Everything you need to know about Diamonds

The famous slogan, 'diamonds are forever' is one of the most resilient quotes in history. Words like beauty, rarity, timelessness are synonymous with diamonds. Their origin goes beyond the dinosaur era and age dates between 1 billion to 3.5 billion years. Found deep within the Earth's crust, these mined pieces of carbon have now become a symbol of status, power and eternal love. They are the most popular form of gemstones and have become a customary way to celebrate engagement and big milestones of life. Here's everything you need to know before purchasing diamonds:

The OriginDiamonds are formed by nature, approximately 150-200 km beneath the surface of the Earth. Most of the diamonds that exist now have been formed billions of years ago, which make them precious. Unlike other gemstones, they have a deeper origin and are made of one element, carbon. Once mined, they are sorted in different categories in terms of weight, colour and clarity. They are then crafted and smoothened out in different shapes and sizes.

(Uncut diamonds)The Main Characteristics
A diamond is defined and valued based on 4Cs, which are known to be its main features. The principal components that define their beauty, value and quality worldwide are:

CUT: A diamond's beauty is determined by its cut, which reflects the light exquisitely. It should not be too deep or flat and cut in perfect symmetry. The facets need to align perfectly to maximise their sparkle.
COLOUR: The brilliance is also defined by the diamond’s colour. They should either be transparent or uniformly coloured.
CLARITY: Just like the perfect cut, a diamond should also have utmost clarity. Their beauty is also defined based on how much clarity it possesses.
CARAT: The last prominent feature is the diamond’s Carat - which refers to the weight of a diamond. One carat is equal to 200 milligrams. Even a fraction of difference in carat can make a considerable difference in its monetary value.
This system of grading diamonds was invented by GIA (The Gemological Institute of America), an institute dedicated to research and education in the field of gemology. The 4Cs is the universal standard for evaluating diamonds. Once a diamond has gone through GIA’s grading system, it gets an assessment report which states the diamond’s 4Cs along with a diagram of its clarity, characteristics and a graphic representation of the diamond’s proportions. It helps in ensuring whether the diamond is in its natural form (without any treatment) or not.

(GIA diamond grading report)The GIA website states, “GIA certified diamond is a misnomer. GIA doesn’t certify diamonds – it grades them. The terms ‘GIA certificate’ and ‘GIA cert’ are commonly used in the jewellery industry to refer to diamonds that have undergone GIA’s rigorous grading process and to the reports that accompany them. GIA itself does not use the word “certificate” to describe the document it issues. GIA examines the diamond, assesses its qualities based on the 4Cs, and describes it. It does not certify the diamond or its value. Rather, like other scientific laboratories, GIA issues a report on the results of its evaluation of a particular diamond and believes “report” is the appropriate term to describe its grading results.”

The 5th C (Confidence)When it comes to diamond shopping, there’s a lot to learn. Most consumers are aware of the 4Cs, but there is also a 5th C, which is Confidence. It is the certification, which states the main elements of the diamond. It helps in ensuring if the diamond has all the features described by the seller. Forevermark also grades the quality of their diamonds. Forevermark is a diamond company and subsidiary of De Beers, which is considered as the world's largest producer and distributor of diamonds. Their grading certificates provide an in-depth information on the cut, clarity, colour and caratage of the diamond.
Sachin Jain, President at Forevermark India, points out that there are many parameters beyond the 4Cs that are assessed when a diamond is in the process of getting a Forevermark certification. “One must look out for certifications from global and respected organisations,” he recommends.

(Diamond certification by Forevermark)
He further adds, “We are the largest diamond mining company in the world and less than 1% of the world’s diamonds are eligible to become a Forevermark diamond. The criteria of quality are so strict and tight. We guarantee our consumers that they are buying a diamond which will hold value for the rest of its life.”
Laser InscriptionsMany diamonds come with a unique serial number laser inscribed by GIA which helps in matching the diamond to its certification. GIA only grades loose diamonds and its processing fee for their services varies on the weight of the gemstone. At an additional fee, a special number can be laser inscribed on the diamond's girdle - the outer edge. This unique number provides added security to the diamond's owner.

(Diamond with GIA Laser Inscription)“At Forevermark, a diamond has to go through 29 different quality tests. And if they qualify all the tests, a diamond gets a unique number inscribed. It represents a three-fold promise: The diamond is beautiful, rare and responsibly sourced,” explains Sachin.

(The Forevermark inscription is 1/5000th the width of a human hair)Popular Diamond Shapes
A diamond can be cut in any shape after mining. Among many shapes, the most popular are- Round, Princess, Oval, Marquise, Pear, Cushion and Emerald, etc. Let’s dig into the history and facts of some of the most popular diamond shapes:

(Diamond cuts)Round Brilliant: This is the most popular shape and it has been around since the 17th century. The shape is designed in such a way that it produces maximum brightness. It is most commonly used for engagement rings, earrings and pendants. “It’s estimated that 75% of all diamonds sold are round-shaped and according to research by The Knot, 53% of engagement ring centre stones are round.”

(The Brilliant (Round Brilliant) Cut; Image courtesy: Forevermark)
Oval: It is one of the oldest shapes known in history. The world-famous Koh-I-Noor is an oval-cut diamond, which was first discovered in India in the 13th century and now resides in the Tower of London in the United Kingdom. The oval shape is an elongated version of the round shape and creates an illusion that the finger is longer and slimmer.

(The Oval Cut; Image courtesy: Forevermark)Princess: This square-cut shape diamond is the second most popular diamond shape after the round shape. Its roots trace back to 1960s and it became quite popular during the 1980s. It is one of the fiercest diamond cuts popular in the market today. The main characteristic of this cut is that it releases less rough waste, as it uses up to 80% of the rough stone as compared to other shapes.

(The Princess Cut; Image courtesy: Forevermark)Cushion: It’s a square-cut diamond with round corners and has become one of the most desirable shapes now. The cut may seem modern, but it has a long history and traces back to the 17th century. Known as ‘old mine cut’ in the past, many of the world’s famous diamonds are in this shape. These include the Hope Diamond, the Regent Diamond, the yellow Tiffany Diamond and Napoleon Diamond necklace with 28 mine-cut diamonds.

(The Cushion Cut; Image courtesy: Forevermark)

(Hope Diamond; Image courtesy: GIA)

(The Tiffany Diamond; Image courtesy: Tiffany & Co)

(Napoleon Diamond Necklace; Image courtesy: GIA)Round, Princess and Cushion cut are the most preferred shapes for engagement rings. “Every diamond is special. Every diamond holds a message of permanence and is a gift of mother nature. It does something inside the heart. When you buy diamonds of occasions which are timeless, simple designs and classic products are much better,” quotes Sachin.

“If you buy something which is very high fashion, very today and trendy, the longevity is way shorter. My only input would be, for special occasions, one should always be inclined towards a classic piece,” he further adds.

Disclaimer: Content Produced by The Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council