Nail Head in a Diamond – Diamonds are nothing new to the world of gemstones and pieces of jewelry. They are one of the most precious and valuable gems that exist on our planet. They have been one of the leading businesses that have aided our planet’s economic growth.
Now, coming to the technical aspects, the beauty of these stones is dependent on certain facts and features of them. These features or grades to be more precise are known in the diamond business world as the 4C’s. 4C’s meaning Cut, Color, Clarity, and Carat. Let’s just have a conception of what these grades generally mean.
Diamond Cut
Diamond Cut is a grade that determines how precisely and cleanly a diamond has been cut. It may also be said as a measure of the cutter’s skill, meaning the more precise and flawless the cuts and the facets the better is the diamond in terms of its value and beauty.
Diamond Color
The color of a diamond typically means what hues or hue is the diamond of. The ranges typically start from colorless which is the initial grade mark and ends with the light brown which is the last mark of the grading scale.
The colorless diamonds are difficult to be found and that is why are more sought after. They may also be of other colors; for example, red, pink, or blue and their grading scale is different from the one mentioned before.
Diamond Clarity
Clarity refers to the degree of flawlessness of a diamond. Diamonds, as well as other gemstones, generally have some form of flaw or inclusions to them. The lesser the inclusions, the more precious the stone. Such flaws and inclusions are generally checked with the help of certain magnification devices.
Diamond Carat
It is the measure of the weight of the diamond. One carat diamond is equal to 1/5 gram. This also is an indirect measurement of the size of the diamond.
After going through the above features or grading’s of a diamond, let us have an idea about the diamond cut in a detailed manner.
Importance of Diamond-Cut
Out of all the “C”s – diamond cut is generally considered as the most important one as it has the biggest effect on how a diamond looks and feels visually. If explained in a simpler form, the cut is the measurement of how beautifully the stone has been designed and transformed from a rough chunk of stone to a clean, precious, and sparkling gem.
This term also consists of three elements; which are namely proportion, symmetry, and polish. Each of these elements adds up to the value of the stone and resultantly makes the stone more and more beautiful. Let’s define these elements one by one:
Proportion
A diamond that has the best proportions or the “ideal” proportions will reflect almost the exact amount of light from its facets and therefore it would feature the best sparkle and fire from it. It is essential to maintain the proportions of a diamond to retain its value and outlook.
Diamond proportions are graded from “Excellent” to “Poor”. “Excellent” is the best proportions that a diamond can have, and “Poor” being the worst.
Symmetry
The symmetry of a diamond can be described as its measurement of proportions. It is an essential and important factor for the diamond cutters to maintain as an asymmetrical diamond will reflect light at odd angles, which will result in a reduction of glow and sparkle of the stone and therefore, its beauty as well.
Diamond symmetry just like proportions is graded from “Excellent” to “Poor”.
A diamond may look asymmetrical if it has at least one of the below-mentioned points to it:
- The culet is off-center
- Gridle is not straight all the way
- The Top table is off-center
- Gridle is uneven.
Polish
Polish of a diamond is the measurement of exactly much shiny a diamond looks, or to be more specific, how much shiny the facets of the diamond are. The people, who are responsible for this particular job, are known by a fancy named that is – ‘Brillianteers’.
Polish of a diamond is graded from a scale of “Excellent” to “Poor”.
Importance of Proper Cut of a Diamond
The cut of a diamond can affect the stone in various ways. It is responsible for things like how shiny and stone looks, how much does it sparkle, how clean and precise it looks and feels, and most of all how costly is it going to be. Hence always suggested that one should always root for diamonds that have gradings of “Excellent” cuts for the best value.
It really will impact on the beauty feature of the diamond, and also the ring or piece of jewelry where it will be placed. The ones with “Very Good” ratings are also acceptable, but one should never look for anything lower than that. If budget is the issue in this case, then one might just opt for a diamond of lower carats, but should never give up on its cut and looks factor.
What Does One Mean by Nail Head in a Diamond?
Nail Head in a diamond is a visual effect that can be seen in a diamond if it is cut too deep. In such a case, the light instead of reflecting our eye reflects off the bottom of the stone at a vague angle. Due to such a case, a dark shape appears in the center of the stone; typically round in shape just like the head of a nail.
Hence, the name “Nail Head”.
This effect diminishes the outlook of the diamond and generally ruins the overall cut score of a stone.
General Suggestions to Choose Cut Grades
The gradings for the proportion, symmetry, and polish of a diamond, all starts from “Poor” which is the least possible overall quality of the cut that a diamond can have. One may think that though the grading says “Poor”, at the end of the day, a diamond is a diamond, isn’t it? But such thoughts are unreasonable as one must never compromise for such a valuable purchase. A diamond is a thing of vanity and pride. It symbolizes sophistication and status.
So, why should someone compromise on the looks factor of such a valuable thing?
One must always try to opt for the diamonds which are graded “Excellent” or “Ideal”. As such diamonds truly offers the extreme value and preciousness that a diamond is meant to offer. Such decisions should not be made in haste; one must calmly look at every possibility to get the best possible cut diamond at the best possible price.
Good luck on the diamond shopping!!