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Diamond Glossary
The knowledge and more information you have the better diamond purchase you will make. Here are a number of diamond terms that are used by jewelers to describe diamonds and which appear on diamond grading reports.
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
Y
Z
A:
American Gem Society (AGS):
An educational institution for gemological studies. The AGS Labs were created primarily to develop and promote universally-accepted standards for grading cut.
A professional jeweler’s society founded in 1934. AGS has a laboratory which grades diamonds and offers a diamond grading report. AGS has a cut grading system for round diamonds.
AGS Cut Grading Scale
0 Ideal
1 Excellent
2 Very Good
3-4 Good
5-7 Fair
8-10 Poor
Abrasion:
Tiny nicks along facet junctions, producing white fuzzy lines instead of sharp crisp facet edges. Damage to the culet or facet edges usually caused by contact with other diamonds.
Antwerp:
Also called Antwerpen in Flemish, Anvers in French. Diamond center of the world, 2nd largest port of Europe on the river Scheldt, Belgium. Home town of Antwerp Diamond House.
Appraisal:
A written estimate of the approximate retail replacement value of the item described. They can be used for insurance purposes and should be updated every few years. Assumed to be unbiased and objective, best done by an independent local gemologist who doesn't have his check signed by a store dude, ya know? This is generally done to insure your item, and will reflect fair market value. Remembering the markups in this industry you should expect items from us to appraise fairly at vastly more than your purchase price.
Age:
The age of a diamond ranges between 1000 to 3,300 million years.
Alluvial Stone:
A stone that has been transported by water and deposited in seas, lakes or stream beds. Many gems, including diamonds, are found in alluvial deposits.
American Cut:
Those proportions and facet angles calculated mathematically by Marcel Tolkowsky to produce maximum brilliancy consistent with a high degree of fire in a round diamond brilliant are considered by many diamond men to constitute the ideal cut. These figures, computed as a percentage of the girdle diameter, are as follows: total depth, 59.3% (without provision for girdle thickness); crown depth, 16.2%; pavilion depth, 43.1%. The bezel angle is 34° 30’ and the pavilion angle is 40° 45’. Girdle thickness as a percentage of the girdle’s diameter varies with size. The larger the stone, the smaller the percentage for a medium girdle. The variation is from about 1% to 3%.
Alloy:
The mixing of metals in set proportions. I.E. 14kt gold is 58% gold and the rest is copper, silver, and nickel.
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