The Story of Just Diamonds
The Story of Just Diamonds When it comes to diamonds, we all know the mystical beauty surrounding it and the incredible allure it holds for women around the world. Today, diamonds are worn as a symbolic representative of one’s undying love for another, which is why there is the saying ‘Diamonds are Forever’. But did you know that this precious gem, considered the most valuable amongst all gemstones in the world, was forged billions of years ago and that it has been revered by many generations before us, dating back to 800BC when diamonds were first discovered in India.
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Mr. Fred Ho Principal Jewellery Designer
Just Diamonds founder, Mr. Fred Ho was born in Hong Kong to a family of jewellery manufacturing. At the age of 18, he was sent to the New York Art School to learn design. In 1980, Fred seized the opportunity to supply jewellery to leading jewellery retailers in Singapore before establishing his very own upscale jewellery shop, Jewels Defred located at the Grand Hyatt Singapore in 1984. With more than 2 decades of experience, Fred is one of the few designers in Asia specializing in design and custom-made high end jewellery. His remarkable jewellery designs are inspired both by nature and the art of sophistication. He specializes in creating exceptionally fine quality jewellery that are both unique and functional. Fred’s jewellery designs have won the hearts of numerous rich and famous, even royal families are among his pool of loyal customers. “Diamonds have always been sought after by women of different social status, ethnic background in whatever economy conditions. Just Diamonds aims to produce the best diamond jewellery one can get for the amount of money that they are spending.” - Fred Ho
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MR. Eldee Tang Strategic Development
Just Diamonds co-founder Mr. Eldee Tang holds a Master Degree in Business Administration. He is a highly-regarded individual in the application of complex science business solutions and is responsible for directing his other ventures and its integrative brands of products to achieve regional growth. Eldee will be applying his expertise into the business to lead Just Diamonds in its mission to raise the profile of the company amongst the renowned jewellers locally and internationally through his unique and bold marketing approach. “The study of diamonds is a complex science and has a steep learning curve for those who are unfamiliar with it. Even experienced customers who have been buying diamonds for a number of years may not be able to distinguish quality diamonds from ordinary ones. Just Diamonds aims to grow our business by educating our customers with the essential knowledge of the inside trade.� - Eldee Tang
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Mr. Ho Wing Kong Manufacturing & Operations
Just Diamonds co-founder Mr. Ho Wing Kong was also born into a Hong Kong family with more than 5 decades of history in jewellery manufacturing and wholesaling. He is in charge of the production facilities for Just Diamonds as well as overseeing the entire operation in Hong Kong and Singapore. With more than 400 hundred skilled craftsmen to ensure the quality of the jewellery, Wing Kong has a reputation for producing exquisite jewellery at world-class standards, and aims to extend the same level of quality for Just Diamonds. His life-time motto of “Quality Number One” has been attributed as the reason why his products are so well-received and recognized in the jewellery industry. Wing Kong’s jewellery has been exhibited worldwide and has won various international awards for his fine workmanship and outstanding designs. “When we mention jewellery, Hong Kong is renowned for our delicate craftsmanship. Our establishment has been supplying to numerous established brands in the U.S and Europe for the past few decades. It is an honour for me to have started Just Diamonds with Fred and Eldee.” – Wing Kong
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India’s Glittering Trade Diamonds were discovered in India during the 4th century B.C., and India was one of the first countries to mine this magical gem. It was said that the tales of Sinbad and the ‘Arabian Nights’, were derived from an 8th century Sassanid Persian book called Hazar Afsanah or “Thousand Myths”. Legend has it that Sinbad was transported by a giant bird, to a land where the floor of the valley was “carpeted with diamonds.” Merchants harvested the diamonds by throwing chunks of meat into the valley and waiting for the birds to carry them back to their nests, ladened with diamonds. Sinbad strapped one of the pieces of meat to his back, and returned to Baghdad with a fortune in diamonds. India’s most prized diamonds are known as the “diamonds of Golconda”, the term ‘Golconda’ is still used to indicate very high quality diamonds. All diamonds under the ‘Golconda’ name have a level of transparency and quality, which is found only in extremely rare and chemically pure type-IIa natural diamonds. Back then, most of the diamonds entering Europe originated in India. However, India is no longer the main source of diamonds today as most of India’s diamond mines had been depleted centuries ago.
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“ It was given by the spouser to the espoused whether for a sign of mutual fidelity or still more to join their hearts to this pledge and that therefore the ring is placed on the fourth finger because a
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certain vein is said to flow from thence to the heart.
Tradition of
Engagement Ring Begins The history of diamond engagement rings is as special as the diamond itself. In 1477, Mary of Burgundy became the first known recipient of a diamond engagement ring given to her by the Archduke Maximilian of Austria. He had given his bride-to-be a diamond engagement ring to grace her finger and announce their betrothal and it was this momentous event that the history and tradition of giving the engagement ring to profess one’s love begins. Initially, diamonds as engagement rings were only reserved for royalty and the wealthy. It was only until approximately 1870 when diamonds were discovered in South African mines that the practice of giving an engagement ring was common practice as the discovery made diamonds much more accessible and affordable to the general public. In the 18th and 19th centuries, coloured gemstones were very popular choices for engagement rings instead. The ‘solitaire’ diamond setting was only introduced much later in the 18th and 19th centuries. This style became popular immediately and has remained one of the most timeless engagement rings to this day. Worn on the third finger of a woman’s left hand, where it is said that the vein would lead straight to her heart, the enduring legacy of the diamond engagement ring tradition dates back to ancient Greeks, who believed that this finger contained the vena amoris, or vein of love.
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The Rise of the Diamond Solitaire Prior to the discovery of diamonds in South Africa, diamonds remained desirable yet elusive because as much as it was sought after by many, it was also out of reach to the majority. Saint Louis (Louis IX of France, 1214-70), established a sumptuary law reserving diamonds only for the king, bespeaking the rarity of diamonds and the value conferred on them at that time. Within 100 years diamonds were accessible only to the royal families, then among the greater European aristocracy, with the wealthy merchant class showing the occasional diamond by the 17th century. But history changed when the story of diamond rewrote itself in South Africa between December 1866 and February 1867 by 15-year-old boy called Erasmus Jacobs, who found a transparent stone on his father’s farm, on the south bank of the Orange River. It was with this discovery of diamonds in Cape Colony that the world’s diamond production increased more than tenfold in the following 10 years and therein began the mass production of a once extremely rare material. Today, South Africa maintains its position as a major diamond producer.
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A Jeweller’s Art In the early days, diamonds were worn in its rough state. Even if it were to be slightly cut and polished, it was only on its upper surface. Unlike the perfectly shaped familiar solitaires we know of today, diamonds were used in a relatively raw and natural form and were used to adorn ornamental temples, goblets, reliquaries as well as crowns for the kings and queens. It was only with the invention of the exquisite diamond-cutting technique that the truly captivating beauty of this gemstone was revealed. The history of cutting diamonds can be dated back to the beginning of the fifteenth century. The earliest records of the art of cutting diamonds can be traced back to none other than Paris, the city of love, where reference is made to a very famous diamond-cutter named Herman, in 1407. “La Courarie” was where all the diamond cutters lived but of them all, Herman was the most skilful of the lot. However, the first craftsman to be recognised as a skilled diamond cutter in the history of Europe was Lois de Berquem of Antwerp who carved a name for himself as the father of diamond polishing and cutting in 1456. He was the genius who stumbled upon the discovery that some diamonds that were accidentally cut by its own dust displayed a pleasant effect of increasing the stone’s play of light, revealing its luminance and brilliance. He then invented a way to cut a diamond into regular facets, and hence began a revolution known as diamond-cutting. This revolution was also responsible for the popularization of diamonds.
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Facets and
Kaleidoscope Lois de Berquem’s invention of the scaif was crucial in the rise of the diamond solitaire. The scaif, was a polishing wheel that employed diamond dust to facet a rugged diamond into a piece of prized possession. Using the scaif, diamond cutters were able to symmetrically cut a diamond into a combination of angles that would reflect the maximum amount of light, enhancing its beauty to a new standard that was never before known at that point of time. With this began the legacy of creating sparkling gems of diamonds that would continue to fascinate generations up to today. One of the earliest and greatest diamond back then was the ‘Great Florentine’. Legend has it that this beauty belonged to Charles the Bold, Duke of Normandy, when he commissioned Lois de Berquem to cut a 137-carat diamond for him. No one knows the fate of the ‘Great Florentine’ thereafter. The mystery of its whereabouts will always surround but it was definitely one that made its mark in history.
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Making the Cut Of all the attributes that determines the value of a diamond – Cut, Clarity, Carat and Colour (4Cs), the cut is the only dimension that can be determined by man. The rest of the 4Cs are determined by nature and cannot be modified, though there were some attempts to remove the colour in coloured diamonds to obtain higher clarity but none of the techniques lasted as the colour of the diamond usually returns in due time. Therefore, throughout the history of diamonds, much emphasis has been placed on the cut of a diamond. The beauty of a diamond depends more on the position of its facets more so than any of the other three Cs. The traditional method of diamond-cutting had to pass through four sets of hands before the final masterpiece can be considered completed. The first stage of a diamond’s life falls into the hands of the cutter, who is tasked with the crucial step of scrutinizing a diamond for all its flaws and imperfections with a trained eye. He would then calculate the way in which he would cut the stone to obtain the best possible result, or in other words, the most precisely angled cuts to capture and reflect the maximum amount of light in order to create the highest shine. Thereafter, the diamond is passed to the setter who would set the stone into a solder and the cleaver. His job is to ‘perfect’ or cut a diamond where it appears too long or is imperfect, leaving only the sound parts to be polished. However, the setter and cleaver’s job are not nearly as important as the cutter and the polisher. The diamond is by no means perfect at this stage. The polisher, who is the last but not least utmost in the process, is responsible for revealing the lustre and transparency of a diamond, which are very highly qualities.
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Le Brilliant Perhaps the most familiar cut we know of today is the Brilliant, whose name is telling as to why it is also the most popular choice. It seems like time has stood still because the Brilliant had already found its way into the hearts of women and men alike as early as the 17th century. The Brilliant is said to be the crowning glory of all diamond cuts, it possesses exceeding beauty because of its number of facets. The most notable feature of the Brilliant is its shape, which appears to look like two cones, joined at their bases, giving it an almost perfect shape. Its facets are exquisitely designed to produce the greatest depth or play of light. In diamond terms, what this means is the refractive power of the material to internally reflect light from one mirror-like facet to another and reflect it through the top of the surfaces. This brilliance is also sometimes referred to the ‘fire’ of a diamond. Therefore, the more fiery a diamond is, the more captivating it is supposed to be.
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Evolution of the Brilliant Within the category of the Brilliant alone, there are three variations according to the number of facets. Introduced in the middle of the 17th century, the first Brilliants were known as Mazarins, with seventeen facets on the crown. These were known as the Double-cut Brilliants. Within the same century, the Mazarin was improved upon by Vincent Peruzzi, a Venetian polisher who doubled the number of crown facets from 17 to 33. With this, he invented the Triple-cut Brilliant, which exhibited more brilliance than its earlier counterpart. However, much as these have dramatically increased the fire and brilliance of the original rough-cut diamond, nothing could have been compared to the modern-cut ones of today and the legendary name behind that is Marcel Tolkowsky. From the existing Brilliant cuts, Tolkowsky was able to refine the calculations and exact a formula that would create a delicate balance to maximize the brilliance and displays of light in diamonds. With Tolkowsky’s research and mathematical modelling, the modern brilliant round diamond came to the forefront of diamond shapes at around the start of the 20th century.
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J u S T D i a m o n D S Co lle C T i o n
Size Does Matter In the early days, Indian cuts were considered very irregular and imperfect, compared to the English and European cuts. In India, it seems that size was valued more than cuts or artistry and that explains why Indian cuts are generally still very rough, though big. Diamond-cutting is grounded mainly on the objective of obtaining a beautiful play of light but in so doing, renders the stone to lose a substantial amount of its original size. In some cases, more than one-half or sometimes as much as two-thirds of its original weight is lost. It is also noteworthy that very few rough diamonds have the ability to produce a 1.00 carat finished diamond because most diamonds mined are either small or large but filled with imperfections that require the cleaver to remove most of it. Out of the many thousands of rough diamonds mined, only a rare few are able to yield a 1.00 carat finished diamond. Thus, the price increase of a diamond gets steeper as its carat gets higher. For example, the value of a two-carat diamond can increase fourfold from a one-carat diamond instead of double.
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Colour Or The Lack Of Diamond, in its purest form, should be colourless and transparent. Though barely noticeable to the untrained eye, truly colourless diamonds are by far rare and few. Most contain a yellow or brownish tinge, owing to the impurities that found its way into the stone during its formation. Authentic colourless diamonds are rare and few, only one-fourth of all the diamonds mined are perfectly colourless. The rarity of colourless diamonds were so highly regarded that dishonest traders have tried to “paint’ the lower grade diamonds by applying a purple dye to the underside of the stone such that it becomes barely perceptible to a casual glance upon drying. When the fraud was discovered, importers from everywhere embarked on a major “cleaning” with alcohol and acid bottles, to reveal the truth. That is how the trade soon became a watchful one, requiring all diamonds to pass through the hands of trained professionals before they become commercialised. In ancient time, unclear when exactly, but a charlatan had claimed the ability to remove the colouring matter from tinted diamonds. He, of all the craftsmen who were vying to claim the title, made a reputation for himself as the “Inventor of the process for the decolouration of diamond rough”. It was said that the process employed a combination of heat and chemicals but the secret must have died with him for no sound method exists till this day. Most proved to effect only a temporary success as it was found that the colour usually returns with time.
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The task thus falls in the hands of the cutter or the cleaver, for the cutting away of the impurities, has a substantial influence on the apparent colour of a diamond. What most, if not all, diamond cutters do is to arrange their work such that the best is presented in the finished product. It is interesting to note, that the diamonds of South Africa, though most often less than ideal in quality due to its “off-coloured” shade, are still considered to be one of the world’s finest quality. This is because diamond miners have been able to yield stones of relatively substantial size thus allowing cutters to exercise their craft with maximum freedom, modifying or removing the diamonds’ “tinted” portions to reveal brilliantly translucent diamonds even though the diamonds usually end up losing half of its size in the process. Nonetheless, even under such circumstances, only 20 percent of the South African diamonds are of the first quality. Those that are too “impure” are being crushed and used to cut or polish other better quality diamonds.
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Fairest of Them All In the diamond world, snow white gems are the most precious and revered grade of diamond. And they are probably the most scarce too, more so than blue white diamonds. Of the entire world’s diamond mines, only India and Brazil are able to provide such priceless quality gems being pure and white. The term “Golconda Diamond” is one that is used to refer to the utmost transparent and beautifully white or rather colourless diamond. This term originated from a historic area in India named the “Golconda kingdom” where diamonds used to be mined. The reason for its purity is due to the absence of nitrogen in the gem. Nitrogen is the component that contaminates and gives diamonds a yellowish colour. The lack of it is what makes the “Golconda Diamond” pure white but this is extremely rare. In fact, the Golconda-grade diamond makes up less than 1% of all diamonds. While India enjoyed its unrivalled supremacy as the land of superior diamonds, its ‘Golconda’ diamond mines were nearing depletion by the early 1700s. Fortunately, a new find came just in time in the Portuguese colony of Brazil in 1725 to keep the diamond trade alive. Indeed the diamonds mined in Brazil were found to match the Indian ones, with excellent brilliancy and beautiful purity.
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The 4Cs of Today’s Diamonds Every diamond has a value and every value is uniquely determined with a grading system based on the 4Cs. The 4Cs are used to classify diamonds on a universally recognised scale. In simple terms, the higher the diamond ratings in each of the 4Cs, the higher the cost will be because a high C grading would place it higher on the rarity scale. Once the 4Cs have been determined, a diamond’s value is cast in stone forever and will not diminish over time. As the saying goes “a diamond is forever”…
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1) Diamond Cut A diamond’s cut is graded on a scale ranging from excellent to poor. Though invisible to the naked eye, a good cut distinguishes a diamond and carries much weight in determining its quality and value. A well-cut diamond can create the illusion of being two to three colour grades better than it actually is. Conversely, a poorly-cut can barely be made up for with colour and clarity. For this reason, the cut of a diamond is highly regarded and considered to be on the top of the scale in importance amongst the 4Cs.
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Excellent Cut Diamonds An Excellent Ccut diamond internally reflects the maximum amount of light from one mirror-like facet to another and disperses it through the top of the stone, providing brilliance and fire. This brilliance is the flashing, fiery effect that makes diamonds so attractive.
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Very Good Cut Diamonds Very Good Cut diamonds reflect most of the light that enters them, dispersing a good deal of brilliance. With these diamonds, the diamond cutters have chosen to stray slightly from the preferred formula in order to retain a larger diamond. The result is that these diamonds fall slightly outside of some criteria for the Excellent Cut range but in many aspects will overlap with certain parameters of diamonds in the Excellent Cut ranges. Thus, the price of these diamonds generally falls slightly below that of Excellent Cut.
Good Cut Diamonds Like the Very Good Cut diamonds, Good Cut diamonds also reflect most of the light that enters them. However, their proportions fall outside of the preferred range because the diamond cutter has chosen to create the largest possible diamond from the original rough crystal, rather than cutting extra weight off to create a smaller Excellent Cut quality diamond. Diamonds in this range offer excellent value for people who want to stay in a budget without sacrificing the quality or beauty of the diamond.
Fair & Poor Cut Diamonds A diamond graded as Fair or Poor Cut reflects only a small proportion of the light that enters it. Typically these diamonds have been cut with the intention of retaining the size of it more so than other aspects.
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Diamond Cut Chart
In technical terms, ‘cut’ refers to the angles and proportions that made up a diamond. It determines how light enters and leaves the diamond and is directly related to how much ‘fire’ and brilliance the diamond will exude. Each angle is calculated to capture and refract light at a specific angle such that it reflects back out through the top of the diamond, creating a sparkling effect. The goal is to capture as much light as possible from as many angles to optimise its gleam. If not done properly, a diamond will end up losing its lustre and come across as dull-looking. On top of skill and craft on the part of the artisan, the nature of the diamond may also place limitations on itself. Depending on the way a diamond is formed, it may sometimes be impossible to obtain the best cut, in which cases they will be graded lower on the scale.
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“ Every love story is unique, just like every wedding band. “
Round Brillant cut
The round brilliant is the most popular of the diamond shapes. The reason for its popularity is because this cutting allows the maximum brilliance of a diamond to be displayed, compared to other diamond cuts. A term called “Excellent Cut” refers to the attempt to cut a round diamond into the best proportions to achieve this maximum brilliance. Today’s modern round brilliant diamond is precisely cut to maximize the diamond’s brilliance, fire and size.
Princess cut
The Princess is a modern classic cut of clean, square lines and a beautiful sparkle. The top of the diamond is squarish or sometimes rectangular while the overall shape is similar to that of an inverted pyramid with four bevelled sides. The Princess Cut has become a very popular alternative to the more popular round Brilliant Cut in recent years. The Princess Cut is able to hold its own beautifully as a solitaire or paired with side stones, especially trillions or smaller Princess Cut diamonds.
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Emerald Cut
The Emerald cut is rectangular with cut corners. It is a step cut as opposed to a brilliant cut. The facets are broad with flat planes resembling the steps of a stair. That’s why it is referred to as a “step� cut. Emerald cut diamonds are not nearly as brilliant as their round and oval counterparts. Such a cut has traditionally been used for emeralds, hence the name; it is the most common of the square and rectangular step cuts. What these diamonds lack in brilliance however, they make up for in clarity. Looking into an emerald cut diamond is like peering into pure, glacier-water ice; the full depth of the stone is clearly visible.
Marquise Cut
A Marquise diamond is beautifully slender and elongated, ending dramatically with sharp point at the ends. If you feel that this cut has a regal and royal air about it, you are probably right because it was said that the cut was inspired by the smile of a mistress of King Louis XIV named Marquise de Pompadour. The ideal Marquise Cut should have a length-to-width ratio of 2:1. Its unique shape makes it beautiful as a simple solitaire but should be mounted with at least six to hold the stone securely.
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Pear Cut
The Pear Cut is an ultra-feminine diamond shape with a rounded end on one side and a tapering point at the other. it is lovely as the center stone of a ring, outstanding as a pendant and sexy as a pair of drop earrings. The trick to choosing such fancy cuts is to consider the length-to-width ratio as a rule of thumb. for the pear, the perfect ratio should be 1.5:1. in other words, the length of the stone should be about 1.5 times the width of the diamond. good symmetry is another crucial aspect for Pear Cut diamonds for this will ensure that light is reflected evenly, especially at the tapering point, where you want to catch a glimpse of that very special and seductive sparkle.
asscher Cut
The asscher Cut diamond was first created in 1902 and has its name derived from its creator, the asscher brothers of amsterdam, holland. interestingly, amsterdam is renowned for its lapidaries and has earned itself a mark in history with the cutting of a number of exquisite gems, including the famous 3,015 carat Cullinan Diamond, which is now part of the British crown jewels. The asscher Cut has a distinctive square shape and deeply trimmed corners resembling an octagon. Cut with a series of parallel steps, the asscher Cut creates a hall-of-mirrors effect, resulting in more internal refraction and brilliance. unlike any other diamond cut, the asscher is an exclusively patented cut. every genuine asscher diamond has the asscher family insignia and a unique identification number emblazoned directly on the stone’s girdle which are visible only under high magnification.
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Heart
True to its shape, the Heart diamond is the most romantic of all diamond cuts. It is very similar to the Pear Cut except for the cleft at the rounded end, which makes out the lobe of the Heart. Due to the complexity of this shape, exquisite skill is required cutting to ensure proper brilliance and symmetry. Any minute miscalculation would cause the heart to go out of shape and rob its beauty.
Oval Cut
The Oval Cut is a cross between the round Brilliant Cut and the Marquise, combining the sparkle of the round Brilliant with a flattering, elongated outline. It offers the best of both worlds for someone who loves the fire of a Brilliant in an alternative shape outside of the usual. And for that reason, most oval cuts look great in any mounting meant for a round Brilliant as long as the setting has six prongs to hold the stone firmly in its place.
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Radiant Cut
The Radiant Cut possesses the charm of the classic Emerald Cut and the sparkle of the round Brilliant. Similar to the Princess Cut but not quite, the Radiant distinguishes itself with a more rectangular outline and has blocked corners like those of an Emerald Cut. The craftsmanship is a painstaking one that combines the step cutting of an Emerald Cut diamond with some triangular faceting of the brilliant cut.
Trillion Cut
The Trillion Cut is an unmistakably dramatic cut for those who want to make a bold statement. It was developed in the 1970s as a variation to the Radiant Cut. Like the radiant, it too combines the art of step cutting and brilliant faceting. However, it is more apt as a side stone than as a center diamond.
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2) Clarity Diamond clarity is a measurement of ‘impurities’ contained within the diamond during its formation. These ‘impurities’ can be lines of fractures, pockets of air or any external substance that lends it a cloudy appearance. Every diamond is put under the scrutiny of a 10X Magnifying Loupe to determine its clarity rating, which will ultimately affect its price value. The highest grade diamond is of course one that is flawless but such diamonds are very rare in reality and when they do occur, fetch extremely high prices. The diamond clarity scale ranges from Flawless (F) to Included (I). The closer the diamond is to flawless clarity, the higher the clarity and its price.
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Diamond Clarity Chart
FL (Flawless) Diamonds with this clarity have zero imperfections inside and outside the gem. IF (Internally Flawless) IF Diamonds are almost perfectly clear with no inclusions inside the gem. VVS1 and VVS2 (Very Very Small Inclusions) These diamonds have very small inclusions which are very difficult to see even under a loupe of 10 power magnification and needless to say invisible to the naked eye. VS1 and VS2 (Very Small Inclusions) These diamonds have small inclusions which are slightly difficult to spot under a loupe of 10 power magnification. SI1 and SI2 (Slightly Inclusions)
SI1 and SI2 Diamonds have inclusions which are fairly easy to spot under a loupe of 10 power magnification, and fairly even to the naked eye. I1, I2, I3 (Inclusions-visible to naked eye) These diamonds have inclusions which are highly visible to even an untrained eye.
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3) Carat A diamond’s weight is represented by carats. Universally, one carat is divided up into 100 points. Thus, a diamond weighing 50 points is only half a carat. Carat is a measurement of weight and not size. The surface area of a diamond does not increase proportionately with its weight. For example, a two-carat diamond weighs twice as much as a one carat diamond but the surface area only increases by 64%. Thus, it takes a lot more weight for a diamond to be noticeably bigger.
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Diamond Carat Chart
One carat is equivalent to 0.20 grams. Measurement of a diamond’s diameter is often not
an accurate gauge of a diamond’s weight due to the dependence on the cut of a diamond – whether it is a deep-cut, shallow-cut or an ideal-cut diamond. The above diagram is based on an ideal-cut diamond.
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4) Colour Diamond colour is a scaling measurement that determines how colourless a diamond is. Colourless is the best characteristic and will cause its value to increase as it approaches the absolute colourless degree. The transparency of colourless diamonds facilitated the passing of light through it more readily than a coloured diamond, emitting more sparkle and fire. However, nature’s formation of diamonds is completely out of men’s control and only a few, rare ones are truly colourless. Thus the whiter a diamond’s colour, the higher its value.
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Diamond Colour Grades
Diamonds graded D through F are naturally the most valuable and desirable because of their rarity. This 4C characteristic, however, is fairly difficult to find as mentioned above. So far, only Indian diamonds are known to possess such divine quality. Sadly, the supply of diamonds from Indian mines has diminished significantly and as such, truly colourless diamonds are almost extinct today, making the rare few such priceless possessions.
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The different methods of cutting diamonds in today’s market.
Normal Diamonds
Even in today’s technologically advanced world, most diamonds are still handcut by skilled artisans. However, cutting a diamond is a complicated process that requires detailed knowledge of the stone, a precise hand and perfect judgment. The slightest inconsistency from its ideal symmetry and proportion can make all the difference between a gorgeous diamond and a dull, lifeless one. Most often than not, hand-cut diamonds, also known as Normal Cut diamonds fall within close range to the perfect proportion but fail to achieve perfect symmetry. As a result, it loses some of the light entering it, only 90% is reflected back out. Temptations to sacrifice good proportions for bigger size is also apparent in most Normal Cut diamonds because the majority of diamond cutters in the market fashion diamonds in a way that maintains as much of its original diamond weight as possible, rather than adhering to the laws of symmetry and proportions to produce the most sparkle. The trick is to find a compromise between size and brilliance.
Crème de la crème
Just as not all diamonds are created equal, not all diamonds are made equal. In the world of diamonds, the cream of the crop and reigning queen amongst all diamond cuts is Laser Diamond, which is unrivalled in terms of sparkle, fire and brilliance. Though a standard ideal cut emanates up to 90% of all the light entering it, it does not make the cut for the crème de la crème of diamonds. It is the Laser Diamond with its 100% brilliancy that reigns in the crown. The Laser Diamond owes its supremacy to an ultra precise cut, made possible only with the most sophisticated technologies at the forefront of today’s diamondcutting technique. Every single facet of a Laser Diamond is calculated with the utmost care and perfected with meticulous attention on the proportion and symmetry in order to guarantee an optimum reflection of light. The resulting cut is engineered to guarantee optimum reflection of light. However, nothing is gained when nothing is lost. A significant percentage of the stone has to be cut in the process but the sacrifice is more than compensated for by superior workmanship and though the finished stone is smaller, it makes up for the decrease in size with exceptional beauty.
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The viSion BehinD JuST DiamonDS Just diamonds? not quite. There is nothing ordinary about Just Diamonds’ diamonds, which boast uncompromising perfection in every aspect. featuring only the finest colour grades of D, e and f, Just Diamonds employs the best cutting technique in the world to achieve 100% brilliance for all its diamonds. Cut at the utmost precise angles at perfect symmetry, every diamond’s brilliance is maximised to its fullest potential, capturing and reflecting light from every single facet, unveiling the divine beauty of a diamond’s fire and sparkle like it should be.
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Encapsulate that magic which words cannot express‌
Diamonds are girls’ best friends. True to the core. They are reliable proposal and wedding gifts. This rock from the heart of mother earth has won many hearts and unfailingly generates an affirmative without second chances.
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Visit www. jddefred.com or come to our Store now for consultation with one of our jewellery consultants. All rights reserved Just Diamonds by Defred All product information are accurate as of April 2009. Featured jewellery are subjected to availability. Just Diamonds by Defred reserves the right to change or update product specifications. Model shots Copyright of SPH Magazines Pte Ltd Product shots Copyright of TH Associates Pte Ltd