Diamonds Archives - Knox Jewelers

Diamond’s Rare Hues

Colored diamonds are among the rarest and most coveted gemstones on the planet today. Their legendary nature dates back to ancient times, and they continue to remain some of the most awe-inspiring stones in the world. In fact, only one in 10,000 diamonds has a vibrant color, and the most expensive gemstone ever auctioned – the Graff Pink Diamond – sold for a staggering $46,000,000. These diamonds are rare, beautiful, and superbly valuable, and they would make a great addition to your very own custom engagement ring. At Knox Jewelers, we have extensive experience in working with all kinds of gemstones, including colored diamonds, and we would love to have the opportunity to design a work of art just for you and your loved one. Let’s take a closer look now at the history and background of colored diamonds to see just why they’re so special and valued.

The History and Legacy of Colored Diamonds

Ancient India is the origin of the world’s first color-grading system for diamond stones, wherein they served as a mark of honor and reputation in the caste structure of the country. Depending upon an individual’s specific role in society, they were permitted by the ruling castes to wear one of many different known colored stones of that era.

Since then, the jewelry industry has adopted a number of more modern grading systems for these diamonds, and these systems continue to evolve as the years march forward. Sources of colored diamonds include Southeast Asia and South America in a variety of different countries, including Brazil and Indonesia. From Australia, the Argyle mine produces stunning pink diamonds – among the most coveted of this class of gemstone.

The Rarity and Splendor of Colored Diamonds

Although many of our clients are familiar with the classic gemstones such as sapphires, rubies, and emeralds, many of them are not so familiar with colored diamonds. Nonetheless, these diamonds can easily match the beauty of the former gemstones, and they are bound to make a great addition to any piece of jewelry. After all, there is nothing quite like having a stunning colored diamond center stone to adorn your engagement ring or other jewelry.

Colored diamonds are certainly making a comeback in the industry today, and “fancy colored diamonds” – that is, diamonds which have rich hues and intense colors – are among the most prized by both designers and customers. Colored diamonds are achieving this new found popularity by combining those qualities which make more traditional gemstones like ruby and sapphire so renowned with the durable and enduring properties of diamond. Without a doubt, these rare gems will continue to gain market share and repute.

Design Your Very Own Unique Engagement Ring at Knox Jewelers

At Knox Jewelers, we are experts in designing heirloom jewelry that will last for countless generations and stand the test of time. We want to help you design a custom engagement ring with a colored diamond center stone that truly evokes feelings of love, loyalty, and family – all the necessary ingredients in the creation of a true heirloom. We are proud to help our valued clients to physically manifest these eternal bonds and relationships, and we look forward to helping you create your very own design.

We start with a consultation to determine what your goals are for the piece. Then, we help you select the perfect center stone. Finally, we will make final adjustments to the design and select a metal for the base. As our talented jewelers bring your creation to life, we’ll send you photos of its progress along the way. This process is truly intimate and one-of-a-kind, and you’re sure to remember it fondly well into the future.

Have Any Questions? Let Us Know: We’re Always Happy to Help!

If you happen to have any questions at all about colored diamond stones or the jewelry creation process at Knox Jewelers, please be sure to let us know. We’re always happy to answer any questions you may have, and we look forward to working together with you to design a work of art that will last and be passed down throughout the ages. Get in touch with our friendly and professional staff today, and we’ll get started on the journey to creating your very own, one-of-a-kind piece of custom jewelry.

How Does Light Affect My Diamond?

Diamonds capture our attention and hold it. They accomplish this feat through many different mechanisms, but one of the most visible and noticeable is its reflection of light. Light can affect a diamond in a variety of ways, and each of these ways contributes to diamond’s overall beauty and popularity – after all, there’s a reason why diamonds are often used in metaphors and idioms involving light and perception. Let’s take a look now at some of the different ways in which varying light conditions can sometimes drastically change your diamond’s appearance to make it lighter, darker, or even more colorful.

Why Your Diamond Looks Different Based on Lighting Conditions and the Environment

Think of it this way: Your diamond is a conglomerate of many different tiny mirrors that are each angled in different directions. Thus, your diamond reflects a multitude of different objects in its environment. Then, you have to consider your own viewing angle – how you look at the diamond also changes your perception of it. Try this experiment: Hold your diamond jewelry as far away as you can stretch your arms. Then, hold it as close to your eyes as you can. See the difference? When you hold it close, you’ll reflect the pupils of your eyes. Holding it far away will reflect more of the immediate environment.

How the Cut of a Diamond Affects Its Appearance in Light

Diamonds are typically graded based on their color, clarity, carat weight, and cut. That last item, cut, is essential in determining a particular diamond’s final appearance. In fact, your diamond’s cut plays one of the biggest roles in determining how light will interact with it. There are seven different components that go into determining a diamond’s cut grade: brightness, fire, scintillation, weight ratio, durability, polish, and finally symmetry. Let’s take a closer look at those components now.

Brightness, Fire, and Scintillation: The Perfect Combination

These three attributes describe a particular diamond’s appearance. Your diamond’s cut will determine how vibrant each of these aspects will be in the presence of different lighting conditions. In general, the best and most valuable diamonds channel all three of these attributes for maximum brilliance and beauty.

Weight Ratio, Durability, Polish, and Symmetry: The Four Pillars of Craftsmanship

The other four attributes that determine a diamond’s cut grade are weight ratio, durability, polish, and symmetry. These four aspects collectively describe the quality of the craftsmanship that went into the cut. Well-polished, symmetrical, durable, and balanced diamonds will naturally contribute to a higher cut grade.

How Cut Grades Correspond to Appearances

Cut grades are determined by the preceding seven attributes. But what does this grade mean for your diamond? Let’s break down each of the five grades to see how light affects each one differently.

*Excellent: For the most precise and beautifully-crafted cuts, light will reflect at subtle angles and radiate throughout the surface of the diamond. Only the most well-cut stones receive this rating.

*Very good: An impressive rating that many diamonds strive to achieve: The stone will look stunning under multiple lighting conditions and in different environments.

*Good: A diamond rated “good” will have a balanced brightness, fire, and scintillation score under varied lighting conditions.

*Fair: Average diamonds with a passable brightness, fire, and scintillation profile will achieve a “fair” rating.

*Poor: Self-explanatory.

The Ideal Diamond

The perfect diamond will capture light from its surroundings and display a beautiful show of color and light that captivates your eyes. It will display a clear spectrum of stunning colors as light strikes its surface (fire). As it moves through the environment, it will sparkle radiantly and emit a variety of light and dark patterns (scintillation). It will be bright and luminous (brightness).

How does a well-cut diamond achieve these effects? In short, it directs more light through its top without allowing it to exit through its bottom. A poorly cut stone will do the exact opposite, thus appearing darker under light.

Knox Jewelers: Your Diamond Jewelry Experts

At Knox Jewelers, we have helped countless customers design stunning and unique engagement rings. Many of these custom engagement rings have utilized a diamond center stone for its classic, timeless beauty. If you’re on the market for a custom engagement ring of your own that incorporates a diamond center stone, be sure to get in touch with us today at Knox Jewelers. We look forward to working together with you to design an engagement ring that stands the test of time!

Princess Diamonds – The New Classic Cut

Princess cut diamonds are one of the more exquisite styles of diamond cuts. In fact, it’s one of the most popular diamond cutting styles on the market today – and for good reason. This cut incorporates a number of techniques which allow for a high level of brilliance with a unique faceting style that makes it distinctive from the more traditional round brilliant cuts. Instead, the Princess cut is typically square or rectangular. Let’s take a closer look now at the history of the Princess cut, its variants, and some important considerations to keep in mind when choosing Princess cut diamonds for your jewelry.

The History of Princess Cut Diamonds

Although the Princess cut partially derives its existence from the older, more venerable “French” cut, it did not come into being until the 1960’s. It has definitely kept pace with its competitor, the round brilliant cut, and it is continuing to grow in popularity among our clients here at Knox Jewelers. While the Princess cut may lack the long history of other types of cuts, it more than makes up for that with elegance, precision, and brilliance. No wonder it’s the second-most popular type of diamond cut on the market! Customers who have chosen this cut for their engagement ring agree that the Princess cut is one of the most elegant shapes out there today.

A Variety of Stunning Princess Cut Styles

As you might imagine, not all Princess cut diamonds are created equal. For instance, some Princess cut diamonds may have greater depth, polish, or symmetry than others. To make the process of choosing the right diamond for your Princess cut engagement ring as easy as possible, our expert jewelers here at Knox Jewelers will ensure that your ring has only the finest diamond which balances color, clarity, and depth. After all, there is no industry-wide or standardized consensus on the specific grading of cut on Princess stones, so you’ll want expert guidance in choosing the right one. We have the experience necessary for helping you to make the right choice.

Our Handcrafted Princess Cut Engagement Rings

Each and every design at Knox Jewelers is created by hand and from the ground up – none of our jewelry comes out of a factory. Our artisans and craftspeople are some of the most well-regarded experts in the industry, and we have had the privilege of designing many engagement rings for our valued clients. Be sure to have a look at some of the custom engagement rings we have designed in the past – if you’re interested in incorporating a similar design into your own Princess cut engagement ring, then we would be absolutely thrilled to create a ring that is tailored to your specific desires and ideas.

Some Important Considerations to Keep in Mind

The most important consideration to keep in mind if you’re thinking about investing in a Princess cut diamond for your jewelry is this: Although Princess cut diamonds are very beautiful, their corners tend to be less durable than you might expect due to the way the cut is made. Although we have set many Princess cut diamonds into our handmade, custom-tailored designs for our satisfied customers, we generally recommend that those customers who are looking for crisp and straight edges on their center diamond, to instead opt for a Radiant cut with a square ratio. We usually recommend this option whenever possible due to the improved stability and robustness of the resulting cut. Aside from this important consideration, the Princess cut is an excellent choice for practically any unique engagement ring!

Design Your Own Unique Engagement Ring at Knox Jewelers

Designing a unique engagement ring with our expert staff is an experience of a lifetime. We will work together with you from start to finish to create a Princess cut engagement ring that encompasses the visual and emotional motifs you want to see incorporated into it. There exists perhaps no experience more fulfilling or significant than being able to design a piece of jewelry which symbolizes the love you share with that special someone. We encourage you to get in touch with our friendly staff today and we’ll get started on the process of designing a truly significant engagement ring just for you.

How Diamond Cut Grade Affects Fire, Sparkle, Scintillation

Have you ever looked at a diamond and wondered why some diamonds are more attractive than others? While some are bright and flash with a rainbow of colors, others look dark and lifeless? These differences are all based on the cut and shape of a diamond. Cut grade fuels a diamond’s overall visual appeal in fire, sparkle and scintillation.

The light behavior within a diamond directly correlates to how well a diamond is cut. GIA recognized this relationship of a diamond’s cut and the quality of fire and the return of white light. Developing a grading system that quantifies specific measurements, angles, and percentages GIA was able to determine parameters that embody the best qualities in the cut of a diamond.

Untitled-1-300x108 Diamonds — GIA's Diamond Cut Grade: Example of a Round Brilliant Excellent Cut and Poor Cut

GIA began their 15 year study on the round brilliant by creating a computer model to examine light behavior within a diamond. Developing proportion-based metrics from this model they were able to predict a diamond’s performance on fire and brilliance. However, research proved that computer-based results could not be the only determining factor in judging a diamond’s overall brightness. After surveying industry leaders and general consumers, GIA created a foundation for the round brilliant cut grade.

When a cut grade is given, it is the component of brightness, fire, scintillation, polish, and symmetry, as well as durability and weight concerns. These are all an integral part that make up the GIA diamond cut grade system. With many different proportion combinations possible, GIA was able to determine the relationship of a stone’s interaction with light.

The reflection of light internally and externally in a diamond is called it’s brilliance. Fire is the dispersion of spectrum colors you see when light hits the diamond. The pattern of light and dark areas and the flash of light that emits when a diamond is moved is called scintillation. A well cut diamond will attribute to these three desired qualities because it directs more light through the top of the stone. A poor cut will appear dark because light is exiting through the bottom of the stone if it is too deep or too shallow.

Diamond cut is often confused with its shape. Round, used in most diamond jewelery, is the shape of a stone. All other shapes are classified under fancy shapes. Evaluated only on polish and symmetry, fancy shapes do not receive a cut grade like the round brilliant. These grades are valued ranging from Excellent to Poor.

Capture2-300x185 Diamonds — GIA's Diamond Shape: Round Brilliant and Fancy Shapes

Polish is rated on the overall surface condition of a diamond’s facets. It is the result of the polishing process and blemishes created after cutting. These grades are given to a diamond when viewed under 10X magnification. An Excellent or Very Good may have minute or minor features that can only be seen with the aid of a microscope. Anything Good or lower can affect the appearance of a diamond and may be seen by the naked eye.

Capture41-300x108 Diamonds — GIA's Diamond Cut Grade: Example of Poor Polish

Symmetry is the exactness of shape and placement of the facets. It is subdivided into two types of features, proportion-related and facet-related. These grades are also performed under 10X magnification for its initial face-up impression and profile view. Both angles are evaluated because of the three dimensional nature of a diamond; one symmetry feature can be linked to others. Similar to polish, grades given Good or lower can have symmetry features that are noticeable to the unaided eye.

Capture3 Diamonds — GIA's Diamond Cut Grade: Example of Poor Symmetry

Understanding GIA parameters for each grade and the specific guidelines they represent, Knox Jewelers recommends fancy shapes to be Good or Better. With almost 30 years of industry experience, we have found that the beauty of a diamond is greatly reduced when selecting polish or symmetry below this standard. A diamond that contains Good or Better qualities enhances the elegance of a handmade Knox custom design.

The care and craftsmanship that goes into each ring is harmonious to the quality of diamond a customer chooses. As the focal point, a diamond captivates the attention with its radiance of sparkle and luster. Selecting a well cut stone to compliment a Knox diamond engagement ring is a timeless expression of love, forever evoking a sense of glamor and romance.

Understanding the 5th “C” in Diamond Grading: Certification

Could you imagine going into a car dealership purchasing what you thought was a 6 cylinder luxury performance car, only to discover it was actually a 4 cylinder engine with the body of a sports car. This misrepresentation would never occur in the auto industry. However falsely identified diamonds are common in the jewelry industry. The idea that all diamond laboratories are created equal is not the case; while most labs use the GIA diamond grading scale, not all have the same level standards to adhere to it.

home_diamond_4cs-300x262 Diamonds — GIA's 4C's of Diamond Quality

Many industry leaders have tested this known truth of variable diamond grading standards by sending the same diamond to different labs and getting very different results. Rapaport, an international network that provides an overview of the diamond market, recently preformed one of these studies using 10 diamonds. The diamonds were sent to different grading labs in the US and abroad. The outcome proved that some diamonds could differ as much as three color grades when graded at multiple labs.

The biggest difference in these grading reports were American labs verses international. Surveys found grading labs in the US, including GIA, IGI, and EGL USA were fairly close in their grading standards. However, EGL USA generally graded the diamonds much more lenient than the other two labs.

Another discrepancy in the diamond reports were the laboratories overseas, including EGL Israel and EGL Hong Kong. This is when they found some diamonds two to three color grades off when compared to diamond reports from the US. Antwerp’s HRD lab was slightly softer in grading when analyzed to GIA standards.

So many labs are speaking the same diamond language but each with varying interpretations. How is a consumer to know they are truly purchasing an “E” color diamond and not an “H?” The biggest safeguard for a consumer is to be educated on diamond quality.

Color-Scale_BlogCanvas-300x185 Diamonds — GIA Diamond Color Scale

At Knox, educating our customers on the 4C’s and showing how to identify differences in quality is how we maintain consumer confidence. Once you can detect a colorless diamond from a near colorless diamond, you will gain the security of knowing how to select diamond color. Knox Jewelers will spend time with you, going over internal features of clarity characteristics using a microscope or loupe; helping to understand the clarity scale and what that represents in a diamond. During a diamond consultation we express the importance of a well cut diamond and how that relates to the overall beauty of a stone. At that time, we emphasize how to select a diamond size based on its dimensions and not by carat weight alone.

By knowing what diamond characteristics to look for, customers have the knowledge in determining the true nature of a diamond and if the lab certification is accurately supported. Most diamonds are laser inscribed on the girdle of the stone, this is the outer edge that separates the top and bottom portion of a diamond. This inscription is a sequence of numbers and letters that identifies the diamond with the laboratory’s certification report. If this inscribed code coordinates with the lab report number, customers can be confident the information being presented is genuine.

When evaluating the authenticity of a diamond report, it is important to understand who is certifying the stone. GIA was the pioneer in establishing the grading scale and providing third party verification on diamonds. Their strict grading procedures is well respected in the jewelry industry. With this reputation, high quality diamonds are sent to GIA for certification. While diamonds of lower value are sent to labs with soft grading practices in an effort to achieve higher diamond grades than GIA would evaluate the diamond at.

gia_lab1-200x300 Diamonds — A GIA Diamond Grader Evaluates Diamond Quality

With this understanding, Knox Jewelers prefers the highly recognized, honest services provided by GIA. We choose not to sell diamonds that are overly generous in their diamond evaluations. As a small, locally owned business located in Minnesota we wholeheartedly believe in the integrity of our family jewelery store. GIA is the world’s most trusted name in diamond grading. In line with Knox Jewelers higher level of standards, GIA ensures the integrity and accuracy of every report it issues with objectivity and expertise. To display the very best of diamond attributes, choose a GIA graded diamond for your Knox ring.