Karat vs. Carat – Making the Distinction

Without being a jewelry industry expert, the jumble of industry specific terms you encounter while shopping for engagement rings, eternity rings or other jewelry can make your search for the perfect piece seem daunting. What do these terms mean? How do you know you are purchasing the quality of jewelry you desire? Perhaps one of the more common questions that arises is the difference between a carat and a karat. Though these terms are pronounced the same and are both used in the jewelry industry, they do in fact have different meanings.
Generally speaking, a karat is unit of purity, while a carat is a unit of weight used to describe gemstones. A common mistake is using the terms interchangeably, under the assumption that a carat is a karat is a carat. Let’s examine in further detail what each term means in order to gain an understanding of the difference.

More about the karat:

You have probably heard the term karat in reference to gold. A karat is often represented by the abbreviation k. or kt. Due to its softness as compared to other metals, gold is often mixed with another metal or metals to create more durable and less expensive jewelry. One karat represents 1/24th of the whole, that is to say that 24 karat gold is pure gold. Any karat designation less than 24 conveys that the gold is combined with other metal(s), creating an alloy. Gold designated as 18 karat gold consists of eighteen parts gold and six parts other metal, for total of 24 parts. Likewise, gold designated as 14 karat is comprised of fourteen parts gold and ten parts other metal. Ten karat gold, containing ten parts gold and fourteen parts other metal, represents the minimum karats which may be deemed “gold” in the United States.

More about the carat:

A carat, abbreviated c. or ct., on the other hand, is a unit used to measure the weight of diamonds and other gems. One carat is 200 milligrams, or 1/5th of a gram. Note that the carat designation refers to the weight of a gem, not its physical size. Thus, one carat of a denser gemstone would appear smaller than one carat of a less dense stone.
The terms carat and karat are believed to be derived from the carob bean, which is a seed pod exhibiting such consistent weight that it was historically used to measure the weight of gemstones.

About the Author: Ian Maher is the CEO of Maliere, a leading provider of eternity rings, diamond rings, platinum rings and gold rings. For more information, please visit www.Maliere.com.

The Journey of Gold

Gold has been admired and vehemently sought throughout history, though its evident natural beauty is only one of the characteristics that have made this rare precious metal an attractive commodity transcending geography and time. Its stability, electrical conductivity and resistance to rust and corrosion make gold an integral component of computers and many other types of electrical equipment. Gold is also widely used in dentistry, art, the aerospace industry, the medical field and as currency. Gold’s malleability, distinctive luster and historical significance across cultures perhaps explain why its most popular use today is the crafting of gold jewelry. But where does this all too familiar metal come from?

Gold is an element which occurs naturally within the earth, though its true scientific origin is a matter of dispute among geologists. Gold is mined in various locations throughout the world, with the most abundant supply originating in the Republic of South Africa. Gold intended for commercial purposes is mined from one of the two types of deposits: lode deposits and placer deposits. Lode deposits, also called vein deposits, are deposits of gold ore collected within “veins,” or cracks in rocks. Placer deposits exist in sediment or unconsolidated rock, and commonly form when gold from a lode deposit is exposed to a process such as weathering, transported by water and trapped in deposits. The type of deposit in which gold is found determines the mining method that is used to collect it.

After gold is mined, it must be refined before it is ready to be crafted into products such as wedding bands, eternity rings and electronic products. Though most gold is in its pure form in nature, it often exists in the form of tiny flakes mixed with other substances that must be removed to reveal the pure gold. Rarely is a piece of gold in nature large enough to be seen by the naked eye. Impurities can be removed in several ways during the refining process.
Due to the softness of pure gold, jewelry is often crafted using a gold alloy, which is gold mixed with other metals. The “karat” measurement of gold represents the amount of pure gold in a piece, with 24 karat representing pure gold. A piece of jewelry designated as “14 karat gold,” for instance, is comprised of fourteen parts gold, and ten parts other metal.

Despite its omnipresence throughout history, gold remains a valuable natural resource that is still highly regarded today. Governments throughout the world currently maintain reserves of gold worth billions of dollars.

About the Author: Ian Maher is the CEO of Maliere, a leading provider of eternity rings, diamond rings, platinum rings and gold rings. For more information, please visit http://www.maliere.com/.

Jewelry Making: The Art of Lost Wax Casting

The art of lost wax casting, a technique that yields intricately detailed metal, dates back thousands of years with its true origin lost in ancient history. Lost wax casting is used to mold various types of metal into intricate pieces of jewelry and artistic sculptures, though it is also commonly used for industrial components and dental procedures.

The process of lost wax casting starts with a sculptor crafting a representation of the desired piece out of wax, creating a pattern with the same intricate detail that will appear on the metal piece of jewelry in its final form. Wax “sprues” are included in the creation of the pattern, which are wax rods or wires that delineate the strategic placement of channels that will remain open when the final mold is made. Sprues are not a design element of the final piece, but rather allow for spaces to remain open in the mold through which the molten metal that will constitute the final piece will be injected. The channels imprinted by these sprues will also allow for the wax to exit the mold.

Once the wax model and its attached sprues are in the desired form, the wax pattern is covered with a pliable ceramic substance through pouring, dipping, or both. Care must be taken during this process to ensure that air bubbles are not present, as any imperfections in the mold will be visible on the final piece. Once the mold surrounding the wax pattern reaches the desired thickness, it is allowed time to harden and then heated in a kiln. As temperatures rise, the wax within is melted and eradicated through the channels left by the sprues, hence the name “lost wax.” The result of this stage is a strong mold with a hollow opening in the shape of the original wax design.

Molten metal can then be inserted into the final mold through the channels, and is usually injected rather than poured in jewelry crafting so that the metal fills each intricately placed impression in the mold. When the metal hardens, the mold is removed to reveal the piece. In the final stages, protrusions such as those created by the opened channels or other vents must be removed and the metal polished to its final, lustrous state.

Variations in the lost wax casting process exist, such as the use of rubber molds rather than ceramic, but the fundamental lost wax principles remain widely used due to the intricate details that can be produced in the end. Though modifications have been made to the lost wax casting process throughout history, the effectiveness of its underlying process has withstood the test of time.

About the Author: Ian Maher is the CEO of Maliere, a leading provider of eternity rings, diamond rings, platinum rings and gold rings. For more information, please visit www.Maliere.com.

Setting Styles for Diamond Rings

The manner in which a diamond is affixed to a ring is referred to as its setting, and several different setting styles are used for diamond rings. Below we examine some of the major setting styles for diamonds and other precious gemstones in rings:

Channel Setting: In a ring with a channel setting, one or more diamonds are inset into a channel and held in place by a small lip on either edge. Multiple stones in a channel setting are not surrounded by individual prongs, but are situated snugly next to one another within the same recessed channel. Excellent examples of channel settings are those in eternity rings. Eternity rings usually contain a row of diamonds inset in a channel, which stretches either halfway or all the way around the ring. Channel settings may secure all of the stones in a ring such as an eternity ring, or can be situated on either side of one larger center stone with a different setting style, a popular option for engagement rings.

Prong Setting: Also called a “claw setting,” a prong setting consists of a set of usually four or six metal prongs which protrude from the base of a ring and wrap slightly around the top edge of the diamond to hold it in place. Prong settings are popular for rings with one main diamond as the dominant feature, as is the case with most engagement rings. Prong settings are cost effective, and many people prefer them because of the belief that light can pass through a diamond in a prong setting from the bottom as well as the top, contributing to its brilliance.

Bezel setting: In a bezel setting, also referred to as a “rub-over” setting, the diamond is completely encircled by a band of metal which affixes it securely to the ring. A rub-over setting incorporates an elevated collar of metal around the edges of the diamond, which protects and secures the stone better than other elevated setting styles such as the prong setting. A variation of the rub-over setting is a flush setting, in which a diamond is set into an opening and secured at the bottom, with the top of the diamond extending beyond the base.

Tension Setting: A tension setting is a unique diamond setting style in which the metal of the ring itself holds a diamond securely in place within an opening in the metal. The diamond appears to float, since no metal from the ring extends beneath it. You may imagine the metal of the ring acting as a very strong spring which holds the diamond in place. Rings utilizing tension settings must undergo specialized strengthening treatments since the diamond relies on pressure from either side of the opening to hold it in place. A tension setting allows light to enter the diamond from all angles, giving it extra luminosity.

About the Author: Ian Maher is the CEO of Maliere, a leading provider of eternity rings, diamond rings, platinum rings and gold rings. For more information, please visit www.Maliere.com.

Jewelry Manufacturing Terms – Explained

If you have ever shopped for jewelry, you have likely encountered numerous seemingly foreign terms which describe the way particular pieces of jewelry are crafted. You have probably heard jewelry industry terms such as handmade, electroplate and gold filled, and wondered what these terms are actually supposed to be telling you. By understanding commonly used terms which describe the way jewelry is made, you will be a more educated jewelry consumer and able to make informed decisions when purchasing fine jewelry such as necklaces or eternity rings. Below are explanations of some common terms that will give you insight into the construction of particular pieces of jewelry:

-Cast: Cast jewelry makes up a majority of the jewelry you will see for sale in stores and online. Casting is a widely used jewelry manufacturing process in which metal is poured or forced into a mold, called a die, making it assume the shape of the cavities of the mold. The metal then cools and hardens in the desired shape, at which point it is called casting.

-Die Struck: Denser and thus more resilient than cast jewelry, die struck jewelry is formed by compressing precious metals into shape by striking or stamping them using harder metal dies. Requiring specialized equipment and more production time, die struck jewelry is more costly than cast jewelry.

-Handmade: Just as it sounds, jewelry marked “handmade” has been constructed entirely by hand without the aid of mechanical devices. All major components of handmade jewelry have been individually crafted by hand, and no machine manufactured parts may be incorporated into jewelry designated as “handmade.” Handmade jewelry can be relatively costly but is highly sought after due to its uniqueness.

-Gold electroplate: Jewelry carrying this description is composed of a non gold base metal coated with a layer of at least ten carat gold. In order to be classified as gold electroplate, the layer of gold must be applied to the base metal through an electrolytic process and measure at least 0.175 microns (about seven millionths of an inch) in thickness.

-Gold filled: Gold filled jewelry is also comprised of a base metal coated with at least ten carat gold, though the gold coating of gold filled jewelry is bonded to the base metal mechanically through the application of heat and pressure. Gold must comprise at least 5% (or 1/20th) of the weight of a piece in order to be classified as gold filled. You may also see gold filled jewelry referred to as “gold overlay” or “rolled gold plate.”

About the Author: Ian Maher is the CEO of Maliere, a leading provider of eternity rings, diamond rings, platinum rings and gold rings. For more information, please visit www.Maliere.com.

Promise Rings

A promise ring is a ring given as a gift that symbolizes a promise or commitment, though the actual meaning can be unique between the person giving and the person receiving the gift. Traditionally, a man gives a promise ring to a woman, though it is not unheard of for a woman to be the one to give a promise ring to a man. Though promise rings can take on different meanings for different couples, they traditionally stand for a commitment to each other, often a commitment that the couple will one day become engaged and eventually married. A promise ring is customarily given to a woman by her boyfriend when the two are in a serious relationship but are either too young or not ready for engagement, but have the intention of getting married someday. However, promise rings can symbolize other promises, such as a promise to be faithful, a promise to avoid certain behaviors, or a promise to be there for the other person. A gift of a promise ring should typically be accompanied by an expression of what the ring symbolizes to a couple.

So, what should you look for if you are considering giving the gift of a promise ring? This depends largely on your relationship, budget and style. A man giving a promise ring to a woman to represent a promise to upgrade to an engagement ring when his finances allow is not uncommon. A promise ring may be an elaborate diamond ring or may be extremely simple, though avoiding a plain band that can be mistaken for a wedding band is a good rule of thumb. The important part is that you make the gift a meaningful and personal gesture to the recipient. What does this mean? In a literal sense, you may get the ring engraved with the initials of the recipient, both of your initials, or a private message that symbolizes the meaning of the ring. Even if you do not opt for the engraving, try to choose a promise ring that fits with your partner’s style. For instance, if you are a man giving a ring to a woman, take notice of the jewelry of her own she usually wears, as woman sometimes have particular preferences. If she always wears silver jewelry, a gold ring would probably not be the best option, and vice versa. Most importantly, make sure to clearly convey what the ring represents upon giving it, to avoid a misunderstanding or unwarranted expectations from your partner.

About the Author: Ian Maher is the CEO of Maliere, a leading provider of eternity rings, diamond rings, platinum rings and gold rings. For more information, please visit www.Maliere.com.

Anniversary Gifts

You may have heard over the years that there is a different type of gift that is customary to give on each wedding anniversary, depending on the number of years of marriage. For instance, traditionally the first anniversary is occasion for a paper gift and the second cotton, while the fifth anniversary is the perfect milestone for giving a gift made of wood. Under this traditional anniversary gift giving paradigm, the gifts tend to be more valuable as the years go on, with the tenth anniversary gift reaching the splendor of tin or aluminum and the fifteenth anniversary being a gift of crystal. And only after a quarter of a century of marriage do the gift types begin to suggest jewelry, starting with the beautiful precious metal silver on the twenty-fifth anniversary. The precious metals and fine gems take over from there, with the traditional fortieth anniversary gift being ruby, the forty-fifth sapphire and the fiftieth gold. After sixty years of marriage, the traditional anniversary gift is a diamond, a highly valuable gem representing stability and longevity.

These days, of course, most spouses tend to deviate from the traditional anniversary gifts completely. Instead, many people opt for giving gifts more luxurious than the customary paper, tin or cotton, and men often give jewelry for anniversary gifts long before the twenty five year milestone. Someone has even composed a modernized version of the traditional anniversary gift giving decree, updated with diamonds appearing for multiple anniversaries and suggestions overall reflecting more valuable gifts. Regardless of whether you adhere to a traditional series of anniversary gifts or not, gifts are meant to reflect the sentiment that you are celebrating.

An anniversary gift is a personal gesture, and one that can leave people feeling particularly pressured to come up with the perfect idea. Perhaps this explains why the traditional anniversary gift list originated in the first place. Many will argue that a gift such as a brilliant ruby or diamond ring would make any woman happy, and for the most part this may very well be true. But the most important aspect in giving an anniversary gift is that the gift reflects what you think would make the other person happy. For some people, diamond eternity rings make the perfect gift, for others it may be tickets to an event, or just a home cooked meal. You are the one person who knows your spouse better than anyone else, and the perfect gift idea is one that reflects that.

About the Author: Ian Maher is the CEO of Maliere, a leading provider of eternity rings, diamond rings, platinum rings and gold rings. For more information, please visit www.Maliere.com.

Precious Metals in Jewelry

Precious metals are ideal for creating beautiful jewelry due in part to their resistance to corrosion. Since precious metals have an unreactive and oxidation-resistant nature, they fall into the category of noble metals. Such precious metals with which you may be familiar include gold, silver, and platinum, but palladium, rhodium, iridium, osmium and ruthenium are other precious metals commonly incorporated into jewelry such as diamond rings, eternity rings, promise rings and right hand rings. The system of measurement for the weight of precious metals is troy weight, in which one troy ounce equates to approximately 1.1 standard ounces and twelve ounces make up one troy pound. Precious metals can be combined to form what are known as alloys, often for the purpose of reducing cost or producing a metal sturdier than any one element alone. Here we examine the major precious metals used in the crafting of fine jewelry:

-Gold: The most malleable and ductile of the precious metals, gold can be readily flattened into thin sheets and stretched into thin wire, which makes it a versatile and popular choice for jewelry creation. Gold is often alloyed with other metals for cost reduction and to increase the strength of the final product. In pure form, gold is measured in troy weight, but as an alloy with other metals its weight is measured in karats. For gold, the karat weight specifies the amount of pure gold present, with 24 karat being pure gold and smaller karat weights designating lower percentages of gold and higher proportions of other metals.

-Silver: Second to gold in malleability and ductility, silver is anther precious metal popular for use in jewelry. Silver is also commonly alloyed with other metals to create jewelry, with the popular sterling silver consisting of a combination of 92.5 percent silver with a relatively small 7.5 percent of another metal, typically copper. Being a superior conductor of heat and electricity, silver has numerous applications beyond jewelry making, such as coins, dentistry tools, silverware, film and electronics.

Platinum: Rarer than silver and gold, platinum is a durable precious metal common for eternity rings, engagement rings and wedding bands due to its resilience even with constant use. Iridium, palladium, ruthenium, rhodium and osmium are other precious metals in the Platinum Group of Metals, which occur together naturally. Palladium is the metal often mixed with yellow gold to make white gold, and rodium is used extensively to plate white gold to give it that extra white brightness. The metals in the Platinum Group of Metals are resilient, tarnish resistant and stable, making them popular for use not only in jewelry but also in numerous industrial processes such as crude oil refining and automobile manufacturing.

The end price of jewelry that can be attributed to precious metals depends not just on the pureness and rarity of the metal, but also the craftsperson’s skill level, the intricacy of the piece and labor.

About the Author: Ian Maher is the CEO of Maliere, a leading provider of eternity rings, diamond rings, platinum rings and gold rings. For more information, please visit www.Maliere.com.

The Kimberley Process – Overview

Conflict diamonds, also called blood diamonds, are those diamonds which are mined and sold by rebels for funding to support an invasion or civil war. Conflict diamonds have fetched billions of dollars worth of profits which have been used to fund wars in places such as Angola, Liberia, Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Such wars have destroyed the lives of millions of people.

As the painful reality about the use of conflict diamond trade to fund wars has become prevalent in recent decades, organizations have lobbied for a governing system to prevent conflict diamonds from being distributed internationally. The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, or Kimberley Process, is an international certification system dedicated to preventing the exchange of diamonds which subsidize conflict. The launch of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme in January of 2003 marked a major breakthrough in the prevention of conflict diamond trade, though many assert that the system has enforcement flaws and further measures are still needed to eliminate the sale of conflict diamonds altogether.

In May of 2000, representatives from major diamond producing countries, the diamond industry and non governmental organizations with vested interest in the cause convened in Kimberley, South Africa to address the detrimental conflict diamond trade and seek a solution. After three years of negotiation, the Kimberley Process scheme was agreed upon by the participating governments, and it went into effect on January 1, 2003.

The Kimberley Process obliges participating countries to enact legislation to verify that rough diamonds being shipped are conflict free and to standardize the import and export procedures for diamonds. The Kimberley Process utilizes a system of self-governance, requiring industry players to trade diamonds only with other participating governments and bestowing the responsibility of ensuring that diamonds are conflict free on constituents throughout all levels of the supply chain. The goal of such constraints is to eliminate the infiltration of blood diamonds into the Kimberley Process system.

Though the Kimberley Process has facilitated momentous progress in suppressing the trade of conflict diamonds, it has shortcomings which allow the continued trade of conflict diamonds. Self governance brings with it accountability issues that governments as well as participants in the diamond industry have yet to mutually uphold. Countries with weak regulations are allowing conflict diamonds to be certified as conflict free, and the smuggling of diamonds to other countries for trade has also allowed conflict diamonds to enter the market. Though the Kimberley Process marks a significant step in the right direction, it must still undergo implementation improvements in order to accomplish its ultimate aspiration to end the international trade of conflict diamonds.

About the Author: Ian Maher is the CEO of Maliere, a leading provider of eternity rings, diamond rings, platinum rings and gold rings. For more information, please visit www.Maliere.com.

What is a Carat?

Diamonds are popular for jewelry such as diamond rings, eternity rings and necklaces, but many people are unaware of the factors that contribute to the wide price range that diamonds fall into. The price of a diamond is derived from an evaluation of its color, cut, clarity and carat weight. The less color that is visible in a diamond, the more valuable it is deemed to be. Some people perceive diamonds to be colorless, however many diamonds appear to have a normal brownish or yellow tint. A diamond’s cut, which is a significant factor in a diamond’s brilliance, is related not just to the shape of the diamond, but its polish and proportions as well as symmetry. Clarity is a relative measure of a diamond’s blemishes and internal characteristics (inclusions), where a diamond with less irregularities and inclusions will exhibit more brilliance, thus affecting a higher purchase price. Carat weight refers to the actual weight of a diamond, measured in carats, which is abbreviated “ct.” While each of the above factors contributes to the determined value of a diamond, here we examine what is meant by the fourth factor in determining a diamond’s value, carat weight.

The carat weight is simply how much a diamond weighs, but it must be measured in an industry specific way. A carat is a metric measurement that is equivalent to slightly more than seven thousandths (0.007) of one ounce. Diamond weights are measured with the accuracy of a thousandth of a carat but are given a weight that is rounded to the nearest hundredth. Diamonds weighing over one carat are designated as a decimal number up to the hundredths, such as “1.23 carats.” Such a weight would be expressed as “one carat and twenty three points.” A diamond weighing less than one carat is also represented as a decimal, such as 0.72, in which case it would be said to weigh “seventy two points.”

Though a diamond’s value is determined by its weight in carats, a two carat diamond would cost more than two times the amount that an equivalent one carat diamond would cost. Diamonds with adequate quality to be used in jewelry are rare finds, with larger diamonds being even less commonly discovered than smaller ones. As economics demonstrates, the more limited the supply a valuable product, the higher cost it will claim. As such, there is no defined measurable rate representing a diamond’s cost per carat. Rather, larger diamonds fetch an exponentially higher price per carat than the more common smaller ones.

About the Author: Ian Maher is the CEO of Maliere, a leading provider of eternity rings, diamond rings, platinum rings and gold rings. For more information, please visit www.Maliere.com.

Eternity Rings

Eternity rings are similar to wedding rings in that they symbolize undying love. But unlike wedding and engagement rings, eternity rings do not mark a specific occasion, but are rather an expression of everlasting love between the giver and the person receiving the ring. Eternity rings are often given for special occasions such as an anniversary, the birth of a child or a birthday, but part of the beauty of eternity rings is that they are often given for no special occasion at all. The gift of an eternity ring is an expression of love that can be shared anytime.

Eternity rings sometimes incorporate selected valuable gems such as sapphires, rubies, or emeralds, but by far the most popular choice is a ring set with diamonds. A common design for an eternity ring is a band with an inset row of diamonds, wrapping around the ring either half way or completely. Half eternity rings are lined with diamonds circling half way around the band, which show just on the upper face of the ring. Full eternity rings have diamonds which are lined all the way around the ring. Full eternity rings are more costly due to a larger number of diamonds, the need for custom sizing and possibly custom designing. In general, half eternity rings bear less cost due to easier sizing and design but have the advantageous potential of being set with larger diamonds than full eternity rings. Square and rectangle diamonds are typically preferred to round diamonds for use in eternity rings due to the continuity created when setting them end to end.

Spanning a diverse array of styles and varying price ranges, eternity rings carry the common symbolism of the circle band representing infinite love. Eternity rings are most often worn by women on the same finger as wedding bands are traditionally worn. The manner of wearing an eternity ring is a personal choice. Some women wear eternity rings in place of their wedding and engagement rings, while others choose to wear them in place of one ring or the other.

Though there are numerous styles and options available in eternity rings, the sentiment of everlasting love remains the most valuable aspect of the gift.

About the Author: Ian Maher is the CEO of Maliere, a leading provider of diamond rings, eternity rings, platinum rings and gold rings. For more information, please visit www.Maliere.com.

Major Diamond Shapes

Historically, diamonds have been highly regarded and believed to possess magical powers that bestowed strength and invincibility upon the fortunate few who possessed them, perhaps due to their seemingly indestructible nature. Today, the diamond has evolved into a symbol of eternal love for many, and is available in a variety of cuts. Here you will find an overview of common diamond shapes that are commonly used in jewelry design.

Round: The round cut diamond is the most popular choice for jewelry, with the circle commonly representing never-ending love and harmonious balance. Creating a finished round shape diamond requires sacrificing more rough than any other diamond cut.

Marquise: A marquise shaped diamond is elongated, typically half as wide as it is long, with pointed ends. Said to be inspired by the smile of a mistress of King Louis XIV named Marquise de Pompadour, the marquise shaped diamond has royal insinuations.

Pear: The pear cut diamond, also known as the drop cut, appears to be a cross between the round and marquise shapes. A pear cut diamond may appear wide on the rounded end or may have a more elongated shape.

Heart: The heart shaped diamond requires considerable skill to produce. The heart cut is similar to a pear cut diamond, but incorporates two connected rounded edges where the pear shaped cut has one.

Oval: An oval shaped diamond looks just as you may imagine, like an elongated round cut diamond. The longer length causes an oval cut diamond to appear larger than a round cut diamond with the equivalent carat weight.

Princess: Only around since 1980, a princess shape diamond is a perfect square with ninety degree angled corners. A minimal amount of rough is lost in cutting and polishing a princess shape diamond.

Baguette: Baguettes can be fashioned in a variety of shapes, but typically appear like a rectangle with one end disproportionate to the other.

Emerald: An emerald cut diamond is reminiscent of the way emerald gems are typically cut, and appears like a shortened rectangle with beveled corners.

Triangular: Triangular cut diamonds, also called trilliants, are three sided and shaped as the name indicates, like a triangle. A trilliant may have linear or rounded sides, and the corners may be sharp or rounded.

Asscher: Invented by diamond cutter Joseph Asscher, Asschers can be square shaped or rectangular with the corners cut at angles. Looking straight into an Asscher cut diamond will reveal the unique illusion of a passageway of mirrors.

Cushion: The cushion shape diamond has been around since the 1800s, but has experienced a recent surge in popularity. The square shape rounded on the sides and corners is renowned for its vintage appearance.

About the Author: Ian Maher is the CEO of Maliere, a leading provider of diamond rings, eternity rings, platinum rings and gold rings. For more information, please visit www.Maliere.com.

Science of Diamonds

Diamonds have assumed a range of symbolic meanings throughout history, including the historic notion that diamonds bestowed mysterious powers of protection and healing upon the elite few who possessed them. Widely renowned and commercially prevalent today, diamonds are now commonly associated with wealth, status, and love.

A diamond is the most concentrated form of carbon, the element essential for all forms of life. The diamond is differentiated from other substances comprised of carbon due to its unique crystal structure, which identifies the bond among a repeating arrangement of compounds or elements that produce a solid entity. In fact, the diamond consists of the strongest chemical bond known today, lending to the diamond’s exceptionally resilient properties.

The natural process through which diamonds form adds mystique to their enchanting allure. Diamonds typically form deep within the earth where there exist conditions of extreme heat and pressure, with evidence suggesting that diamonds have formed hundreds of miles below the earth’s surface. Temperatures in excess of one thousand degrees Celsius and pressure of at least fifty kilobars are conditions necessary for diamond formation, with the atmospheric pressure at sea level measuring just one kilobar. In some cases, diamonds form at shallower depths which exhibit abnormally high levels of pressure, though the quality of these diamonds is generally lower than those which form deep within the earth.

Diamond deposits that are large enough for mining are generally located in cratons, which are vast areas of the earth’s crust which have reasonably stable properties and cover a large percentage of most continents. Cratons consist of a substantial crust with roots that extend into the earth’s mantle below. Diamonds are transported to the earth’s surface by magma, or liquid volcanic rock traveling through these roots, which cools and hardens as it reaches the cooler temperature of the earth’s surface. During this hardening process, cone shaped diamond deposits materialize, named kimberlite pipes after Kimberley, South Africa where the first kimberlite pipe was found. While diamonds are occasionally discovered in meteorites and different types of rocks, most diamonds have historically been found in kimberlite pipe deposits.
The value of the diamond extends far beyond the exquisite beauty that makes it popular for use in fine jewelry. The hardest substance known to man, diamonds can also withstand extreme pressure and shock, making them valuable for industrial use in tools for cutting, polishing, drilling and grinding. Flawed diamonds that are not suited for jewelry as well as synthetic diamonds are often designated for such manufacturing applications.

About the Author: Ian Maher is the CEO of Maliere, a leading provider of diamond rings, eternity rings, platinum rings and gold rings. For more information, please visit http://www.maliere.com/.