subject: Certified Loose Diamonds [print this page] If you are looking for diamonds which have been certified, then you know you'll be looking for stones which will provide good value. Created in 1890, a business known as the London Diamond Syndicate was a collaboration of sellers and buyers of diamonds pulled from the earth at the DeBeers mines in South Africa. Today's diamonds which have been certified have been graded by a gemological lab. They are studied and categorized for their carat weight, color, cut, and clarity. That first syndicate utilized a color grading system as they sorted through the rough diamonds. These early methods lacked consistency and used such terms such as Brown to describe diamond colors.
The America GIA, which is the gemological Institute of America, was established in the early 1930s. They were created in order to educate the industry by means of gemological instrumentation and research. Robert M. Shipley, a former retailer of jewelry, organized this new society in his home. They provided mail-order courses as well as gem testing services. They grew and honed their testing techniques as well as purchasing specialized equipment. In 1953 they developed the four Cs of the diamond industry as well as an official grading system for diamonds which is used worldwide.
Diamonds today are based on the GIA standards. Certified Loose Diamonds carat weight is measured by means of electronic micro balances. These measurements are taken to the fifth decimal place. Colors are graded against a set of so-called master stones, of a predetermined color and viewed under controlled lighting and against definitive backgrounds. Diamond stones are checked for blemishes or inclusions by a 10X microscope. Evaluators will judge if the stone is real or synthetic, when they do the clarity grading. They'll also check for color enhancement or fracture filling. The latter is when a diamond has a fracture and its made to look like it doesnt have one. The cut of a diamond does not refer to the stones shape alone.
The cut is a measurement of its polish, proportions, facet uniformity, and symmetry. The certificate included with the diamond will have basic info such as measurements, fluorescence, and shape. One might ask why purchasing certified diamonds is the best way to go. They been verified as to their quality and this allows customers to buy them with confidence. They won't have to rely on a salespersons often skewed opinion. Certified stones hold a better value, simplify the comparison process, and can broaden a consumer's shopping base.
