Diamond jewelry had always been regarded to be on top of the list as the worlds most-desired gem, although a few would like to dispute it. Nevertheless, the diamond mystique still works its charms on people for them to want to own a piece, or at least to know more about it.
After centuries of fascinating stories and myths, here are the bare facts all about the worlds most wanted gem.
The bare essentials
Most people would certainly have heard about diamonds. They may have heard how precious they are as jewels. Some may have heard, too, random bits and pieces about the qualities that make them fascinating and attractive to people.
Let us take you to a short guided tour and introduce you to the essential parts (and other aspects) of a diamond for your information. It is then up to you to discover what make them special as gems.
Table
This is the first surface (surfaces in gems are called facets) that you will see. It is on top of the diamond, and is the largest area in the whole stones body.
Crown
This is the upper part of the diamond just above the girdle that includes the table and the bezel facets around. (The girdle is the outer edge of the diamond forming the stones total width around it.)
The crown slopes down to the girdle and this is called the crown angle. It passes and intersects the stones bezel facets. (The bezel is the metal holding the stone around the girdle.)
This crown angle helps in the dispersion of light, called fire, in a diamond. It also helps to enhance the diamonds brilliance.
Girdle
As pointed out, this is the narrow band encircling the widest part of the diamond. This part of the stone is sometimes faceted (tiny polished surfaces) and some are not. Some jewelers have the diamonds certificate number inscribed in laser on the girdle.
Pavilion
This is the bottom part of the diamond, essentially the facets just below the girdle, all leading to the culet. This is where lights come in and is reflected out of the stones table.
Culet
This is the pointed end at the bottom of the stone which may be faceted (a tiny polished surface at the endpoint) to protect from chipping.
In the early days, large faceted culets were common in diamonds, especially the Old European or Old Mine cuts. Modern diamonds have very small culets or none at all.
Other essentials
The above are only the basic physical parts of the diamond. But there are other considerations that make it the most-coveted stone today. This is where the other aspects of the stone would make it stand out and differ from the others.
Depth
This is the stones measurement from the culet to the table. The stones depth is responsible for the correct angling and height for light to enter and be reflected back to the viewer in a most fascinating manner.
These flashes of reflected light are commonly referred to as sparkle. The intensity of this reflected bunch of light beams to the top of the diamond is called brilliance. When a diamond moves, there are flashes of color reflected from within, and it is called fire.
Symmetry
This is another important gauge in a diamonds desirability because this is an indicator of the stones quality. Misalignments (facet angles, polish, lengths, etc) can diminish some of the diamond jewelrys other near-perfect qualities.
