S.A. Gems




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Our diamonds are cut by expert craftsmen trained in the tradition of old world European masters.

A brief guide to buying a diamond compiled by Lester Meents , president of FestDiam Diamond Cutting Works.

The 4 C's have historically always been the starting point to explain and establish the factors that determine the diamonds value.

We suggest you refer to the two sites below for an excellent overview of the 4 C's.


http://www.ags.org
http://www.adiamondisforever.com


Once you have had a chance to review the information in these sites you will understand that value is mainly influenced by the rarity of your diamond. I have outlined below some thoughts on what to consider when assessing the cut , color and clarity of a diamond.

Cut :
It is an established fact that how well the diamond has been cut , is the most important factor in determining its beauty.

" Shopping for a diamond by the carat is like shopping for a horse by the pound." A quote attributed to Samuel Morse ( an American diamond cutter who lived in the late 18 Th. century ) was one of the first proponents of fine cuts using a set of proportion parameters to produce a better balance of light return in round diamonds.

In the past if a diamond was referred to as "perfect" , it was more likely than not a reference to its color and clarity. Many D color , internally flawless diamonds were called perfect. Today a "perfect" diamond is just as likely to refer to the quality of its cut. Many in the industry now offer "ideal" or even "super ideal" cut diamonds and market them as the perfect diamond to buy . The consumer is often left with the impression that a diamond that varies from the ideal parameters even slightly is somehow not as beautiful and lively. In our opinion a smart consumer needs to take the following:

1. Slight variances in cut from the "ideal parameters "can only be detected by an expert using very sophisticated equipment.

2. The visual beauty of the diamond in my view is dependent needs to take into account more than the diamonds proportions. The basic foundation of the diamond's cut is laid out in the cross-working stage of the cutting process. This is when the 8 facets on the top and bottom of the diamond are cut taking into account the natural shape of the rough diamond and the elimination of natural impurities in the diamond. The cross-working is then finished off and the ideal proportions of the diamond are laid out. Once this is done the stone must be brilliandeered a process whereby the main facets are broken up and the smaller halves ( facets) are applied. This is a critical step which draws out the diamonds natural fire , luster and brilliance. Years ago when I was an apprentice in Antwerp , the experienced cutters of the day would say that this is the process where the polisher puts his "soul" into the diamond. A good brilliandeer will create the diamonds fire , its magnificent radiance and sparkle. A bad or poor job will give you a lifeless diamond and it doesn't matter whether the diamond is cut to the ideal proportions or not. The sparkle or radiance of a diamond can only be judged of course by the human eye. As you can see from GIA's article below no equipment exits to detect this process which is not fully understood. It goes without saying that no diamond certificate, or proportions ( ideal or not) can therefore by relied on exclusively as guide to the beauty or radiance of your diamond.

3. The market is paying very high premiums for some of the "ideal" and "super ideal" cut diamonds. As a manufacturer we find on average 20% of our production meets the ideal cut criteria. To push this percentage much higher would add significantly to the cost of the diamond with little or no impact on the diamonds beauty. As a smart consumer you really need a balanced approach when buying a diamond. A diamond that varies minutely from the ideal standard is not necessarily less beautiful. More to the point a balanced approach to your diamond purchase , will probably mean you can afford a better color and clarity combination.

Because the evaluation of a diamonds cut and it effect on the diamonds visual appearance is so complex , subjective and controversial , the Gemological Institute of America ( GIA) has launched probably the most scientific and comprehensive study to date to deal with this issue. These are excerpts of a paper released by GIA in 1998.

The quality and value of faceted gem diamonds are often described in terms of the "four C's": carat weight, color, clarity, and cut. Carat weight can be directly measured, while grading standards for color and clarity, largely based on systems first developed by the Gemological Institute of America in the 1950's, are widely used and accepted in the jewelry trade.

Evaluation of cut is much more complex. Many factors affect the appearance of a polished gem diamond, but little is understood about just how these various properties improve diamond appearance, even within a single cutting style, the 58-facet round brilliant. Without a sound theoretical basis (or else a means of directly measuring brilliance, fire and/or scintillation), the assessment of what constitutes better appearance is a subjective judgment that varies with individual and market preferences.

Despite this lack of understanding, there exists in the trade today a growing interest in a simple grading system for cut. Several grading systems are in use for round brilliants, each based upon certain assumptions about the relationship between proportions and appearance. Although there is a general perception that diamond appearance has been extensively studied, relatively little scientific information exists. Most widely known is the analysis published 80 years ago by Marcel Tolkowsky, in which he found a single set of proportions that he believed would produce the best possible appearance in a round brilliant diamond. A number of other researchers since then have made their own analyses and proposed "superior" proportions. Although several of them use the term "Ideal" to describe these proportions, it is surprising how dissimilar many of them are.

A modified version of Tolkowsky¡s results has been used as the basis for most of the cut-grading systems currently used, with the added assumption that any deviation in any proportion diminishes the attractiveness of a diamond. While this simplification allows for establishment of simple cut grading categories, it is contrary to the experience of diamond manufacturers who recognize that there are various proportions that produce attractive diamonds.

Our graphs reveal the complex influence of proportions on light return in a round brilliant diamond. In these graphs, there is no simple relationship between any one proportion and light return. Our results do not support the existing categories of cut grades in several grading systems used today, where each proportion parameter is considered separately, and all deviations from a narrow range of proportion combinations are given a lower cut grade. Instead, our results suggest that there are many combinations of proportions that would yield equally "attractive" round brilliant diamonds. This makes characterization of what constitutes the best appearing diamond a great challenge.

Because many combinations of proportions yield similarly high WLR values, our results suggest that diamonds can be cut to a wider variety of proportion combinations, with the same high light return, to better utilize available rough.

Cut is the most complex of diamonds 4Cs. In this paper, we have not addressed all of the factors involved in diamond appearance. We have published the results obtained to date; future results from this study will be published as they become available. It is our opinion that any cut grading system that attempts to categorize diamond appearance is premature in absence of a more complete understanding of the factors that give rise to this appearance.

Color :
Customers often report of consumers who are unwilling to consider any diamonds worse than H in color. Consumers should be aware that lower colors are often far more affordable and no less beautiful than the higher colors. You should ask a jeweler to show you a range of colors before you choose your diamond. In many cases jewelers have reported that customers , when presented with a range of different colors are not able to easily notice the body color. Once the diamond is set in a ring or piece of jewelry the ability to detect color easily further diminishes.

The key to the beauty of any diamond is its cut of course , regardless of the color you choose. However your color choices would be limited to the higher color if you intend to have a platinum or white gold piece. Otherwise my advise is too not to have your mind made up for you.

Clarity:
Both the color and clarity of the diamond you choose are a highly personal choice. Generally our American customers report that consumers tend to want diamonds that are at least eye clean. Some of our customers only like to sell a higher quality " VS" or better diamond which means that the average person would have difficulty seeing the diamond under 10 power magnification. Our customers in the far east will in fact not accept lower VS quality diamonds for the most part.

As manufacturers we try to remove wherever feasible the dark heavy inclusions in the cutting process. We also try and place inclusions away from the center of the diamond. However in some very included crystals this is not always possible.

You have to make the final choice, by a careful examination of the diamond. It is simply impossible to judge the diamonds appearance from a certificate.

Should a diamond always be certified?
That is a personal choice you need to make. Consumers are demanding more and more certified diamonds. Generally for smaller diamonds (less than 1/2 carat) unless they are an extremely fine quality this is usually an unnecessary expense , because slight quality variances do not affect the diamonds value dramatically. For larger and more expensive diamonds we would recommend an independent certificate as an incorrect quality call could have a significant impact on the value of your diamond.

The important thing to remember is that you should first concentrate on choosing a beautiful diamond and then worry about the certificate. A certificate does not make a diamond more beautiful and you should never buy a diamond solely on its certificate.