Xiang Yang Jewelry Co. Ltd.

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About Xiang Yang Jewelry Co. Ltd.

Meet me and my little history

Diamond Anatomy

  1. Diameter: The width of the diamond as measured through the girdle.
  2. Table: This is the large, flat top facet of a diamond.
  3. Crown: The upper portion of a cut gemstone, above the girdle.
  4. Girdle: The narrow rim of a diamond that separates the crown from the pavilion. It is the largest diameter to any part of the stone.
  5. Pavilion: The lower portion of the diamond, below the girdle. It is sometimes referred to as the base.
  6. Culet: The tiny facet on the pointed bottom of the pavilion, which is the portion of a cut gem below the girdle.
  7. Depth: The height of a gemstone, from the culet to the table.
  • ROUND
  • PRINCESS
  • CUSHION
  • EMERALD
  • RADIANT
  • HEART
  • PEAR
  • MARQUISE
  • OVAL
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Diamond Carat

A carat is a unit of measurement, it's the unit used to weigh a diamond. One carat is equal to 200 milligrams, or 0.2 grams

The word "carat" is taken from the carob seeds that people once used in ancient times to balance scales. So uniform in shape and weight are these little seeds that even today's sophisticated instruments cannot detect more than three one-thousandths of a difference between them.

[NOTE: Don't confuse "carat weight" with "karat," the method of determining the purity of gold.]

The process that forms a diamond happens only in very rare circumstances, and typically the natural materials required are found only in small amounts. That means that larger diamonds are uncovered less often than smaller ones. Thus, large diamonds are rare and have a greater value per carat. For that reason, the price of a diamond rises exponentially to its size.

Diamond Color

“Color” refers to the presence or absence of color in white diamonds. Color is a result of the composition of the diamond, and it never changes over time.

Because a colorless diamond, like a clear window, allows more light to pass through it than a colored diamond, colorless diamonds emit more sparkle and fire. The formation process of a diamond ensures that only a few, rare diamonds are truly colorless. Thus the whiter a diamond's color, the greater its value.

[NOTE: Fancy color diamonds do not follow this rule. These diamonds, which are very rare and very expensive, can be any color from blue to green to bright yellow. They are actually more valuable for their color.]

To grade 'whiteness' or colorlessness, most jewelers refer to GIA's professional color scale that begins with the highest rating of D for colorless, and travels down the alphabet to grade stones with traces of very faint or light yellowish or brownish color. The color scale continues all the way to Z

What is Fluorescence?

Fluorescence is an effect that is seen in some gem-quality diamonds when they are exposed to long-wave ultraviolet light (such as the lighting frequently seen in dance clubs). Under most lighting conditions, this fluorescence is not detectable to the eye. While most gemologists prefer diamonds without this effect, some people enjoy it. It's really just a matter of aesthetics.

Diamond Clarity

When we speak of a diamond's clarity, we are referring to the presence of identifying characteristics on (blemishes) and within (inclusions) the stone. If you think about the incredible amount of pressure it takes to create a diamond, it's no surprise that most diamonds have flaws.

Basically there are two types of flaws: inclusions and blemishes. Inclusions refer to internal flaws and blemishes refer to surface flaws. However, in the diamond grades listed below, you'll note that none of the grades include the term "blemish" -- for the purposes of grading diamonds, all flaws are called "inclusions."

Inclusions include flaws such as air bubbles, cracks, and non-diamond minerals found in the diamond. Blemishes include scratches, pits, and chips. Some blemishes occur during the cutting processes (most often at the girdle). Diamonds with no or few inclusions and blemishes are more highly valued than those with less clarity because they are rarer.

Diamonds are graded for clarity under 10x loupe magnification. Grades range from Flawless (diamonds which are completely free of blemishes and inclusions), to Included 3 (diamonds which possess large, heavy blemishes and inclusions that are visible to the naked eye).

  1. F :

    Flawless: No internal or external flaws. Extremely rare.

  2. IF :

    Internally Flawless: no internal flaws, but some surface flaws. Very rare.

  3. VVS1-VVS2 :

    Very Very Slightly Included (two grades). Minute inclusions very difficult to detect under 10x magnification by a trained gemologist.

  4. VS1-VS2 :

    Very Slightly Included (two grades). Minute inclusions seen only with difficulty under 10x magnification.

  5. SI1-SI2 :

    Very Slightly Included (two grades). Minute inclusions seen only with difficulty under 10x magnification.

  6. I1-I2-I3 :

    Included (three grades). Inclusions visible under 10x magnification AS WELL AS to the human eye. We do not recommend buying diamonds in any of these grades.

While the presence of these clarity characteristics (inclusions and blemishes) do lower the clarity grade of a diamond, they can also be viewed as proof of a diamond's identity. GIA certificates include what is known as a "plot" of a diamond's inclusions -- think of it as a "diamond fingerprint." Since no two diamonds are exactly the same, comparing the uniqueness of your diamond's clarity characteristics with the plot provided on the diamond certificate offers assurance that the diamond you pay for is the same diamond you receive.