Frequently Asked Questions

How are Diamonds Formed and Graded?

Diamond, which is solely composed of the element carbon, is the hardest substance known to man. Diamonds were formed many thousands of years ago more than one hundred miles below the earth’s surface in molten lava which then hardened. Over time the forces of erosion moved some of these diamonds around, which explains why they are found in rivers or streams, often very far from their original source of creation. Diamonds are mined from the hardened lava “Diamond Pipes” and removed from the surrounding rock, which is called “Kimberlite”. The process of panning and digging river beds is known as alluvial mining. Many times rich alluvial deposits are found in pockets, that have washed away the lighter Kimberlite, leaving a high concentration of diamond rough. If you were to place a rough diamond next to a polished one, you may not even be able to tell they are actually the same stone! A rough diamond looks cloudy (not attractive at all!).

                  After diamonds are mined they go through many hands, where they are sorted, graded, and packed in boxes called “sights” to be sold to a very select group of diamond dealers called “sight holders”. These dealers are either cutters or buying to sell the rough diamonds to other cutters. It is the cutter that unlocks the diamond’s inner beauty and brilliance. Diamond cutting is truly an art, the cutter must make a decision, which balances how to retain the most weight from a piece of rough, while at the same time cutting one or more stones which will yield the greatest value based upon their finished sizes, clarity, colors, and shapes. The cutter must be able to envision the finished product before he starts his work.

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            The way a diamond handles the light, and its individual sparkle, is called its fire or brilliance. This brilliance and fire can be scientifically measured and defined. The closer to mathematical perfection the cut, the better the fire. Think of these facets as tiny mirrors positioned so as to reflect light back and forth to each other - then out the top of the diamond. When cut properly, good sparkle and fire are the result. In a badly cut diamond, the facets do not line up properly to reflect the fire and sparkle out the top of the diamond - a lifeless diamond.

            The four C’s are a diamond grading system developed by the Gemological Institute of America (G.I.A.) which is widely used in the jewelry industry today. The four C’s are Carat, Clarity, Color, and Cut. The combination of these factors determines the relative quality and value of a diamond.

            Of all the four C’s, cut is the one most directly influenced by the person who cuts the stone. The other three are dictated by nature. Diamonds may be cut into a number of shapes, depending on the nature of the rough stone. The cut or make of a stone will dramatically influence its fire and sparkle, for it is the cutter’s skill that releases its beauty.

            The correct cut of a diamond will bring out its true fire and brilliance; a correct cut allows the greatest amount of light to enter, reflect, and exit from the top of the diamond. If the diamond’s depth is too thick, the light entering the diamond will be absorbed and refracted out the side of the diamond. Diamonds with thin, shallow depth will cause the light to pass through it-which greatly diminishes the brilliance.

            Gemstones can have one of several different shapes which are known as “cuts”. Shape should not be confused with cut, one of the major factors (the “4 C’s”) that help determine the value of a gemstone. The most popular of all gemstone “cuts” is the Round Cut.

Diamond Cuts:

·         Round Cut

·         Emerald Cut

·         Oval Cut

·         Heart Shape

·         Pear

·         Marquise

·         Princess

The ideal cut is the mathematical formula for cutting diamonds to precise angles and proportions to gain the optimum reflection and refraction of light.

You may choose to compromise on color, clarity, or carat-weight, but to ensure that you have the most brilliant possible diamond, you should not compromise on the cut.

When a diamond is ideally cut, light rays from all sides are bent towards the center of the stone and are reflected back through the top in a blaze of light.

If a diamond isn’t ideally cut, light will “leak” out through the sides or bottom of the diamond. The ideal cut guarantees you a spectacular balance of brilliance, sparkle, and fire.

When you buy a non-ideal cut diamond, it will be cut to retain the maximum weight from the original piece of rough diamond. The extra depth or thickness of a non-ideal cut diamond may increase the carat-weight of the diamond, but the play of light and sparkle are reduced.

Diamonds come in every color of the rainbow, including yellow, gray, brown, and black. Subtle color differences can make a major price difference in the cost of a gemstone. There are the perfect colors accepted for some gemstones. The closer the gem comes to the perfect color, the more expensive it may be. Although the majority of gem quality diamonds appear to be colorless, others can contain increasing tinges of yellow, some of which are referred to as champagne diamonds. It is a totally colorless diamond that allows white light to pass effortlessly and be dispersed as rainbows of color. Very rare diamonds of exceptional color - green, red, blue, pink, or amber- are known as “Fancies” and are more costly than colorless diamonds.

Above is a color grading scale from totally colorless, to light yellow and brown. The differences between one grade and another are very subtle, as can be seen by the number of grades within any one category. 

Almost all diamonds, except internally flawless, will contain minute traces of non-crystallized carbon or small non-diamond crystals. Most are not discernible to the naked eye and require magnification to become visible. Called inclusions, they are nature’s fingerprint and make every diamond unique. Minute inclusions neither mar its beauty nor endanger its beauty; however, the fewer they are, the more rare and expensive the diamond will be.

CLARITY GRADING:

            As with all diamonds and colored gemstones, the weight - and therefore the size - is expressed in carats. The carat originated as a natural unit of weight: the seeds of the carob tree. Diamonds were traditionally weighed against these seeds, however, the system was later standardized and one carat was fixed at 200 milligrams (one-fifth of a gram).

            One carat is divided into 100 “points” so that a diamond of 25 points is described as a quarter carat or 0.25 carats. Size is the most obvious factor on determining the value of a diamond, but two diamonds of equal size can have unequal prices, depending on their color, cut, and inclusions. Diamonds of all quality can be found in all size and price ranges.

Colored Stones

The term "semi-precious" is somewhat misleading as it suggests that some gemstones have inferior value. Years ago, most people considered Ruby, Emerald and Sapphire as the "precious" gemstones and all others as "semi-precious."

In truth, all natural colored gemstones are rare and precious and their prices are determined by the availability and quality of the gemstone.

Birthstones

January - Garnet
This gem comes in every color except blue, and its green hue is nearly impossible to find over one carat. Garnets are usually carried as an amulet to avoid accidents during travel. The Asiatic and South West Indians used them as bullets while the Persians regarded them as royal gems. Today, the red garnet is believed to relieve fever and the yellow garnet to cure jaundice.

February - Amethyst
There are many shades of this purple crystalline quartz. The amethyst was originally thought to ward off drunkenness. Go figure! Those who wore the stone believed they could keep and project a serious and sober mind no matter how abundant the wine flowed. Amethysts have distinctive inclusions that resemble tiger stripes or individual thumbprints making each stone as individual as its owner.

March - Aquamarine
From the Latin word meaning seawater, aquamarines have been most preferred in the sea-green hue. However, after the nineteenth century, the color of choice became the sky and dark blues. To enhance the color, most of these stones have been heat-treated. However, too much heat can cause the stone to become colorless. Though the best gem quality aquamarines are found in Russia, Afghanistan, and India, Brazil has offered up the supreme choices in these gems- including a 243-pound aquamarine found in 1910. The American museum now carries a 13-pound chunk of this stone.

April - Diamond
The hardest of all stones, the diamond is also considered the most valuable. Formed under high pressure and over fifty miles underground, the diamond comes in a variety of colors. Though clear is the most popular, diamonds can also be found in yellow, brown, green, blue, pink, red, gray, and black. Western civilizations believed the diamond could bring courage, fortitude, superior strength, and marital happiness. No wonder the diamond is a girl's best friend!

May - Emerald
Throughout history, as far back as 4,000 B.C., emeralds have been viewed as one of the most coveted gemstones in the world. First traded in the Babylonian gem market and mined in ancient Egypt near the Red Sea, gem quality emeralds are rare; they can be considered just as if not more valuable than diamonds. It is said Nero used giant emeralds as sunglasses to watch the chariot races. Emeralds are believed to help women in the ills of childbirth as well as increase fortune.

June - Pearl
Once believed to be tears of the Gods, pearls are actually formed in shellfish as a natural defense against irritants. Secretions known as nacre are built up around the irritant- usually grit- and eventually form a solid pearl. They come in a variety of colors, white, pink, brown, or black, depending on the shellfish and the water. Pearls were once royal gems worn only with permission by the elite. It was thought their color depended on the weather of the sea; good weather meant white pearls, dark weather meant black pearls.

July - Ruby
Second only to the diamond in hardness, the ruby is a perfect gem for setting. However, the deep red color that is most popular is so scarce that to find a two- carat stone is rare. This deep red color led the ancient Burmese to believe that it came from a deep valley and its blood related hue helped with hemorrhaging and blood related ailments. A little closer to the heart however, rubies could stop evil thoughts, rekindle desire and stop lover's disputes.

August - Peridot
An olive or bottle green crystal, the peridot is a stone with a mystical reputation. Brought to Europe by the crusaders, it was said this stone was an eye into the future and held intense powers. Peridots are actually specimens of the mineral "olivine" and have a distinctive oily or greasy luster. Good quality crystals are very hard to find.

September - Sapphire
Although usually associated with the color blue, sapphires occur in a wide range of colors; including violet, reddish-orange, clear, and pink. Since the Middle Ages, sapphires have symbolized the peace and tranquility of the heavens. The sapphire is also believed to have the power to suppress wicked and impure thoughts in the wearer as well as kill snakes with its rays! For its powers to be utilized, the stone was said to have to be directly on the skin. The ancient Persians used to believe that the world rested on a giant sapphire.

October - Opal
Much like amber, the opal is not a crystalline gem, but a hardened silica gel that contains 5-10 percent water. Therefore it tends to crack or dry out after time, but its beauty is timeless. The precious opal, the most common in jewelry, is iridescent and shows flashes of color. The Romans believed the opal to be a symbol of hope and purity. At the same time, Arabs believed the opal was born from flashes of lightning and protected the wearer from disease.

November - Topaz
Believed to be from the Sanskrit word topas, meaning, "fire." Topaz comes in a myriad of different shades from yellow and blue to pink and green. However, true pink stones are very rare as most pink stones on the market are merely heat-treated yellow gems. Topaz is considered the wonder drug of all stones, being powdered to cure asthma, insomnia, burns, and hemorrhage.

December - Zircon
Derived from the Arabic word zargon, meaning "Gold Color," the zircon is ironically, in its purest form, colorless. It is for this reason that it has been used on purpose and by accident in place of a diamond. It is its slight impurities that cause its yellow, orange, blue, red, brown, and even gold colors. Blue stones that revert to brown can return to a blue color after being reheated. So, in all practicality, zircon is the mood stone in the gem world. It was believed that these stones would enable the wearer with wisdom, honor, and riches. Its loss of luster was said to warn of danger.

At Pointer’s Jewelers, we believe every gemstone is beautiful and uniquely individual just like the person who wears and enjoys it.

Pearls

All About Metals

What do the markings mean on a piece of jewelry?

Gold

24 karat gold is 24 parts gold or 100% pure gold. This is far too soft to be used for jewelry use, so it is mixed (alloyed) with harder metals to make it suitable for wear.

18 karat is 18 out of 24 parts pure gold mixed with 6 parts of an alloy. Many times 18k is expressed as .750, or 75% pure gold with 25% alloy. Jewelry bought in Europe and much of Asia is quite often made of 18k gold.

14 karat is 14 out of 24 parts pure gold that has been mixed with 10 parts alloy. It can also be expressed as .585, or 58.5% pure gold with 41.5% alloy. This is the most popular karat of gold sold in the United States.

10 karat is 10 out of 24 parts pure gold that has been mixed with 24 parts alloy. It may also be stamped as .417, or 41.7% pure gold with 58.3% of alloy. While 10k gold is harder than the above mentioned karats, it also tends to be somewhat more brittle. 10 karat gold is the legal minimum of what can be sold as karat gold in the United States.

Other karats of gold are fairly common around the world. In England, the jewelry you purchase probably will be 9kt, while India is mostly 22kt.

An example of the different compositions of gold would be:

      Yellow Gold: copper, silver, zinc

      White Gold: copper, nickel, zinc

      Rose Gold: copper

      Green Gold: silver

Platinum

Platinum is called the noblest of all metals. Platinum is a pure white, hard and very dense metal. It is more difficult to work with than gold (and many jewelers won’t even touch it!), but is an ideal metal for jewelry because it hardly ever wears out. I have many years of working with this metal. 

Sterling Silver

Pure silver is .999 fine. As with pure gold though, this is really too soft for jewelry use. Sterling silver is marked .925, which means 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% alloy (usually copper).

Vermeil

If you find a piece that is marked vermeil, it means it is sterling silver that has very heavy gold plating.

Gold Filled

If you have a piece that is marked with something similar to “1/20^th 12kt G.F.”, it means that the base metal has a layer of karat gold bonded to it.

Gold Plated

If the piece you are looking at is marked with 18k H.G.E., that means it has been heavy gold electroplated and has no actual gold content. The thin layer of metal that has been applied to it is actually measured in thousands of an inch!

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