Education

1. Cut

More than any other attribute, it is the Cut and Polish that makes a diamond brilliant and beautiful. A diamond that is well cut and polished reflects light internally and reveals its brilliance back through the top of the stone.

Poor

light leakages from bottom

Fair

minimal light releases through diamond table

Good

some light releases through diamond table

Very Good

exceptional light releases through diamond table

Excellent

nearly all of the light releases to the viewer's eye

2. Color

The finest diamonds are colorless, rare and expensive. On the GIA grading scale below, D-F are considered colorless, G-J near colorless and any grade K or below shows an increasingly yellowish tinge. Beyond the preference for a whiter stone, however, the color of a diamond does not affect its brightness or sparkle.

3. Clarity

Diamonds with fewer flaws (inclusions) are rare and therefore highly prized. In many cases, these flaws don't detract from the beauty of the diamond because they are invisible to the naked eye.

GIA Clarity Grading Scale

FL-IF

Flawless, internally flawless. No flaws internally or externally. Extremely rare and beautiful diamonds.

VVS1-VVS2

Very, very slightly included. Very hard to see inclusions under 10X magnification. Diamonds of excellent quality.

VS1-VS2

Very slightly included. Inclusions usually not visible to the naked eye. Cheaper than VVS1 or VVS2 grade loose diamonds.

SI1-SI2

Slightly included. Inclusions visible under 10X magnification and might be visible with the naked eye. Good value.

SI3-I1

Included inclusions maybe visible without magnification, but an excellent choice for earrings. An SI3-I1 grade can be an excellent value, particularly since the inclusions are hard to see.

I2-I3

Inclusions can be seen without magnification and obvious under 10X magnification. May affect transparency and brilliance.

4. Carat Weight

The weight of diamonds are measured in carats. One carat is equal to 1/142 of an ounce. Most people think of carat weight as the size of a diamond. However, two diamonds of the same weight can look completely different in size. If a diamond is cut deep and narrow, it will look much smaller than another diamond of the same weight that is cut shallow and wide.

This 1 carat rough can yield a .30 carat diamond with excellent cut and extraordinary brilliance, dispersion and scintillation, or...

The same 1 carat rough can yield a 0.40 carat diamond with fair cut that is dull and dark in comparison

While color, clarity and carat weight are big factors in the price of a diamond, it is the Cut and Polish that breathes life, sparkle and scintillation into a diamond. The three diamonds shown below are all SI Clarity and G-H Color, but there is a significant difference in their brilliance, due to the quality of their Cut and Polish.

SI Clarity, G-H Color, Fair Cut

A deep cut usually makes the diamond appear dark.

SI Clarity, G-H Color, Fair Cut

A shallow cut usually makes the diamond appear opaque.

SI Clarity, G-H Color, Very Good Cut

A proper cut unleashes the fire and brilliance within a diamond.

Reason for a inferior cut?

Out of all the rough diamonds that are mined globally, less the 2% are gem quality that can be made into a finished diamond. Of that 2% less then 50% can be made into a superior cut diamond. On top of that an average of 60% to 70% of that gem quality rough diamond is wasted in the process of converting it into a finished diamond. At the cutting and polishing stage, the diamond cutter is required to maximise the weight of the diamond in order to maximise their profit and reduce wastage, resulting in a inferior cut. And this occurs in more than 70% of the diamonds sold in the market. It's not illegal or unethical -- it is done just to maximise profits. The consumer, however might end up with a diamond that is not nearly as beautiful and brilliant as it could be.

All the diamonds sold by Vaarya are of superior cuts. Our diamond manufacturing unit uses state of the art laser cutting machines to minimise wastage and bring out the best brilliance and cut from any given rough diamond. Less than 25% of diamond cutting and polishing factories globally uses these techniques to make polished diamonds.

This 1 carat rough can yield a .30 carat diamond with excellent cut and extraordinary brilliance, sparkle and scintillation, or...

The same 1 carat rough can yield a .40 carat diamond with fair cut that is dull and dark in comparison

Both of the finished diamonds above will be graded the same color and clarity. However, the .40 carat diamond on the right will fetch about $600 more in the retail, when it is sold to a consumer who is unaware of it's inferior cut and thinks he/she is getting a great deal as compared to other diamonds of the same weight with a superior cut.

How to get the best diamond for the money?

The best way to assure yourself of diamond quality is to get a diamond that is certified by an independent laboratory, preferably U.S. based like GIA, AGS, IGI or IGL. One should try and avoid inhouse grading and appraisal certificates which some retailers and online sites provide. These could be inaccurate as they are not governed by the strict grading standards that are followed in a reputed independent gem laboratory. All diamonds sold by Vaarya are certified by a U.S. based independent laboratory.

The GIA grading scale for diamond cuts is shown below. Notice that the better cuts toward the right reflect more light toward the viewer's eye. If all the facets are lined up correctly, there is less light leakage through the sides of the diamond, and more brilliance is released through the top of the diamond to the eye of the viewer.

GIA Scale for Grading Diamond Cut:

Poor

light leakages from bottom

Fair

minimal light releases through diamond table

Good

some light releases through diamond table

Very Good

exceptional light releases through diamond table

Excellent

nearly all of the light releases to the viewer's eye