Articles about Diamond Grading

Has the GIA’s cut grading system for round brilliant diamonds made lower cut grades redundant?

A synthetic diamond is chemically, physically and optically a real diamond, though grown in a machine rather than mined from the ground. They are commonly called man-made, lab-grown, lab-created or cultured diamonds (a term not favored by International gem standards organizations, as they feel it is deceptive or unfair, even though by definition [produced under artificial and controlled conditions], cultured is not incorrect.) and can be grown in yellow, blue or white/colorless through a couple methods.

In this video Paul Slegers and Lieve Peters of Infinity diamonds are inspecting diamonds after the rough has been sawn into two pieces. Most of the narrative is from John Pollard as he does an excellent job of giving us an overfview of what is happening.

Historically ‘blue white’ fluorescent top coloured (D to F on the GIA colour grading scale) diamonds were once priced around 10% more than non fluorescent diamonds. Today D to F coloured blue fluorescent diamonds are usually discounted on wholesale markets. There are two main technical reasons why fluorescent diamonds would be discounted. The diamond’s body colour may have been ‘over-graded’ or its transparency may have been impaired.

I have been in the jewelry business since 1970 when I bought my first gemstone for a girlfriend in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Within days I was buying & selling gems and my lifelong love affair and study of gemology was started. I graduated from the Gemological Institute of America in 1975, and have been a proud member of the trade ever since.