Diamonds
A History Of Diamond Cutting
This article gives an overview of the history of diamond cutting. For detailed descriptions of the different diamond cuts see ...
Read More
Read More
Adamantine Luster
Adamantine is the term used to describe the luster exhibited by diamonds and gems with a Refractive Index of 1.9 - 2.5. The root word adamant ...
Read More
Read More
Agra Diamond
Like many historical diamonds, the Agra’s saga is a familiar combination of fact and legend, leaving the reader with the challenging ...
Read More
Read More
Akbar Shah Diamond
Unfortunately, the history of famous diamonds is not without its list of casualties. In this category are those magnificent stones that somehow ...
Read More
Read More
Allochromatic
The term allochromatic is used in reference to gem materials that derive their color from elements that are not an ...
Read More
Read More
Archduke Joseph Diamond
This stone enjoys the distinction of being the twelfth largest “perfect” diamond in the world. Named for a military man of ...
Read More
Read More
Asscher Cut
In 1902 the Dutch diamond cutter Joseph Asscher developed the cut that would carry his name on into the future ...
Read More
Read More
Baguette Cut
The baguette cut represents an elongated, rectangular table cut. The modern version, as in the ring on the right, was (re)introduced ...
Read More
Read More
Banjarmasin Diamond
One could rightfully call this stone the Rodney Dangerfield of diamonds. Almost from the moment of its discovery, this diamond has ...
Read More
Read More
Beau Sancy
This diamond's name is taken from its first recorded French owner, Nicolas Harlay de Sancy, a fancier of fine gems who ...
Read More
Read More
Brilliant Cut
Diamonds as We Know Them When we think of a diamond, most of us will form an image in our ...
Read More
Read More
Briolette Cut
Edwardian Garland Motif Pendant Suspending a Briolette Cut Diamond. Briolettes are drop shaped, multi faceted stones. They are unique in ...
Read More
Read More
Brunswick Blue
To paraphrase Charles Dickens, this is a tale of two diamonds. Purportedly cut from the same stone that produced the Hope Diamond, ...
Read More
Read More
Cleveland Diamond
If ever fate has lent a hand in determining the course of a diamond's story, it is this one. Just a ...
Read More
Read More
Cullinan Diamond
It was the late afternoon of January 25, 1905. Employees at the Premier Diamond Mine in the British African colony ...
Read More
Read More
Cushion Cut
Cushion cut is a sexy and romantic name for a squarish ("cushionesque") antique brilliant-cut diamond, sometimes referred to as an ...
Read More
Read More
Darya-ye-Noor Diamond
Darya-ye-Noor Diamond. Darya-ye-Noor, translating “river of light” or “sea of light”, is the product of an undocumented – but what ...
Read More
Read More
Diamond Cutting & Grading
Diamond CutsMain Article Gems & Gemology: The Quarterly Journal of the Gemological Institute of America Diamond Cutting & Grading: Summer 1936, ...
Read More
Read More
Dresden Green
The Dresden Green Diamond in its Setting. Labeled as the greatest example of a naturally green colored diamond, the Dresden Green ...
Read More
Read More
Emerald Cut
The Emerald Cut is a rectangular step cut design which means it has horizontal facets which differ in angles of ...
Read More
Read More
Emperor Maximilian & Maximilian Diamonds
Although these two diamonds are often spoken about in the same breath, no two stones could be more different – ...
Read More
Read More
Eugénie Diamond
Believed to be of Brazilian origin, this much-traveled diamond has not only changed hands many times, it’s also one of the few ...
Read More
Read More
European Cut
Diamonds cut in the later 19th and early 20th-century cutting houses are called 'Old European Cuts', a term which indicates ...
Read More
Read More
Excelsior Diamond
June 30, 1893, appeared to be just another day at the Jagersfontein Mine in South Africa until a worker, performing ...
Read More
Read More
Florentine Diamond
Studying the history of this diamond is an exercise that will challenge even the most talented detective. Almost everything about this diamond’s ...
Read More
Read More
French Cut
Art Deco French-Cut Diamond Straightline Bracelet.The term "French Cut" does not refer to the country of origin, rather It refers ...
Read More
Read More
Golden Jubilee
If you record size as the number one trait in judging the importance of a diamond then this stone would top your ...
Read More
Read More
Great Mogul Diamond
This is the kind of story that would make a great Indiana Jones movie – solving the mystery of the ...
Read More
Read More
Hastings Diamond
If ever there was a famous diamond named for a certified scoundrel, it’s the Hastings Diamond. Using this gem as a tool ...
Read More
Read More
Holland Diamond (Stuart)
This is the story of a diamond whose beginnings and early history are unknown, a casualty of lost or poor documentation. It ...
Read More
Read More
Hope Diamond
Thievery, royalty, revolution, gambling, eccentricity, mystery and curses are all part of the spectacular and storied past that is the ...
Read More
Read More
Hortensia Diamond
It seems each famous diamond has some kind of mystery attached to it, usually involving the location of its discovery, the identity ...
Read More
Read More
Idol’s Eye Diamond
Like many of its contemporaries, the Idol’s Eye diamond possesses an early history that combines a rich mixture of legend, myth, mystery, ...
Read More
Read More
Kazanjian Red
Kazanjian Red Diamond.©Tino Hammid, Los AngelesThis stone belongs to an extremely small – and select - group of diamonds. It ...
Read More
Read More
Koh-i-Noor Diamond
The Fabled Koh-i-Noor Diamond Like other famous gems, the Koh-i-Noor diamond has its share of mystery, intrigue, and curses attached to its ...
Read More
Read More
Laboratory Grown
Gemstones that are produced by man are generally termed "laboratory grown". These can be synthetics or other inorganic minerals that have no ...
Read More
Read More
Laser Drilling
Laser Drilled Diamond. The Drill Channels you See are Not All Individual Channels, for the Most Part, They are Reflections.Image ...
Read More
Read More
Le Grand Condé
Louis II de Bourbon - aka le Grand Condé If there was an award for the most gaps in a ...
Read More
Read More
Lozenge Shape
A lozenge-shaped diamond is one that is rhomboid in outline. This geometric outline is also known as "diamond" shaped, but ...
Read More
Read More
Marquise Cut
The Marquise Cut (a.k.a. the Navette Cut after the Latin 'navalis', meaning boat-shaped) can be traced back to Paris around ...
Read More
Read More
Mirror of Portugal
Owners of this stone ranged from the tenacious to the hapless, the romantic to the cunning. This diamond helped persuade a Queen ...
Read More
Read More
Mounting on Moor
"Mounting on moor" refers to the tinting of diamonds on the pavilion to create a more uniform color and to hide dark ...
Read More
Read More
Mughal Cut
Around the Same Time, Diamond Cutting Began in Europe the Indians Started Fashioning Diamonds. Who Influenced Who Here Isn't Clear ...
Read More
Read More
Orlov Diamond
Perhaps there is no famous diamond with a more disputed history than that of the Orlov. Through the passage of ...
Read More
Read More
Paste Jewelry
Paste jewelry is costume jewelry, mainly set with colored and/or colorless glass. During the eighteenth century with the vogue for faceted gems and diamonds, the demand ...
Read More
Read More
Pear Shape
Pear-shape refers to the shape of a faceted gemstone that comes to a point at one end and is rounded at the opposite ...
Read More
Read More
Penthièvre
It is a diamond not as well known as its contemporaries. It is somewhat of an anomaly, for through its rich French ...
Read More
Read More
Pigot Diamond
With apologies to Charles Dickens, this diamond’s story could be entitled the “Tale of Two Diamonds” for its history diverges ...
Read More
Read More
Princess Cut
Being one of the more modern diamond cuts the Princess Cut is often indicated as being a square brilliant but this is ...
Read More
Read More
Queen of Holland
As diamonds go this one is pretty impressive, not only because of its size but because of its renowned quality ...
Read More
Read More
Regent Diamond
This magnificent gem has generated enough fodder to churn out a series of pulp fiction novels. Its travel through history is intertwined ...
Read More
Read More
Rhinestone
Rhinestone is the name given to rock crystal which is faceted to imitate diamond. It is also a name for ...
Read More
Read More
Sancy Diamond
Sancy Diamond - Part of the Crown Jewels of France on Display at the Louvre.Diamonds tend to be described in such ...
Read More
Read More
Scintillation
Scintillation is the term that describes the flashes of light reflected off the facets of a gemstone as it moves. Victorian Cluster Ring with ...
Read More
Read More
Shah Diamond
Imagine a diamond where the reader is not faced with the challenge of trying to separate fact from fiction when researching ...
Read More
Read More
Shah Jahan Table-Cut
By any gemological standard, the Shah Jahan Table-Cut Diamond is one impressive stone. Like many of its contemporaries, this diamond has gone ...
Read More
Read More
Shield Cut
The term shield cut, as suggested by Tillander, indicates all historical triangular cuts. The basic blueprint comes from half an ...
Read More
Read More
Single Cut
Old Single Cut An Old Single Cut; a Square Table Cut with Faceted Corners.The Old Single Cut is a variation ...
Read More
Read More
Specific Gravity
Specific Gravity is the ratio of the weight of a substance to the weight of an equal volume of water ...
Read More
Read More
Synthetic Diamond
Video Presentation on Diamond SynthesisGems & Gemology: The Quarterly Journal of the Gemological Institute of America. Synthetic Diamond: March-April 1935, Synthetic ...
Read More
Read More
Synthetic Gemstone
Synthetic gemstones are artificially created gemstones that have the same chemical build up as their natural counterparts. They therefore harbour the same ...
Read More
Read More
Table Facet
The Crown is Comprised of the Table, Main, Star and Girdle Facets.The table is the largest facet on the crown of a gemstone. This horizontal ...
Read More
Read More
Taylor-Burton Diamond
68.09 ct. Taylor-Burton Diamond, Suspended from an Oscar Heyman & Bros. Necklace. Currently Owned by Mouawad. This diamond is a stone whose ...
Read More
Read More
Wittelsbach
The Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond.Image Courtesy of Christie's Images, 2008 It’s that rare diamond that could match its color to the blue-blood of its ...
Read More
Read More