Diamonds as a Symbol

According to tradition the Greeks believed diamonds were tears of the gods, while the Romans believed they were splinters of fallen stars. Many long dead cultures have attributed divine or mystical powers to these magnificent and brilliant diamonds as a way of explaining its special beauty and brilliance.

The earliest symbolic use of diamonds was as the eyes of Hindu devotional statues. The diamonds themselves were thought to be endowments from the gods and were cherished. The exact point at which diamonds assumed their divine status is not known, but early texts indicate they were recognized in India since at least 400 BC. In western culture, diamonds are the traditional emblem of fearlessness and virtue. A diamond is forever

Every single sparkling diamond has its own personality, its own breathtaking display of brilliance, fire, and scintillation. When a loose diamond is cut to ideal cut diamond specifications there is no precious gemstone that can compare to its dazzling beauty. Each diamond has its own unique internal characteristics and idiosyncrasies. Quality diamonds such as the Hearts and Arrows Diamonds, and diamond and platinum jewelry retain value over time more than any other fine jewelry and precious metals.

Because a diamond is the hardest substance known to man, it is truly “forever”; withstanding the tests of time and lovingly passed down from generation to generation to be cherished and adored.

Small wonder then that today, diamonds are used to symbolize eternity and love, being often seen adorning engagement rings, wedding rings, and wedding jewelry. What better way to symbolize and encapsulate the beauty and lifelong commitment of a couples union, than with a timeless and beautiful diamond engagement ring.

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What exactly is a Diamond?

A Diamond is a crystal made up of 99.95% pure carbon atoms arranged in an isometric, or cubic, crystal arrangement consisting of tetrahedrally bonded carbon atoms. It is this unique arrangement of the carbon atoms that makes diamond look and act differently from other pure carbon minerals such as graphite.

Actually, a diamond is the hardest known naturally occurring material, scoring 10 on the old Mohs scale of mineral hardness. One major misconception however, is that a loose diamond cannot fracture or break. The reality is that unlike a diamond’s hardness, which only denotes resistance to scratching, toughness relates to its ability to resist breakage from falls or impacts. Because a diamond has certain specific cleavage plains, it is indeed possible for a diamond to chip or fracture if hit with just the right impact in certain spots. It makes no difference if the diamond is loose or has already been set in a beautiful engagement ring. You must always be vigilant in protecting the integrity of your diamond ring.

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Diamond History

Diamonds were formed thousands of years ago under enormous heat and pressure deep in the earth. Great volcanic eruptions many years ago forced the earth containing diamonds to the surface where they were scattered along rivers and into the oceans.

The earliest diamonds were discovered in India, in around 800 B.C. These deposits were rich enough to supply most of the world's diamonds until the eighteenth century.

Only about one-fifth of all mined diamonds could be considered of gem quality. On average, 250 tons of ore must be mined and processed to produce a one carat diamond of gem quality. When the mining operation is completed, sorters look at rough diamonds, separating them into small piles by shape, size, and quality.

The earliest record of diamond-polishing is Indian, dating back to the fourteenth century. The earliest reference to diamond cutting is in l550 in Antwerp, the most influential diamond center of the time, where a diamond-cutters' guild was subsequently established.

Today, approximately 90 percent of all diamond jewelry, including diamond engagement rings, wedding engagement rings, and diamond rings, are made from diamonds mined in African countries. The remaining diamond rough is mined in Australia, South America, Canada and Russia.

The word "diamond" comes from the Greek word "adamas" which means unconquerable. This was a reference to the eternity of love. In the year 1477, Archduke Maximilian of Austria gave a diamond ring to Mary of Burgundy. Most diamond experts agree that this marked the beginning of the tradition of diamond engagement rings. The reason a woman wears her diamond engagement ring on the third finger of her left hand dates back to the Egyptian belief that the vena amoris (vein of love) ran from the heart to the top of that particular finger.

In 1939 De Beers created the criteria for loose diamonds to asses the gem quality by a combination of four factors. These are called the 4C's, referring to the diamonds Cut, Color, Carat and clarity.

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Diamond Certification

It is crucial when choosing from a selection of loose diamonds to review the diamond certificate, referred to by diamond grading laboratories as a grading report.

This "C" qualification for certified diamonds is unfortunately one of the lesser understood essentials of the five "C's" markings, despite its vital importance in ensuring that you make a safe and accurate diamond purchase.

When shopping for loose diamonds, you need to be on the lookout for a diamond certificate to verify that you have confirmation and can corroborate that you are essentially getting the best quality certified diamonds that you paid for.

Many local jewelers and "mom and pop" jewelry locations would like for you to plunk down a veritable fortune on a diamond that has little, or no information attached to it. They show you a loose diamond and tell you that it is an exemplary item, expecting you to accept their word, pay for it, fully trusting in your purchase!

Even more astonishing news is that many of these jewelers will attempt to extract a significant dollar premium for a "high color/clarity" diamond that is not accompanied by an Independent Laboratory grading report to verify the jeweler's claims.

Let us demonstrate our point with a classic example. If you are a fine watch connoisseur, you will be familiar with the idea of having an officially certified chronometer for your watch purchase. This qualification includes the COSC certification that accompanies many prestigious timepiece purchases, such as the venerable Rolex watches. Since 1910 the COSC (Controle Officiel Suisse Des Chronometres) has been an impartial body that is authorized to award the internationally renowned title of Officially Certified Chronometer. This official control method guarantees chronometric performance worthy of only the finest mechanical timepieces, thereby ensuring that your purchase is authentic and reliable.

You need the same concept applied to loose diamond purchases. An impartial governing body can assure you that the quality of the certified diamonds is presented accurately and that it's caliber is as exceptional as the jeweler had advertised.

Some companies will offer what they term "In house appraisals/certificates" in an attempt to justify the color/clarity grade, as well as the dimensions and characteristics of their loose diamonds. These dubious reports are essentially worthless and will not provide you with any guarantees on the accuracy of the purported diamond grades. Additionally, any respected insurance company that is presented with this type of an "appraisal" will dismiss it outright, since the vendor has an obvious vested interest in validating (and even hiking up) the price he charged you for the diamond.

For these reasons, SuperbCert® does not offer any in house appraisals and/or reports, as this is extremely unethical, and is a complete conflict of interest.

Independent Grading Laboratories

You must always insist on certified diamonds that have been graded by an independent and unbiased grading lab. This kind of certification is the only way to confirm that you are getting what you paid for with the size, color, clarity, dimensions, and properties of the loose diamonds. When you pay for our hearts & arrows diamonds, for example, you will receive a grade from an unbiased source that promises the quality of your purchase. Our hearts and arrow diamonds are certified and guaranteed quality for the price that you will pay.

Are all Independent Grading Laboratories Created Equal?

The answer is an emphatic NO!

There is no shortage of Independent Diamond Grading Laboratories out there whose grading standards, criterion, and competence do not have excellent standards. It is common knowledge in the industry that these laboratories are notorious for routinely grading diamonds at 1-2 Color/Clarity grades higher than what it actually warrants. You, the consumer, are going to pay for a "difference" that does not exist.

GIA and AGS Grading Laboratories

Every one of our SUPERBcert® Diamonds, especially our hearts & arrows diamonds, has been analyzed and graded by either the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), or the American Gem Society Laboratories. (AGS) These are the most respected laboratories in the diamond industry. They are known for having the strictest, most consistent, and uniformly unbiased system for grading loose diamonds. Diamonds that are accompanied by these reports are the most highly valued and respected in the industry.

We choose to certify our SuperbCert® Super Ideal Cut, hearts and arrow diamonds with these two laboratories, and post copies of these reports for every listed diamond on our website. This is one of our many ways of assuring you of the accuracy of the information presented as well as the beauty of your diamond.

Moreover, our SuperbCert® certified heart & arrow diamonds achieve the highest results possible on both the GIA, and AGS grading reports.

Our hearts and arrow diamonds also achieved the coveted "GIA EX/EX" (Excellent/Excellent) for Polish and Symmetry, as well as the "AGS0" for ideal proportions.

We essentially give you the best of both worlds with all of our diamonds. All of our GIA graded EX/EX certified diamonds are additionally accompanied by a Megascope Report. This report indicates that complete AGS ideal (0) proportions with incredibly tight tolerances for each of the diamonds' 58 facets.

The original copy of the GIA or AGS Diamond certificate is included with every purchase of our loose diamonds or diamond engagement rings.

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SKU: 65153 Agate Cameo Earrings | 13.5 x 11.5 mm

Price: $245.00

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Popular Diamond Cuts

Radiant Cut Diamond	Emerald Cut Diamond
Princess Cut Diamond (a.k.a. Square Cut Diamond)	Round Cut Diamond
Oval Cut Diamond	Asscher Cut Diamond (Pronounced ash-er)
Marquise Cut Diamond	Pear Cut Diamond | Pear Shaped Diamond
Heart Cut Diamond | Heart Shaped Diamond	Cushion Cut Diamond
Straight Baguette Cut Diamond	Tapered Baguette Cut Diamond

See more: http://www.stellarjewelry.com/diamondshapes.php

Diamond Clarity

Less than one percent of all diamonds being manufactured today can be considered a true Hearts and Arrows diamond.

The Hearts & arrows pattern is found in a superideal cut diamond such as a SUPERBcert® diamond. The Hearts and Arrows effect is achieved by cutting, aligning, and positioning, all of a diamonds 58 facets to perfection.

Actual SUPERBcert® Hearts and Arrows Pattern seen through a SUPERBcert® H & A viewer.

A true hearts and arrows diamond requires almost twice the amount of time to cut and polish as compared with a commercial quality round brilliant diamond.

Each SUPERBcert® Hearts & Arrows Diamond has been crafted to achieve ideal proportions as well as excellence for polish and symmetry. Our Super-Ideal cut diamonds have been cut to the highest standards, and tightest tolerances in the diamond industry. As a result, they can be considered true hearts and arrows diamonds.

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