1. style and fashion
2. jewelry
3. rings

Diamonds and Diamond Value
1
DIAMOND ESSENTIALS
DIAMOND
E SS E NTIALS
Table of Contents
Diamonds, Value, and the Four Cs
What is a Diamond?
Meet the Four Cs
Clarity
Color
Cut
Carat Weight
5
5
7
9
12
15
17
Why Diamonds are Forever
Hardness
Toughness
Stability
19
22
22
25
Learning from this Course
Checking Your Progress
The Final Examination
Help Isn’t Far Away
What’s to Come
26
27
28
28
28
Key Concepts
29
Key Terms
29
©
©2002 The Gemological Institute of America
All rights reserved: Protected under the Berne Convention.
No part of this work may be copied, reproduced, transferred, or
transmitted in any form or by any means whatsoever without the
express written permission of GIA.
Printed in the United States.
Reprinted 2004, 2007
Welcome to Diamond Essentials! This course is your introduction to the wonderful world of
diamonds. When you’re finished:
• You’ll have a solid foundation of diamond product knowledge and the skills you need to sell
diamonds effectively.
• You’ll be able to explain diamond clarity, cut, and carat weight to customers and help them
understand how these factors relate to the diamond’s value.
• You’ll know the basics of recognizing and disclosing treated, synthetic, and imitation diamonds.
• You’ll understand and be able to apply the proven steps of a sales process.
• You’ll know and be able to explain the basics of diamond durability, care, and cleaning.
• You’ll qualify for a variety of retail jewelry positions, including diamond sales associate and customer
service representative.
Cover photos: Ric Taylor, Robert Weldon/GIA, Sylvia Bissonette/J. Grahl Design (front and back cover)
Facing page: Diamond jewelry can range from simple, traditional engagement rings to elaborate pieces like these.
Rene Macura/AP Wide World Photos
Diamonds and Diamond Value
The staff at Sutton Jewelers was having its weekly sales meeting. Sutton is a
medium-sized store, part of a three-store chain, all in the same state. The
assembled sales associates were discussing some of their successful sales of
the past month. Just as important, they were also talking about the ones that
weren’t so successful.
“That sale I lost last Monday reminded me how important it is to use just
the right combination of product information and sales technique,” said
Adam Stone. Adam has worked at Sutton for 10 years, and is one of the
store’s top sales associates. His story was proof that even the best associate
can lose a sale.
“I knew the customer had shopped at other stores, and that he’d seen a ring
he liked somewhere else,” Adam continued. “I don’t know if it was price or
quality—I couldn’t pin him down. If he’d told me more about what he’d
©2002 GIA. All rights reserved.
1
DIAMOND
ESSENTIALS
1
Joel Beeson/GIA
Staff meetings allow sales associates to share their experiences and listen to others. This helps everyone improve sales
success.
seen, I could have focused on something specific. But he just kept saying
he’d seen something he liked better, and wouldn’t tell me any more than
that.”
“That’s frustrating,” said Janet Lee. Janet manages the store, and she regularly holds meetings like this with the staff. “What did you do?”
“I started out right—I explained the quality of our diamonds,” Adam
replied. “But by the end, I was just hammering away about clarity grades
and color, and I forgot to sell. I’m afraid I was lecturing the poor guy. He
almost ran out of the store just to get away from me.”
“What do you think you could have done to save the sale?” Janet asked.
“I should have been more careful about the quantity of information I gave
him. And I should have asked specific questions to make him feel better
about telling me what he’d seen in the other store. Then I would have had
something to work with. I could have compared our diamonds’ qualities to
what he’d seen elsewhere.”
“What was he shopping for?” asked Carol James. Carol, who has worked
at the store for a couple of years, is also one of the store’s best sales
associates.
“An engagement ring,” Adam replied.
2
DIAMONDS AND DIAMOND VALUE
Sylvia Bissonette/J. Grahl Design
Bridal jewelry—engagement rings and wedding bands—is the type that’s most often sold in retail
jewelry stores.
“Then maybe it would have helped to talk about romance a little,” Carol
said.
“Probably,” replied Adam. “I started pushing so hard for the sale that I
missed the basics.”
“I asked because I had a similar situation last week,” said Carol. “There
was a couple shopping for a wedding set. They seemed to like what I
showed them, but wouldn’t commit to the sale. I finally figured out that
they had shopped around. When I asked, they admitted they had, and
they’d seen a set of rings they liked. They couldn’t remember any details
about it—just the fact that it cost a little less than the sets I’d been showing
them.”
3
DIAMOND
ESSENTIALS
1
Romance is an important
factor in diamond jewelry
sales.
Devan Muir/iStockphoto
Diamonds have come to symbolize love. You can use romance, along with an explanation of
diamond quality, to present diamond jewelry with enthusiasm and confidence.
“I heard your presentation,” Janet said. “It was brilliant. Tell us what you
did.”
“I just did what Adam taught me when I first started working here,” said
Carol. “I needed to get them to relax a little, so I started asking about their
wedding plans—where they planned to honeymoon, that sort of thing. I
wanted them to loosen up and start talking about themselves.
“After they got more comfortable, I pointed out that the prices between
the two stores weren’t very far apart. I showed them how the quality of our
rings justified the price—that they were getting good value for their money.
“I finally said that their love for each other was obvious, and that their commitment deserved special rings, and while I didn’t know the quality of the
4
DIAMONDS AND DIAMOND VALUE
diamonds they’d seen in the other store, I could assure them that the quality
of our diamonds was worthy of that commitment. When I finished I could
tell by the looks on their faces that they were ready to buy from me.”
“Good job!” Janet said. “Too often we forget how special diamonds are—
how they symbolize so much in people’s lives. To a pair of young newlyweds, diamonds mean love. They also might represent beauty, purity, and
success. While the details of a diamond’s quality are important sales tools,
the romance and magic of a well-cut diamond are just as important.”
The meeting broke up shortly after that. Later that day, Adam redeemed
himself by selling an expensive ring to a customer named Mike Morgan.
You’ll read about that sale in the next assignment. And you’ll get to know
the rest of the staff at Sutton Jewelers as you progress through Diamond
Essentials. Their stories will help you use what you learn in this course to
sell more diamond jewelry. They’ll illustrate why you need to understand
diamond quality and value. And they’ll show you how fascinating and
appealing diamond jewelry can be.
To Help You Learn…
• Key Concepts are brief statements in the margins that help
you focus on the most important points in each assignment.
They’re also listed at the end of
the assignment to help you
review what you’ve learned.
• Questions that introduce each
main section are there to give
you an idea of what to expect
and get you thinking before
you start reading. You don’t
have to write them down:
They’re intended as an extra
learning aid for you.
• Key Terms are new words or
Diamonds, Value, and the Four Cs
■
What are a diamond’s special properties?
■
How do the Four Cs influence diamond value?
■
What is the relationship between the Four Cs and rarity?
phrases that will help you
understand the material in this
course. Each term is italicized
in the text, and a brief definition appears in a nearby margin
and also in a list at the end of
the assignment.
The fascination with diamonds isn’t a modern phenomenon. The history of
diamonds is entwined with the history of the world. Pliny, a Roman naturalist in the first century AD, described diamond as “...the most valuable, not
only of precious stones, but of all the things in this world.”
One of the first things most people learn about diamonds is that every
diamond is unique. Diamonds come in many sizes, shapes, and colors, and
with a variety of internal and surface characteristics.
What is a Diamond?
What makes diamonds so special? Different people have different answers
to that question. A research scientist might say it’s the conditions under
which diamonds form in the earth. An economist might say it’s their rarity.
A consumer might say it’s their association with love and beauty. And
they’d all be right.
The natural world is commonly divided into three kingdoms: animal, plant,
and mineral. Members of the animal and plant kingdoms are alive—or were
at some point. That means they’re organic. Minerals aren’t alive, and never
have been: They’re inorganic. Diamond is a mineral. Other minerals are
common table salt and the tiny quartz grains in beach sand.
5
DIAMOND
ESSENTIALS
1
Diamond’s characteristic chemical composition and crystal structure make it a unique member of the mineral kingdom.
Atoms are the basic structural units of all matter. Every mineral is defined
by the types and relative quantities of its atoms. This is called chemical
composition. It’s also defined by the arrangement of its atoms—its structure—which is usually orderly and predictable.
Tino Hammid/GIA
This synthetic spinel is made of three chemical elements. Diamond, on the other hand, is
made of carbon. It’s the only gem made of a
single element.
6
Differences in chemical composition and structure give minerals their
unique properties. Variations in either one can result in a very different mineral. For example, the atoms in a spinel (a type of colored stone) are
arranged in ways similar to diamond’s. But spinel is made up of different
chemical elements.
A chemical element is a substance that consists of only one kind of atom.
Most minerals are combinations of two or more elements. Colorless synthetic spinel, for example, looks a little like diamond at first glance. In fact,
it was once used in jewelry as a common diamond imitation. But it’s made
of three elements: magnesium, aluminum, and oxygen.
DIAMONDS AND DIAMOND VALUE
Value factors—Features used to
judge the quality and value of all
gemstones.
Four Cs—Four value factors
(clarity, color, cut, and carat
weight) that describe the quality
of a finished diamond.
Robert Weldon/GIA
Atoms of chemical elements other than carbon—called trace elements—caused the beautiful
color of these natural fancy-colored diamonds.
Diamond is the only gem made of a single element: carbon. Diamond is
typically about 99.95 percent carbon. The other 0.05 percent can include
one or more trace elements, which are atoms that aren’t part of a diamond’s
essential chemistry. Some of them can influence its color or shape.
Formation conditions also help determine a mineral’s identity. Diamond
forms under high temperature and pressure conditions that exist only within
a specific depth range beneath the earth’s surface. Graphite, like diamond,
contains only carbon, but its formation process is very different. The result
is that graphite is so soft that you can write with it, while diamond is so
hard that you can only scratch it with another diamond.
Diamond is a mineral made of
a single element: carbon.
Without any one of these factors, diamond might be just another mineral.
Fortunately, though, the magic combination of composition, structure, and
formation gives diamonds the qualities that make them extraordinary.
Meet the Four Cs
Gemstone value is based on a combination of features, sometimes called
value factors. As with other gemstones, diamonds with certain qualities are
more rare—and more valuable—than diamonds that lack them. Without a
systematic way to evaluate and discuss these factors, there would be no way
to compare one diamond to another.
Diamond professionals use a special set of four value factors to describe
and classify diamonds: clarity, color, cut, and carat weight. These are known
as the Four Cs. When used together, they describe the quality of a finished
diamond, which is directly related to its value.
The Four Cs are a universal and effective
communication tool for members of the
diamond industry.
7
DIAMOND
ESSENTIALS
1
Dave Bartruff/Index Stock
Eyal Warshavsky/AP Wide World Photos
Whether they’re buying diamonds set in jewelry for a retail store (left) or selling loose diamonds at wholesale markets (above), industry professionals rely on the consistency that the
Four Cs provide.
A diamond’s value is based
on its own unique combination of the Four Cs.
8
Each diamond’s value is based on its own unique combination of the Four
Cs. Often, a diamond has one value factor that stands out because it’s so
rare. For example, colorless diamonds are scarce—most diamonds have
tints of yellow or brown. So a colorless diamond has a higher color rating
than a diamond that’s light yellow. Value and rarity are related: In this case,
a colorless diamond is more rare and more valuable than one with a slight
yellow color. As you’ll learn in this course, the same relationship between
rarity and value also exists for the other value factors.
DIAMONDS AND DIAMOND VALUE
Most diamonds have yellow or brown tints. Absolutely colorless diamonds are extremely rare
and valuable.
The Four Cs describe the qualities of a diamond in very precise terms.
They’ve become an international language that jewelry professionals can
use to describe and evaluate diamonds. And they have a long history. Three
of them—color, clarity, and carat weight—were the basis for the first diamond grading system established in India over 2,000 years ago.
Cut wasn’t important then. For one thing, nobody knew how to shape and
polish a diamond. They might have been able to split one by striking it, but
this wasn’t a common practice. Fortunately, that has changed. Modern cutting brings out the best in a diamond. Today, cut is an important factor in
determining a diamond’s value.
This assignment will give you an overview of the Four Cs. The next four
assignments will examine the Four Cs individually, and in greater detail.
Inclusion—Clarity characteristic
totally enclosed in a polished
gemstone or extending into it
from the surface.
Blemish—Clarity characteristic
that’s confined to the surface of
a polished gemstone.
Clarity characteristics—The
collective term for inclusions
and blemishes.
Clarity
Few things in nature are absolutely perfect. That’s as true of diamonds as
anything else. Diamonds have internal features, called inclusions, and surface
irregularities, called blemishes. Together, they’re called clarity characteristics.
Clarity is the relative absence of inclusions and blemishes.
Among other things, blemishes include scratches and nicks on a diamond’s
surface. Inclusions are on the inside, or they might extend into the interior
from the surface of the stone. You’ll learn about different kinds of clarity
characteristics in Assignment 2.
9
DIAMOND
ESSENTIALS
1
Eric Welch/GIA
An expert diamond cutter studies diamond rough carefully before cutting. During the cutting process, undesirable clarity characteristics might be
cut away to increase the diamond’s value.
Clarity characteristics might have negative influences on diamond’s value,
but they have positive effects as well:
Inclusions normally
have more impact on a
diamond’s beauty and
value than blemishes.
• They help gemologists separate diamond from simulants. Inclusions in
diamonds often have a different appearance from inclusions in simulants.
• Because no two diamonds have exactly the same clarity characteristics,
they can help identify individual stones.
• They provide scientists with valuable information about how diamonds
form.
Inclusions normally have more impact on a stone’s beauty and value than
blemishes. That’s because many blemishes are relatively easy to remove.
It’s possible to remove an inclusion that’s close to the surface, but that
would cause a reduction in the diamond’s weight. Recutting or repolishing
a diamond to remove a blemish, on the other hand, often increases its value.
The impact of any weight loss is usually offset by the improved clarity.
Here’s an example: A cutter in New York removed some minor blemishes
10
DIAMONDS AND DIAMOND VALUE
➤
➤
Both by John Koivula/GIA
No two diamonds have exactly the same clarity characteristics in exactly the same locations.
This fact helps gemologists identify individual diamonds.
Gerry Penny/AFP
The complete absence of clarity characteristics is one of the features that make this 203.00-ct.
Flawless diamond—the Millennium Star—virtually priceless.
from a 1.02-ct. diamond with excellent color. The diamond lost a small
amount of weight—after recutting, it weighed 1.01 cts.—but the removal
of the blemishes improved the diamond’s clarity and increased its value
by $1,100.
Like the rest of the Four Cs, clarity’s influence on value is directly related
to the concept of rarity. Flawless is the top grade in the GIA clarity grading
system. Diamonds graded Flawless don’t have visible inclusions or blemishes
when examined under 10-power (10X) magnification by a skilled and experienced grader.
Flawless diamonds are very rare—so rare, in fact, that it’s possible to spend
a lifetime in the jewelry industry without ever seeing one. As you might
imagine, they command top prices.
At the lower end of the scale are diamonds with inclusions that can easily
be seen by the unaided eye. The stones that make up the bulk of the retail
diamond market fall between the two extremes. They usually have inclusions that are visible only under magnification.
11
DIAMOND
ESSENTIALS
1
Shane F. McClure/GIA
Many people don’t know that diamonds come in a wide variety of exotic colors.
Color
People outside the diamond trade often misunderstand the relationship
between diamonds and color. Many people think of diamonds as colorless.
In reality, truly colorless diamonds are quite rare. Most diamonds used in
jewelry are nearly colorless with yellow or brown tints—most often light
yellow. As you study color in more detail in Assignment 3, you’ll see that
the variations in color can be very subtle.
Diamonds come in many colors other than yellow and brown. Some of the
most rare colors are red, purple, and green. With colored diamonds, more
color usually means higher value, so the brightest, purest colors are the
most desirable.
As you’ll learn later, size makes a difference in a diamond’s color—the bigger the diamond, the more obvious its color. The differences in color can be
subtle, but they can cause dramatic variations in price.
12
DIAMONDS AND DIAMOND VALUE
Synthetics and
Simulants
The jewelry industry uses special
terms for manufactured and lookalike gemstones: synthetic and
simulant. The differences between
them are subtle, but very important.
Synthetic refers to a manmade
material with the same chemical
composition, crystal structure, and
optical and physical properties as
the natural gem material. Synthetic
diamonds contain carbon atoms.
They’re arranged the same way
in both natural and synthetic
diamonds.
Bettmann/Corbis
Researchers have been synthesizing diamonds since the 1950s. Synthetic diamonds
are used mostly in industry, as abrasives
and cutting tools.
Synthetic industrial diamonds,
which are used as abrasives and
in cutting tools, have been manufactured since the mid-1950s.
Gem-quality synthetic diamonds
have been commercially produced
in limited quantities since the
mid-1990s.
Materials that simply look like
natural gems are called simulants
or imitations. The materials can
be either natural or manmade.
“Substitute” is an older term for
the same thing.
Joseph Schubach
John Harrington/AP Wide World Photos
The manufacturer of synthetic moissanite
markets its product by setting the gem in
attractive contemporary settings (above)
and by using in-store promotions (right).
A number of materials have been
used as diamond simulants. Some
of the classics are glass, zircon, and colorless synthetic spinel. YAG
(yttrium aluminum garnet) and GGG (gadolinium gallium garnet) were
developed in the late 1960s.
Today, those simulants have been almost entirely replaced by CZ—synthetic cubic zirconia. It has “synthetic” in its name because cubic zirconia
actually exists in nature, but in crystals too small for use in jewelry.
Synthetic moissanite was introduced in the late 1990s as a diamond
simulant. It was so successful that, today, it’s sold mostly as a gem in
its own right.
Synthetic gem—A manmade gem
with essentially the same chemical composition, crystal structure,
and properties as a natural gem.
Simulant—A natural or manmade
material that resembles a gem
(also called imitation).
You’ll learn more about diamond synthetics and simulants if you go on
to take the GIA Diamonds & Diamond Grading course.
13
DIAMOND
ESSENTIALS
1
The Federal Trade Commission
As you progress through this course, you’ll
notice certain words and terms appearing
regularly. One of the most important of
those will be Federal Trade Commission
(FTC).
In 1914, the US Congress created the FTC to
protect American consumers from unlawful business practices.
Since then, the FTC has been active in four main areas:
• Monitoring business activity to assure that businesses
comply with existing federal trade laws.
• Providing Congress with information that relates to
pending legislation.
• Assisting the US Department of Justice in enforcing federal
laws that deal with monopolies and trade restrictions.
• Enforcing legislation that prohibits illegal or deceptive
trade practices.
Over the years, the FTC has published guidelines affecting a
range of consumer products, including jewelry. Although the
FTC’s jurisdiction is limited, its guidelines and trade practice
rules are the basis for many state and local laws. The guidelines are widely accepted standards for ethical business
behavior. Also, in the absence of existing law, the US Courts
tend to rely on them when settling legal disputes.
In 1957, the FTC published Trade Practice Rules for the
Jewelry Industry, which dealt with many areas of gem and
jewelry merchandising. Those guidelines have been revised
three times since then, most recently in 2001. The guidelines
are now called Guides for the Jewelry, Precious Metals, and
Pewter Industries.
The FTC publishes guidelines that address
many of the issues concerning ethical business
practices in the jewelry industry. Since the
guidelines were first published in 1957, the
FTC has updated them periodically.
14
These guidelines, of course, apply only to the US. Other
nations have their own guidelines, which vary from country
to country. If you’re engaged in trade in a country with its
own guidelines in place, it’s your responsibility to become
familiar with them. Not only are there legal consequences if
you don’t, there are ethical consequences as well. These can
adversely affect your reputation and hurt your business.
DIAMONDS AND DIAMOND VALUE
Brilliance—The brightness
created by the combination of
all the white light reflections
from the surface and the inside
of a polished diamond.
Fire—The flashes of color you
see in a polished diamond.
Scintillation—The flashes of light
you see when the diamond, the
light, or the observer moves.
crown
girdle
pavilion
Crown—Top part of the gem
above the girdle.
Girdle—The narrow section of a
finished gem that forms the
boundary between the crown and
the pavilion and functions as the
gem’s setting edge.
Pavilion—Lower part of a faceted
gem below the girdle.
Facet—A flat, polished surface on
a finished gem.
©Harold and Erica Van Pelt
Culet—Small facet at the bottom
of a finished gem.
How well a diamond displays brilliance, fire, and scintillation has a lot to do with the quality of
its cut.
Cut
A well-cut diamond can make light perform in breathtaking ways, resulting
in a magnificent display of three important diamond attributes: brilliance,
fire, and scintillation.
Brilliance is the combination of all the white light reflections from the surface
and the inside of a diamond. It gives a polished diamond its brightness.
Fire is the word for the flashes of color you see in a polished diamond.
Scintillation describes the flashes of light you see when the diamond, the
light, or the observer moves.
The three major parts of a polished diamond, top to bottom, are the crown,
the girdle, and the pavilion. The crown and the pavilion—and sometimes
the girdle—have small, flat, polished surfaces called facets. Some polished
diamonds also have a flat facet at the bottom of the pavilion, called the
culet. This basic information will help you throughout the rest of this course
15
DIAMOND
ESSENTIALS
1
and also in the retail store. After all, you won’t gain much respect as a jewelry professional if you describe the bottom of a diamond as “the pointy
end.”
A standard round brilliant diamond has 33
facets above the girdle and 24 or 25 below
the girdle, depending on whether or not
there’s a culet.
The term brilliant cut is used as a general term for gems of any shape with
facets that are mostly triangular or kite shaped and that radiate from the
center. In most retail settings, the standard round brilliant is by far the most
popular diamond cut. It has 57 or 58 facets, depending on whether there’s a
culet or not. Very small round diamonds are sometimes fashioned as single
cuts, with just 17 or 18 facets.
Cuts in shapes other than round are called fancy cuts. Fancy cuts also have
names of their own. The most familiar are the marquise (mar-KEYS),
princess, pear, oval, heart, and emerald cut. You’ll learn more about each of
these in a later assignment.
Some fancy cuts are brilliants, and some are step cuts. Their “steps” usually
consist of three rows of four-sided facets that are parallel to the girdle on
the crown and pavilion. The emerald cut is the most popular step cut. Like
standard round brilliants, emerald cuts normally have 57 or 58 facets. The
table is usually rectangular, with beveled corners.
Both by Peter Johnston/GIA
A single-cut diamond has a table, eight crown
facets, eight pavilion facets, and sometimes a
culet.
Baguettes are small, rectangular or tapered stones, often used as side or
accent stones for a large center stone. Baguettes are step cuts with only two
rows of facets and unbeveled corners.
Brilliant cut—Cutting style with
triangular or kite-shaped facets
that radiate from the center
toward the girdle.
Standard round brilliant—A round
brilliant-cut stone with 57 or 58
facets. Often called a full cut.
Single cut—A round stone with
17 or 18 facets.
Fancy cut—Any gemstone shape
other than round.
Step cut—A cutting style that
features long, narrow facets in
rows (usually three) parallel to
the girdle on both the crown and
pavilion.
Baguette—A small, four-sided
step cut that’s rectangular,
square, or tapered.
16
Jeffrey Scovil
Many customers love the variety offered by fancy-cut diamonds. They provide alternatives to
the traditional round brilliant.
DIAMONDS AND DIAMOND VALUE
Mixed cut—Cut that combines
brilliant-cut and step-cut styles.
Branded cut—Cutting style that’s
developed, named, and promoted
by a specific manufacturer.
Metric carat—The international
unit of measurement for gem
weight. One carat equals onefifth of a gram (0.200 g).
Robert Weldon/GIA
A step cut has long, narrow facets parallel to
the girdle. The emerald cut’s understated
elegance makes it the most popular step cut.
A brand name can be a selling feature for
certain diamonds. This fancy brilliant cut
is marketed by its manufacturer as a
Quadrillion®.
People tend to prefer fancy shapes for large diamonds. Brilliant cuts generally show more fire than step cuts, but step cuts usually show color better.
Mixed cuts feature a combination of brilliant and step facets. Usually, the
step facets are on the crown and the brilliant facets are on the pavilion, but
sometimes it’s the other way around.
Specific manufacturers have developed and named their own cuts. This
category is called branded cuts. Their names are sometimes trademarked or
protected by copyright. If you’re handling a branded cut, use its name as
one of its selling points.
From time to time, you might encounter diamonds cut in novelty shapes like
stars, fish, birds, butterflies, crosses, horse heads, and cloverleaves. Some
people like them because they’re different.
Sometimes, cutters fashion diamonds into
imaginative shapes to satisfy a unique segment of the market.
Carat Weight
Many goods are sold by weight—by the kilogram, ounce, pound, or ton. Even
people who have never bought a diamond are used to the idea that weight and
price are related. They understand that a larger diamond is probably more
valuable than a smaller one. But there are two things that often surprise
people when they start learning about diamonds and carat weight.
The first is the precision with which diamonds are weighed. Diamond
weights are stated in metric carats, abbreviated “cts.” One metric carat
17
DIAMOND
ESSENTIALS
1
Point—One hundredth of a carat
(0.01 ct.).
Robert Weldon/GIA
Weight equals money, so cutters try to retain as much weight as possible when they fashion
diamond rough.
(abbreviated “ct.”) is one-fifth (0.200) of a gram—just over seven thousandths (0.007) of an ounce. One ounce contains almost 142 carats.
The metric carat is divided into 100 points. A point (abbreviated “pt.”) is
one hundredth of a carat. An easy way to remember this is to think of
carats as dollars and points as pennies. They’re even written the same
way: $1.34 means one dollar and 34 cents, and 1.34 cts. means one carat
and 34 points.
Diamonds are weighed to a thousandth (0.001) of a carat and then rounded
to the nearest hundredth, or point. Fractions of a carat can mean price differences of hundreds—even thousands—of dollars, depending on the quality of
the gem.
Over a carat, diamond weights are usually expressed in carats and decimals.
A 1.03-ct. stone, for example, would be described as “one point oh three
carats,” or “one oh three.” Weights for diamonds that weigh under a carat
are usually stated in points. A diamond that weighs 0.83 ct. is said to weigh
“eighty-three points,” or described as an “eighty-three pointer.”
Tiny diamonds are measured in points. When
quantities of them are used together, they
make brooches and other jewelry items
sparkle.
The second aspect of carat weight that surprises people is the relationship
between rarity, weight, and value. People expect a pound of sugar to cost
twice as much as a half pound of sugar. But diamonds aren’t sold like sugar.
Their prices depend on a number of variables—weight is just one of them.
So it’s not always easy to understand, or explain, why a 1.00-ct. diamond is
worth, say, $6,000, while a 2.00-ct. diamond of similar quality might be
worth $15,000.
It’s really a simple concept: Large diamonds are more rare than small ones.
You’ve already seen the relationship between rarity and value. The more
scarce something is, the more it’s worth. So a larger stone doesn’t just cost
more. It also costs more per carat. A 1.00-ct. diamond weighs the same as
18
DIAMONDS AND DIAMOND VALUE
four 0.25-ct. diamonds. But even if
all the other quality factors are
equal, the larger diamond is worth
much more than the sum of the four
smaller diamonds.
Carat weight can also be symbolic.
While the difference between a
0.98-ct. diamond and a 1.01-ct.
diamond is almost invisible, many
people will choose the larger
stone—even at a much higher
price. You’ll learn more about this
in Assignment 5.
Don’t confuse the term carat with
karat. Karat is a unit of measure that
describes the purity—or fineness—
of gold.
Alex Mak/ORO Diamante Inc.
Large diamonds are much rarer than small
ones, so they’re much more valuable.
Weighed together, the small diamonds in
these rings would still be worth less than a
single large diamond of the same weight.
Why Diamonds are Forever
■
What are the three components of durability?
■
How does diamond durability compare to the durability of
other gems?
“A Diamond is Forever” is one of the world’s best-known advertising
slogans. It has many different meanings. It refers to diamond’s timeless
appeal. It refers to diamond’s icy beauty. And it also refers to diamond’s
durability.
Durability is a gemstone’s ability to withstand wear, heat, and chemicals. It
varies from gem to gem, depending on chemical composition and structure.
Earlier, you learned a little about how diamonds form. One result of the
diamond formation process is incredible durability.
Karat—A unit of measure for the
fineness of gold, abbreviated “K”
or “Kt.”
Durability—A gemstone’s ability
to withstand wear, heat, and
chemicals.
Hardness—How well a gemstone
resists scratches and abrasion.
Toughness—How well a gemstone resists breaking and
chipping.
Durability consists of three properties:
• Hardness
• Toughness
• Stability
Many people think hardness and toughness are the same thing. In everyday
speech, they’re often interchangeable. But in gemology, they have specific—
and separate—meanings.
Hardness means resistance to scratching—how a stone’s surface responds to
contact with a sharp point, to the edge of another object, to abrasive powders, or to another gem. Toughness means resistance to breaking, chipping,
or cracking—how well a stone can survive impact from a fall or a blow.
Diamond is the most durable
gemstone.
19
DIAMOND
ESSENTIALS
1
Diamonds Don’t Grow
on Trees
The arid deserts of South Africa. The
permafrost of Siberia. A barren region of
Western Australia. Frozen tundra in Canada’s
Northwest Territories. The featureless ocean
off the southwest coast of Africa. That diamonds form at all is something of a miracle.
That they survive a brutal and violent trip up
from deep inside the earth is another. And
that people cherish them enough to seek
them out in such remote and inhospitable
places is a third.
Mining companies not only have to dig
mines and build large processing plants in
remote locations, but they must build the
equivalent of small cities to house, feed,
and entertain hundreds of workers.
Mining involves a lot of money and labor for
relatively small quantities of diamonds. It
costs millions of dollars to identify a possible diamond deposit. It costs even more to
build and operate a mine in a location that’s
found to contain diamonds.
The ratio of diamond to ore is usually about
0.30 ct. of rough diamond per metric ton
(1.102 US tons) of ore. That means mine
workers have to process about a ton of rock
to recover less than half a carat of rough
diamond. Obviously, a mine can’t survive if
the ore doesn’t yield enough diamonds to
cover the mining costs.
Gem quality—Rough gem
material that requires normal
processing to produce a polished
gem suitable for use in jewelry.
Diamonds are mined in a
variety of remote and challenging locations, from the
frozen terrain of northern
Canada to the bottom of the
Atlantic Ocean.
Near-gem quality—Rough
gem material that requires
substantially more processing
than gem-quality rough to
produce a polished gem suitable
for use in jewelry.
Unlike apples—which grow on trees—the supply of diamonds at any
given mine is limited. The Ekati mine in Canada, for example, started
production in 1998. Projections are that it will operate for about 20
more years, and produce 3 million to 4 million carats of rough diamonds
per year.
Industrial quality—Rough gem
material suitable for use in tools,
drills, abrasives, and other industrial applications.
20
The quantity of a mine’s diamonds isn’t the only factor in its profitability. The quality of the diamonds matters, too. Some mines produce
lots of low-quality diamonds. Others produce fewer, better-quality
diamonds.
DIAMONDS AND DIAMOND VALUE
The complexity of diamond mining adds to the value of the gems. Mine operators must sometimes build
living quarters for hundreds of workers alongside elaborate processing plants (above). And mining can be
dangerous, requiring a courageous and competent workforce (right).
An extreme example is the Argyle mine in
Australia. The mine has a high diamond-to-ore
ratio (three carats of diamond rough to one
metric ton of ore). But the overall quality of
the yield is low. Only 5 percent of the diamonds are gem quality, which means that
they’re suitable for cutting and setting into
jewelry. Seventy percent is near-gem quality,
which requires a lot of processing to be suitable
for jewelry. Twenty-five percent is industrial
quality, which is only suitable for industrial
uses like drills and abrasives. In Argyle’s
case, the quantity of diamonds recovered
plays a bigger role in the mine’s profitability
than the quality.
Both the rarity of diamonds and the tremendous efforts and high costs invested in mining
them can be useful points to make in a sales
presentation.
Industrial-quality diamonds make
up the bulk of rough recovered
from many mines.
Ric Taylor
Most diamond mines are large-scale
operations, but there are still a few
individual miners who might spend entire
days sorting through worthless pebbles
before discovering a single diamond.
Diamonds are expensive
because they’re rare and
costly to mine.
21
DIAMOND
ESSENTIALS
1
Jade, for example, is very tough but not very hard. It can’t easily be broken,
but it’s soft enough to be carved with simple tools. A diamond, on the other
hand, can only be broken with a blow in the right place. But it’s so hard that
it can only be scratched by another diamond.
In diamond, stability is fairly simple: It describes how well the diamond
resists chemicals and temperature changes.
Hardness
Tino Hammid/GIA
The more durable a gem is, the more suitable
it is for use in frequently worn jewelry. The
peridot in this ring is fairly durable, but
diamond is many times more durable.
The Mohs scale (pronounced MOZE) rates the hardness of gems and minerals.
The scale originated in 1822 when Friedrich Mohs chose ten minerals and
assigned numbers to them, based on the relative ease or difficulty with which
one could be scratched by another. His studies resulted in this scale:
Diamond
10
Corundum
9
Topaz
8
Quartz
7
Orthoclase Feldspar 6
If they become loose in their settings,
diamonds are hard enough to damage the
precious metal around them.
Apatite
5
Fluorite
4
Calcite
3
Gypsum
2
Talc
1
According to the Mohs scale, quartz can scratch any mineral with a hardness of 7 or less. Corundum (which includes rubies and sapphires) can
scratch any mineral with a hardness of 9 or less. Only a diamond can
scratch a diamond.
But the Mohs scale is deceptive. The steps between the minerals are not
evenly spaced. Diamond is only one number away, but it’s many times
harder than gems in the corundum family.
Something the Mohs scale doesn’t show, but that’s equally important to the
diamond industry, is that diamond can also scratch any of the precious metals
used for settings. That means a diamond that’s loose in its setting can wear
through a prong over time.
Toughness
Any stone, including a diamond, will fracture if it’s hit hard enough in the
right place. Toughness is a measure of how well a gem can survive an
impact and resist breaking, chipping, or cracking.
22
DIAMONDS AND DIAMOND VALUE
Stability—How well a diamond
resists chemicals and temperature changes.
S O F T E
R
H A R
D
E
R
Mohs scale—Ranking of the
relative hardness of 10 minerals.
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
MOHS RANKING
Peter Johnston/GIA
The scale introduced by Friedrich Mohs in the 1800s is still used today to gauge the hardness
of gems and minerals. The great distance between diamond and corundum shows how much
harder diamond is when compared to any other gemstone.
23
DIAMOND
ESSENTIALS
1
Hearts on Fire is one of several companies that use laser inscriptions to brand their diamonds.
Branded Diamonds
Brand names are effective
diamond sales tools.
A successful brand name creates an image that inspires consumer desire
and confidence. A woman chooses a certain line of hair care products
because she’s “worth it” (desire). Or a couple buys a certain make of
automobile because its name conjures up the idea of safety (confidence).
Branding can distinguish products from their competitors. And it can
increase profits when consumers are willing to pay more for a name
they know and trust.
Many diamond manufacturers develop and market “brand-name”
diamond cuts and branded bridal jewelry. The branding concept for
diamonds isn’t new. Bridal jewelry brands like Keepsake captured
consumer awareness in the late 1950s and remained popular through
the 1970s. And in 1985, Lazare Kaplan introduced its Lazare Diamond—
a brand based on the concept of the ideal cut, which you’ll find out
more about later.
Manufacturers build consumer loyalty to their diamond brands with a
variety of techniques. They use consumer advertising and in-store
displays. Lazare offers an identifying number that’s inscribed on the
gem’s girdle with a laser. Hearts on Fire—another branded diamond
cut—shows off its proportions by using a special viewing device.
Lazare and Hearts on Fire are only two of the many names vying for
attention in the branded diamond market. Ekati diamonds from Canada
have emerged as another important brand. It’s clear that branded
diamonds are here to stay.
24
DIAMONDS AND DIAMOND VALUE
A gem’s toughness is a function of its structure. The way diamonds form
affects their physical and optical qualities. When the atoms come together
under extreme temperature and pressure conditions, they bond to each other
more tightly in some directions than they do in others.
Diamonds are tougher in the directions where the atoms are bonded tightly
together, less tough where they’re not so tightly bonded. The weakest directions are the ones where the atoms are farthest apart. It’s easier to break a
diamond in those directions, which are called cleavage directions. A cutter
can cleave a diamond by hitting it sharply in the cleavage direction. But
even after cutting, a hard blow can still cleave or fracture a diamond. This
can happen during the setting process, or even when it’s being worn.
Sometimes the toughness of a diamond is related to its cut features and
shape. For example, a diamond with an extremely thin girdle is especially
vulnerable to damage. Also, some shapes are more prone to breakage than
others. Pears and marquises, for example, have points that are vulnerable to
damage if they’re not covered by prongs.
This diamond suffered thermal shock when it
was exposed to a sudden and extreme
change in temperature.
Stability
Stability is a term that describes how well a diamond resists temperature
changes and chemicals. Diamonds are very stable. They’re invulnerable to
virtually all acids, for one thing. The cutting process generates a lot of heat,
but diamonds usually endure intact. Situations that are more threatening to a
diamond’s stability are those that involve sudden and extreme temperature
changes. Those changes can cause thermal shock, which can create new
fractures and cleavages or cause existing ones to spread.
Thermal shock—Damage caused
by sudden, extreme temperature
changes.
Diamonds will burn at about 1562°F (850°C). House fires and jewelers’ torches
can reach that temperature. If you work in the industry long enough, you’ll
probably see diamonds that have been burned. They look white and cloudy.
Sometimes a burned diamond just looks dirty, and a jeweler will try to clean
it. But it’s not dirt, and cleaning won’t improve its appearance. The burn actually marks the diamond’s surface, so repolishing is the only way to restore its
beauty. Usually this can be done without difficulty, and with little weight loss.
Both by Nicholas DelRe/GIA
A house fire caused the white, cloudy appearance of this diamond (left). The stone was recut
to remove the burned area, reducing the diamond’s size but leaving no sign that it was ever
damaged (right).
25
DIAMOND
ESSENTIALS
1
Eric Welch/GIA
The wealth of information in this course will provide you with the essential tools you need to sell
diamonds and diamond jewelry with confidence.
Learning from this Course
■
How can you begin using what you’ve learned in this assignment?
■
How can you benefit from GIA Virtual Campus?
■
What are some of the ways you’ll receive feedback?
The overall goal of Diamond Essentials is to give you the tools you need to
sell diamond jewelry ethically, honestly, and effectively. There are seven
assignments in the course:
1—Diamonds and Diamond Value. This assignment introduces the Four Cs
and gives you the foundation you need to start learning about diamonds and
diamond jewelry.
2—Clarity and Value. This assignment tells you more about inclusions and
blemishes. You’ll also learn about the internationally accepted and respected
GIA clarity grading system.
3—Color and Value. You’ve already learned that diamonds come in different
colors. In Assignment 3, you’ll learn how diamonds are graded for color.
And you’ll see how color influences value.
4—Cut and Value. To many people, the term “cut” simply means shape or
cutting style. You’ll learn in Assignment 4 that there’s more to it than that.
You’ll see how modern technology is changing the way the jewelry trade
thinks about cut. You’ll see, too, how the quality of a diamond’s cut contributes to its overall beauty.
26
DIAMONDS AND DIAMOND VALUE
5—Carat Weight and Value. In this assignment, you’ll learn that it’s not
always a case of bigger costs more. You’ll also learn the differences between
size and weight.
6—The Daily Retail Business. This practical assignment describes two
important functions in the operation of a retail jewelry store. The first is
security. The second is the care and cleaning advice you should give your
customers.
7—Presenting Diamond Jewelry. This assignment brings together the product
knowledge you’ve gained in the rest of the course. You’ll learn how to combine
that product knowledge with solid sales techniques to complete more sales.
Each assignment takes a practical approach to its subject. You’ll learn more
than the technical aspects of clarity grades, for example. You’ll learn to use
the information to do everything from reading a gemological lab’s grading
report to explaining the relationship between clarity and value to a customer.
You’ll find that distance education is a wonderful way to learn. You can set
your own schedule and work in a comfortable environment. But with this
convenience comes the danger of relaxed study habits. To complete
Diamond Essentials and any other GIA distance education courses, you’ll
need a dedicated study area and a study schedule.
You’ll find that your retention increases as your study habits become more
consistent. Underline or highlight italicized words in the text and keep a
dictionary handy—all of the gemological terms are explained in the course,
but occasionally you might come across words that are unclear to you.
Consistent study habits
are the key to success in
distance education.
Checking Your Progress
The short Diamond Essentials questionnaires are great ways to determine
what you’ve learned and what you might have missed. The questionnaires
also give GIA an idea of your progress.
Another terrific way to check your progress is to review the Key Concepts and
Key Terms at the end of each assignment. If you run across a concept or
term that isn’t clear to you, you can easily turn back to the part of the assignment where it’s discussed in detail. Just look for its mention in the margin.
Now that you’ve finished Assignment 1, complete the first questionnaire. It’s
important to do the questionnaires as soon as you finish the assignments—
you might forget some of the information in the assignment if you put the test
aside to do later. You can submit the completed questionnaire via the Internet,
by FAX, or by mail. You’ll find the Web address, the FAX number, and the
mailing address in separate inserts that came with your course materials.
GIA Virtual Campus is a World Wide Web-based service available through
your normal Internet Service Provider (ISP). In your browser window, type
in the web address and follow any prompts to register and sign in (it’s a free
service for GIA students). This service instantly corrects your answers and
automatically records your score. Be sure to explore the other areas of the
GIA Web site, too.
27
DIAMOND
ESSENTIALS
1
If you choose to submit your answer sheet by mail, make sure you use only
a Number 2 pencil to mark your answers, and completely fill in the bubbles
that correspond to your answers. Also, be sure to fold the answer sheet in
thirds lengthwise (not in half) before putting it in the envelope, and never
staple or paperclip anything to your answer sheet.
Remember to include your GIA student number on all correspondence and
on every questionnaire. This number helps instructors access your education records instantly, and allows the grading machines to record your
questionnaire results automatically. Your student number will stay the
same no matter how many GIA courses you take.
The Final Examination
There will be a proctored final exam at the end of the course. You must complete each questionnaire with a minimum score of 75 percent in order to take
the final exam. (You can retake the questionnaires as many times as you need
to.) After you complete and pass all the questionnaires, you can schedule your
final exam. Then, to receive your Diamond Essentials certificate, you must
score at least 75 percent on the final.
The Accredited Jewelry Professional (AJP)
diploma from GIA (top) is a great achievement. These credentials on your business
card (bottom) show customers that you’re
knowledgeable and serious about your work.
You’ll find final exam instructions in this binder, toward the end of the
course. Make sure that you read them carefully. You don’t need to arrange
to take the final exam until you’re nearly finished with the course.
Help Isn’t Far Away
Your GIA distance education instructor is always just a quick email message or phone call away. Your instructor is available by phone Monday
through Friday. GIA instructors are gemology experts with many years of
trade experience. They’ll answer your questions, clarify any parts of the text
that you’re unsure of, and help you with study hints. You’ll also receive
feedback from your instructor in the form of comment sheets attached to
your questionnaires. The comment sheets are useful for review when the
time comes to take your final exam.
By using all the resources available to you as you progress through this
course—and others you might take in the future—you’ll get the most out of
your GIA distance education.
What’s to Come
You’ve learned a lot in this first assignment. The rest of the course will help
you understand how diamonds are evaluated and traded in today’s jewelry
industry by building on what you’ve learned so far.
In the next assignment, you’ll learn more about diamond clarity. You’ll learn
about the GIA diamond clarity scale, and see how clarity affects diamond
value. You’ll also see how a seasoned sales associate—Adam Stone—explains
clarity to a retail customer. It’s a lesson worth learning.
28
DIAMONDS AND DIAMOND VALUE
Romance is an important factor in diamond jewelry sales.
Diamond is a mineral made of a single element: carbon.
A diamond’s value is based on its own unique combination of
the Four Cs.
Inclusions normally have more impact on a diamond’s beauty and
value than blemishes.
Diamond is the most durable gemstone.
Diamonds are expensive because they’re rare and costly to mine.
Brand names are effective diamond sales tools.
Consistent study habits are the key to success in
distance education.
Key Terms
Baguette—A small, four-sided step cut
that’s rectangular, square, or tapered.
Blemish—Clarity characteristic that’s
confined to the surface of a polished
gemstone.
Branded cut—Cutting style that’s
developed, named, and promoted by
a specific manufacturer.
Brilliance—The brightness created by the
combination of all the white light reflections from the surface and the inside of a
polished diamond.
Brilliant cut—Cutting style with triangular
or kite-shaped facets that radiate from
the center toward the girdle.
Clarity characteristics—The collective
term for inclusions and blemishes.
29
DIAMOND
ESSENTIALS
1
Crown—Top part of the gem above the girdle.
Culet—Small facet at the bottom of a finished
gem.
Mohs scale—Ranking of the relative hardness
of 10 minerals.
Durability—A gemstone’s ability to withstand
wear, heat, and chemicals.
Near-gem quality—Rough gem material that
requires substantially more processing than
gem-quality rough to produce a polished gem
suitable for use in jewelry.
Facet—A flat, polished surface on a finished
gem.
Pavilion—Lower part of a faceted gem below
the girdle.
Fancy cut—Any gemstone shape other than
round.
Point—One hundredth of a carat (0.01 ct.).
Fire—The flashes of color you see in a
polished diamond.
Scintillation—The flashes of light you see
when the diamond, the light, or the observer
moves.
Four Cs—Four value factors (clarity, color, cut,
and carat weight) that describe the quality of a
finished diamond.
Simulant—A natural or manmade material that
resembles a gem (also called imitation).
Gem quality—Rough gem material that
requires normal processing to produce a
polished gem suitable for use in jewelry.
Girdle—The narrow section of a finished gem
that forms the boundary between the crown
and the pavilion and functions as the gem’s
setting edge.
Hardness—How well a gemstone resists
scratches and abrasion.
Inclusion—Clarity characteristic totally
enclosed in a polished gemstone or extending
into it from the surface.
Single cut—A round stone with 17 or 18
facets.
Stability—How well a diamond resists chemicals and temperature changes.
Standard round brilliant—A round brilliant-cut
stone with 57 or 58 facets. Often called a full
cut.
Step cut—A cutting style that features long,
narrow facets in rows (usually three) parallel
to the girdle on both the crown and pavilion.
Synthetic gem—A manmade gem with essentially the same chemical composition, crystal
structure, and properties as a natural gem.
Industrial quality—Rough gem material suitable for use in tools, drills, abrasives, and other
industrial applications.
Thermal shock—Damage caused by sudden,
extreme temperature changes.
Karat—A unit of measure for the fineness of
gold, abbreviated “K” or “Kt.”
Toughness—How well a gemstone resists
breaking and chipping.
Metric carat—The international unit of
measurement for gem weight. One carat
equals one-fifth of a gram (0.200 g).
Value factors—Features used to judge the
quality and value of all gemstones.
Mixed cut—Cut that combines brilliant-cut and
step-cut styles.
30
DIAMOND
ESSENTIALS
1
PHOTO COURTESIES
The Gemological Institute of America gratefully acknowledges the following people
and organizations for their assistance in gathering or producing some of the
images used in this assignment:
23rd St. Shoppe (Santa Monica, CA), 22 (top)
Ambar Diamonds, 17 (top right)
Ashton Mining Limited, 6 (top), 9
Barker & Co., 16
BHP Billiton Diamonds, Inc., 20 (top)
Diamond Trading Company, 20 (bottom), 21 (top left and right)
Jewelry by Pampillonia Designs and Platinum Guild, 18 (bottom)
Orra, 26
Thomas Hunn, 21 (bottom right)
Traditional Jewelers, 2
William Goldberg Diamond Corporation, 10
31
8/2007