though clarity is important in coloured stones, it does have the same effect on value compared with colourless diamonds. A valuable emerald will feature many inclusions, because the natural process of emerald formation is fierce, resulting in abundant natural flaws in even the most valuable emeralds. Also, lighter coloured stones need to be cleaner, because their flaws can be detected more easily. Darker coloured stones can hide their defects, because of their depth of colour. The location, the type, the size and number of inclusions or blemishes are important when evaluating the clarity of coloured stones. Inclusions may also be used to identify the origin of a stone.
For the evaluation of clarity, coloured gemstone are divided into three classification categories; reflecting differences in the geological conditions under which they are formed and how those conditions affect the physical appearance of the gemstone. For the purpose of grading GIA distinguishes the following three clarity categories: Type I, Type II and Type III.
Type I – Gemstones form under geological conditions in which inclusions are not very noticeable and such gemstone are often "eye-clean."
Type II – Gemstones form under geological conditions that are more severe, resulting in the presence of inclusions that are typically more noticeable. Sapphires fall into the Type II gemstone category.
Type III – Gemstones form under the most violent geological conditions, resulting in gemstones that typically show inclusions, visible to the unaided eye, and are rarely "eye-clean."
Gemstones are polished to give a shiny finish to the facets, or to the surface area of cabochons, beads, and carved gemstone objects. The finer a gemstone surface is polished, the better it will allow light to refract through the stone and reflect off the surface. A gemstone’s polish is largely contributing to its sparkle.
Emeralds are among the most precious of natural gemstones, along with rubies, and sapphires. Emerald is a sub-type of the mineral family beryl. Trace elements of chromium and occasionally vanadium are responsible for the green colour. Depending on the concentration of these trace elements, emeralds can appear light green to a very deep, dark green. Of all green gemstones emeralds are the best known and most popular, followed by Jade which holds a special value in China and Korea. Very light shades of green beryl are simply called Green Beryl, if they bear a yellow or orange hue they are called Heliodor. Pink or salmon colour beryls are known as Morganites. The most rare type of beryl is the red variety called Bixbite; it is among the top ten more rare gem varieties in the world. Another famous representative of the beryl family is the aquamarine, where iron is the trace element that is responsible for providing the gemstone with its blue colour.
Considered to be the most defining characteristic of a coloured gemstone, the colour is the most prominent value attribute. The colour of an emerald is the most important factor as far as pricing emeralds is concerned. The value attributes of the colour are broken down into three components: hue, saturation and tone. An ideal emerald will have a good balance of all three colour components. The most prized emeralds are very transparent, feature even colour distribution and display no eye visible colour zoning.
Emeralds frequently feature numerous inclusions and surface breaking fissures. The clarity of emeralds is graded by eye, and not with 10 x magnification as common in the clarity grading of diamonds. Therefore, if an emerald has no visible inclusions or blemishes that are visible to the eye, it is graded as flawless. Emeralds without surface breaking fissures are immensely rare. If the feasures of an emerald are filled with colourless oil, the clarity of the emerald and connected to it, the transparency are improved. While treatments of colourless oil represent an industry standard, treatents with green oil are considered deceptive since the oiling is not only improving the clarity, but influences the colour as well. Emerald treatments with oil are considered enhancements and need to be disclosed to the customer. The most expensive emeralds are eye-clean stones of an intense primary green hue with no more than 15% of any secondary hue.
Blue sapphire is valued as a primary colour gemstone. The purity of the primary hue, determines the valuable of the gemstone. Trace elements of titanium and iron give blue sapphires their colour; with increasing concentration of titanium and iron the colour saturation is improved. Violet, green and purple are the most common secondary hues in blue sapphires. Violet and purple hues can add to the overall beauty of the colour. Green however is considered to be the dismay of a blue sapphire. While almost all blue sapphires have a greenish component when viewed at a certain angle, it is the talent of the gemstone cutter that ensures that the green is not part of the face up position in a sapphire. Sometimes gray is included in the overall colour of blue sapphires, giving the sapphire a cold and steely appearance, compared to the regular warm hue of a sapphire.
Eye-clean blue sapphires are rare, particularly in larger sizes. Therefore, blue sapphires with a small amount of internal inclusions are still very valuable, provided the inclusions do not diminish the brilliance, blurr the colour, or impact the gemstone’s transparency. Blue sapphires in carat weights larger than 1ct are normally not cut to calibrated sizes or into standard shapes, but each gemstone is evaluated and cut such that the colour and final carat weight is optimized. When cutting blue sapphires, the cut can affect the colour in amazing ways. Sapphires have a dichroic nature, which menas that their colour appears different depending on the angle from which the sapphire is seen. In one direction many blue sapphires appear blue to violet-blue, whereas inspected from another direction the appearance is somewhat greenish blue-ish. If the gemstone cutter is selecting the orientation of the stone such that the violet-blue colour is seen through the sapphires crown, the gemstone will look more appealing and is more valuable.
Some rare and prized blue sapphires display a star effect. The phenomenon is called Asterism and describes gemstones exhibiting a luminous star-like shape when cut in cabochon shape. A typical asteria is the star-sapphire, mostly a bluish-grey corundum, milky and opalescent, displaying a star of six rays. This effect s caused by so called silk inclusions. The inclusions must be long, and are thin and needle-like. The star effect is caused when the light is concentrate into 3 rays that intersect at right angles to the direction of the needles. therefore we get a six-rayed star. Small needles of rutile are oriented inside the minerals in the direction of the crystal growth system. There is relationship between the gem's growth and the number of rays produced by the reflected light. Not all silk inclusions cause a star effect though, but they are considered acceptable, as long as they are not so abundant that they adversely affect the brilliance or colour. May gemstones connoisseurs appreciate the presence of intact rutile silk, as it is an indicator for an untreated sapphire. Most sapphires are heat treated to increase the depths of colour and transparency. In the process of heating the gemstone the rutile silk is removed. The most important characteristic of sapphires is its excellent hardness. Moh's scale shows the hardness grade 9. The hardness of sapphire placed with ruby just after the diamond. Sapphires are easy to care and handle because of their great durability. Heat treatment is an industry wide accepted treatment for blue sapphires and approximately 90% of the sapphires in the market are thought to be heat treated. Naturallu an untreated blue sapphire is much more rare and valuable than a treated one.
Yellow sapphires are the most sought after colour gemstone, right after blue sapphires. Because of their brilliance rivals that of fancy yellow diamonds, yellow sapphires are very popular as engagement ring gemstones. The colour of yellow sapphires can range from an intense yellow, to yellow-greenish hues right to faint yellow hues. While the bright yellow varieties rule the engagement ring market, there is also a demand, mostly from Asian countries, for deep orange-yellow colours that are increasingly popular there.
The colour of yellow sapphires is cause by the trace element iron. The higher the concentration of the trace elements, the more intense is the colour saturation. However, some yellow sapphires also feature the trace element titanium, which lends the yellow colour an undesirable greenish tint. Therefore titanium-free yellow sapphires are higher valued than those containing titanium traces. Some yellow sapphires are coloured by natural irradiation, but nowadays lab-created low-level irradition is used to improve the appearance of colour in yellow sapphires. Artificially irradiated sapphires are known to fade over time, particularly when exposed to light and heat. Fully untreated yellow sapphires with a deep colour saturation are very rare. Yellow sapphires are less included than pink and blue sapphires, the high clarity attrbute combined with a deep colour saturation are the driving value factors for yellow sapphires. Due to the fact that yellow sapphire rough is less costly than blue or pink rough, gemstone cutters have given the optimization of brilliance a higher priority. The thought of conserving as much weight of the original rough as possible is of lesser importance resulting in a good availability of well-cut yellow sapphires in the market. Yellow sapphires are also oftentimes cut in fancy shapes, such as the radiant cut, as this cut is enhancing the colour of the gemstone
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Titan Company Limited,Jewellery Division 29,Sipcot Industrial Complex,Hosur - 635126, Krishnagiri District,Tamil Nadu.
Country Of Origin - India
Imported By - Titan Company Limited,Jewellery Division 29,Sipcot Industrial Complex,Hosur - 635126, Krishnagiri District,Tamil Nadu.
Net Quantity: 1 N
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