Gemology Insights
Gemology Insights
The details our gemologists actually look at — including several that never appear in marketing, and one or two that will save you money.
Why Grading Matters
An IGI report verifies the 4Cs independently. Without one you are trusting the seller's own opinion of their own stone — which is not evidence, however honest they may be.
Brilliance, Fire & Scintillation
Brilliance is white light returned. Fire is the rainbow flashes as light splits. Scintillation is the sparkle that moves. A great cut delivers all three; a deep or shallow one leaks light out of the bottom or the side.
Table and Depth
Two numbers on the report do most of the work. For a round brilliant, look for a table around 54–58% and depth around 59–63%. Outside those ranges, sparkle falls off quickly regardless of the cut grade printed on the page.
Where to Spend, Where to Save
Spend on cut. Save on colour if the setting is yellow or rose gold. Save on clarity if the stone is eye-clean. These three decisions typically change the price by 30–40% without changing what anyone sees.
Millimetres Beat Carats
Carat is weight, not size. Always ask for the millimetre measurements — a well-cut 0.90ct can face up wider than a poorly cut 1.05ct, and cost considerably less.
How Lab Grown Is Identified
HPHT and CVD stones carry microscopic growth patterns that specialised equipment detects — which is exactly why the origin is stated on the report. No jeweller can tell by eye, and neither can a loupe.
The Question We Get Asked Most
"Is a lab grown diamond a real diamond?" Yes — crystallised carbon, 10 on the Mohs scale, identical refractive index. The honest distinction is not quality but rarity: mined diamonds are finite, lab grown are not. That is why lab grown costs less, and why its resale value is lower. Buy one to wear for thirty years, not to sell in five.
- The report number — type it into igi.org yourself. It takes ten seconds and confirms the report is genuine and matches the stone described.
- The plot — the diagram showing where inclusions sit. One under the table is far more visible than one near the girdle, where a prong may hide it completely.
- Cut grade against proportions — "Excellent" is a range, not a point. Two Excellent stones can perform noticeably differently.
- Fluorescence — usually harmless, occasionally makes a stone look slightly milky in sunlight. Strong fluorescence should come with a lower price.
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