What is a diamond?
A diamond, the world’s most exquisite gemstone, is millions of years old. Consisting of virtually pure carbon it is the only gemstone composed of a single element. Diamonds are therefore not only the hardest natural substance known to man, but also the purest of the earth’s treasures. What makes this stone so beautiful is that when skillfully cut, it has a unique ability to reflect light back in an explosion of sparkle and fire. Githsara Gems quality diamonds are also exceedingly rare. Only 1 in 1 million carats of diamonds mined are gem-quality and approximately 5 million carats must be mined to get a single 2 carat gem-quality diamond. Over and above this only a tiny fraction of these gem-quality diamonds meet the Githsara Gems quality standards. It is this combination of antiquity, purity, endurance, beauty and rarity that have captivated people for so long and which continue to make diamonds so desired and sought after.
What makes a Githsara Gems?
Over the years we have developed our own proprietary grading system to ensure that only the best most brilliant diamonds become Githsara Gems Diamond works.
We employ some of the country’s most qualified gemologists with over 20 years cumulative diamond and precious stone grading experience. Every single diamond set in our workshop is individually selected, graded and approved as having met the stringent qualities of a Githsara Gems. Only diamonds which have qualified as a Githsara Gems can be certified and will be considered for setting in one of our fine pieces of diamond jewellery.
Githsara Gems are not only beautiful and rare but responsibly sourced. To be certified as a Githsara Gems a diamond must be colour I or better and have a clarity SI or better. In addition to this the diamond must exhibit the captivating allure, which we describe as brilliance in motion. This refers to the flashes of white light from the facets when the diamond, the wearer or the observer moves.
The 6 C's of a Githsara Gems
Traditionally diamonds have been graded according to the “4 C’s”; Colour, Clarity, Carat and Cut. However, this is an oversimplified means of evaluating diamond quality. We have therefore incorporated two additional “C’s” – Combination and Character.
Colour
Colour quality is critical because usually the more colourless the diamond, the greater it’s rarity and value. A single increase in colour grade can boost a diamond’s value by thousands of dollars, depending on the stone’s size. Although many diamonds may appear colourless to the untrained eye, the majority contain very slight traces of yellow, brown of grey.
Githsara GemsDiamonds Store diamonds are colour-graded by an independent registered laboratory and certified as such in the certificate that accompanies every diamond engagement ring sold. It should be noted that diamonds also occur by rare accidents of nature in shades and intensities of yellow, pink, blue, green and red.
In order to become a Githsara Gems the colour must be an “I” or better.
Clarity
Virtually all diamonds have imperfections called inclusions or blemishes. A diamond is said to be “flawless” if no inclusions or superficial blemishes can be seen under a standard 10-power jeweller’s loupe, truly flawless diamonds are extremely rare and priced accordingly.
Githsara Gems holds high standards in that each and every stone over .25ct goes through a stringent gemological grading in an independent laboratory. Only a small percentage of the diamonds examined are accepted. In order to become a Githsara Gems the clarity must be “SI” or better.
Carat
A “carat” is the gemologist’s standard measure of diamond’s weight. It is important to note that the size alone is almost meaningless unless you consider cut, clarity and colour. A large stone holds little value if it lacks brilliance, purity and high-grade colour. However, size does increase the value of a good quality diamond for the simple reason that large stones are rarer than small ones.
Cut
The cut refers to the faceting proportions on the surface of a diamond. A diamond cutter must place each of the stone’s facets and angles, which act as light dispersing mirrors, in exact geometric relation to one another. More than any other factor, the precision of these facets determines the brilliance of the diamond. On a classic round, brilliant cut diamond, for instance, fifty-seven facets must be precisely aligned. Githsara GemsThe Diamond Store uses the most skilled and experienced diamond cutters to ensure that our diamonds are precisely proportioned to reflect light and maximize brilliance. Most other diamonds are cut to maximize weight, resulting in a loss of brilliance and fire.
Adding or subtracting facets does not equal greater brilliance. We make no compromises in this crucial area. Our clients are offered only those diamonds cut to proper proportions, so that the extraordinary brilliance and scintillation is noticed, even in a crowded room.
Combination
No two diamonds are exactly alike. It is essential that all of the characteristics of each diamond are perfectly balanced. Ultimately it is this unique combination which results in a diamond of exceptional brilliance, a diamond which meets the stringent demands of a Githsara Gems.
Character
Having considered all of the 5 C’s we are left to make the decision whether or not the diamond has the attraction and charm required of a Githsara Gems. This allure is best described as brilliance in motion – the flashes of white light from the facets when the diamond, the wearer or the observer moves.