Gemstone Reference
DIAMONDS
All Hearts&Diamonds Jewelry equipped with diamonds sized 0.5 carat or bigger come with GIA certificate.
Diamond Cut
The diamond cut is the most important element to consider when buying a diamond. The cut is the biggest factor in creating sparkle and fire, and without a high cut grade even a diamond of high quality can appear dull and lifeless. A diamond cut poorly and too deep can face-up smaller than it actually is.
The cut of a diamond has the greatest influence on it's sparkle. Even if a diamond has a perfect clarity and color grade, if it has a poor cut, it may appear dull.
A well-cut diamond will often appear larger than a poorly-cut diamond of the same carat weight, and have the appearance of enhanced color and clarity.
When diamond cuts are made with the proper proportions, light is returned out of the top of the diamond (which gemologists refer to as the table). If the cuts are too shallow, light leaks out of the bottom; too deep and it escapes out of the side.
The Gemological Institute of America (GIA), considered to be one of the most respected laboratories for grading natural diamonds, uses the following language on their certificates to grade cut for round diamonds: Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair, Poor.
| Excellent Cut | Exquisite quality cut to create the optimal combination of brilliance and fire. Reflects nearly all light that enters the diamond. Top 3% of diamond quality based on cut. |
| Very Good Cut | Superior quality cut that reflects nearly as much light as the ideal cut while at a substantially lower cost. This cut represents roughly the top 15% of diamond cut quality. |
| Good Cut | Premium quality cut to optimize the size without sacrificing quality or beauty. This cut represents roughly the top 25% of diamond cut quality. It reflects most light that enters, but not as much as a Very Good cut grade. |
| Fair Cut | Adequate quality cut that reflects some light while maximizing weight. While not as brilliant as a good cut, still a quality diamond. |
| Poor Cut | These diamonds tend to appear dull or glassy. |
At Hearts&Diamonds, we only use good or better rated diamonds to create the most sparkling and enjoyable jewelry.
COLOR
The highest quality diamonds are colorless, while those of lower quality have noticeable color, which manifests as pale yellow in diamonds.
The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) grades diamond color on a scale of D (colorless) to Z (light yellow or brown). Diamonds rated D are the most devoid of color and very rare, whereas G color diamonds and H color diamonds are near colorless, and since they’re priced lower, they are excellent value diamonds. The more you move down the color chart, the lower the color grade is, and the more noticeable the light-yellow hue becomes.
Color of Diamonds:
| D (colorless) | A D color diamond is the highest grade and is extremely rare — the highest color grade that money can buy. |
| E (colorless) | Like D color diamonds, E color diamonds are quite rare and have minute traces of color largely unnoticeable to an untrained eye. It takes an expert gemologist to detect the minute traces of color in this grade comparing to a D grade diamond. |
| F (colorless) | Only a gemologist can detect the minute color differences between E, F, and D color diamonds. F color diamonds are comparable to D or E color diamonds. The whitest of white diamonds, D-F color diamonds, pair well with white gold or platinum settings. |
| G (near colorless) | In G color diamonds, the very slight warm and light-yellow tone is difficult to detect unless compared side-by-side with diamonds of better grades. An excellent value, this color grade pairs well with yellow gold. |
| H (near colorless) | The faint yellow hue is also difficult to detect in H color diamonds, which are an excellent value and pair well with yellow gold settings. The color difference between H color diamonds and G color diamonds is very difficult to detect unless compared side-by-side against diamonds of higher color grades. |
| I ( near colorless) | Still a great value, the slight yellow tint of I color diamonds are only detected when compared side-by-side with diamonds of H grades or higher. This color grade also pairs well with yellow gold. |
| J (near colorless) | A good value, the naked eye can’t easily detect the light-yellow tone unless compared side-by-side with diamonds of I grades or higher. J color grade diamonds pair well with yellow gold ring settings. |
| K (faint) | A great value, K color diamonds provide a great value as you look into larger carat weights. Their faint color is hard to differentiate even compared side by side to J color diamonds. |
| L-Z (faint to light color) | From L color diamonds on, a warm tint is visible to the naked eye. |
Hearts&Diamonds features only colorless (D-F, perfectly white) or near colorless (G-H, no detectable color) diamonds throughout the collection to match the quality of our craftsmanship with the best materials and create outstanding, beautiful jewelry.
Diamond Clarity
Diamond clarity is the assessment of small imperfections on the surface and internally. The surface flaws are called blemishes, and internal defects are known as inclusions. These tiny, natural blemishes and inclusions are microscopic and do not affect a diamond’s beauty in any way. Diamonds with the least and smallest inclusions receive the highest clarity grades.
Diamond types according to the GIA clarity grading scale:
| Flawless (FL) Diamonds | Inclusions and blemishes aren’t visible on flawless diamonds, even under 10x magnification. Less than 1% of all diamonds are FL clarity. A flawless diamond is incredibly rare because it's nearly impossible to find a diamond 100% free of inclusions. |
| Internally Flawless (IF) Diamonds | Inclusions aren’t visible in internally flawless diamonds under 10x magnification. Some small surface blemishes may be visible on IF diamonds. |
| Very Very Slightly Included (VVS) Diamonds - VVS1, VVS2 |
VVS diamonds have miniscule inclusions that are difficult even for trained eyes to see under 10x magnification. VVS2 clarity diamonds have slightly more inclusions than the VVS1 grade. A VVS diamond is an excellent quality diamond and clarity grade. |
| Very Slightly Included (VS) Diamonds - VS1, VS2 | VS diamonds have minor inclusions that cannot be seen without 10x magnification. VS1 is a higher clarity grade than VS2, which may have some visible inclusions. A VS grade diamond is less expensive than a VVS diamond. |
| Slightly Included (SI) Diamonds - SI1, SI2 | Inclusions are noticeable at 10x magnification with SI diamonds, the best value diamonds. With SI1 diamonds, inclusions are sometimes visible to the keen eye without magnification. SI2 clarity grade diamond inclusions are usually visible from the pavilion, or cone-shaped lower portion, and from the top. |
| I1 Included Diamonds | I1 diamonds have minor inclusions that may be visible to the naked eye. |
| I2, I3 Heavily Included Diamonds | I2 and I3 diamonds may have more obvious inclusions at 10x and may be visible to the naked eye. |
VS diamonds and SI diamonds are generally considered eye-clean diamonds and present the best value.
Hearts&Diamonds features only diamonds of VS clarity or better throughout the collection to match the quality of our craftsmanship with the best materials and create outstanding, beautiful jewelry.
As fine jewelry atelier, we are able to accommodate all kinds of custom requests. Just get in touch at contact@heartsanddiamonds.com to discuss the specifics of your unique jewelry.