Benefits of Lab Graded Diamonds for Consumers
One of the biggest challenges that consumers face when buying a diamond, online or in a traditional brick and mortar jewelry store, is being able to accurately ascertain the quality of the diamonds which they are considering. Diamond grading reports issued by top tier gemological laboratories, such as the American Gem Society Laboratory (AGSL) and the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) provide consumers with a resource which can be used to verify the quality of a diamond, compare prices, and obtain some peace of mind while purchasing something which can be stressful because of the emotional and financial investment that accompanies such an important purchase.
Do Diamond Grading Reports Create a False Sense of Security?
Unfortunately one of the pitfalls of diamond grading reports is that they can create a false sense of security, wherein people are lured into thinking that they are buying the best of the best, simply because the diamond is accompanied by a diamond grading report which indicates that the diamond has an overall cut grade which is the highest available from that particular gemological laboratory, such as GIA Excellent or AGS Ideal-0.
For instance, this snippet of a diamond grading report issued by the GIA for a round brilliant cut diamond which they gave an overall cut grade of GIA Excellent, was sent to us by a client who wanted to know how this diamond compared to a Brian Gavin Signature round hearts and arrows diamond of the same carat weight, color, and clarity, and whether we thought that the diamond was likely to exhibit a pattern of hearts and arrows… because it seemed like a less expensive option of the same quality to the client, who was just beginning the process of learning about the intricacies of diamond cut quality and the effect of proportions upon light return and visual performance.
According to the GIA, the diamond referenced above has a total depth of 59.2% with a table diameter of 60% with a crown angle of 32.5 degrees which is offset by a pavilion angle of 41.0 degrees with a medium to slightly thick, faceted girdle and no culet.
The reality is that the proportions of this diamond fall along the very outer edge of the range designated for the zero ideal cut proportions rating, while the proportions of the Brian Gavin Signature round diamonds which we produce fall within the center of the range designated for the zero ideal cut rating.
Thus it is not possible to look at the proportions of a diamond as provided on a diamond grading report and determine whether the diamond is going likely to exhibit a crisp and complete pattern of hearts and arrows or not. The only way to verify the existence of a hearts and arrows pattern within a diamond is to look at the diamond through a Hearts & Arrows Scope, and then grade the consistency of the pattern if it happens to be present.
For instance, this 1.233 carat, G-color, SI-2 clarity, Brian Gavin Signature round diamond has a total depth of 61.4% with a table diameter of 57% and a crown angle of 34.9 degrees which is offset by a pavilion angle of 40.8 degrees with a thin to medium, faceted girdle and a pointed culet… we’re talking about a difference in proportions which is as distinct as night and day. While the proportions of a round brilliant cut diamond to have an impact upon the appearance of a hearts and arrows pattern when present in a diamond, the proportions are only one piece of the puzzle which creates the hearts and arrows patterns that appear in every Brian Gavin Signature round diamond.
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