Established by the visionary entrepreneurs, Chirag and Chinar Shah, in 2011. With headquarters in Antwerp, Belgium, Anita Diamonds has rapidly gained recognition for its unwavering commitment to quality and as of today Anita Diamonds has over 150 employees worldwide. Currently, Chinar is growing Anita Diamonds in the Middle East from their office in Dubai and Chirag’s daughter, Yashvi, has joined the company as the next generation.

Click to view slideshow.For the past decade, Anita Diamonds has been a symbol of Antwerp’s illustrious diamond legacy. Chirag started working in diamond industry at a young age in 1993. He and his brother lost their parents early in life and had a difficult upbringing. While under guardianship of their grandparents, Chirag decided to join the family business (diamond merchants) to provide for their family. After working for 2 years in Tel Aviv, he moved to Antwerp where he was working with one his uncles in polished diamonds business. 20 years into business, he and his brother decided to start their own company, Anita Diamonds, honoring their mother’s name. Since they had established an excellent reputation in the industry due to their hard work and unwavering commitment to their clients, they managed to start Anita Diamonds on their own which led to be a successful company.

The city itself boasts a rich heritage in the diamond trade, with a history dating back over five centuries. Antwerp’s diamond district is renowned worldwide, and Anita Diamonds plays a pivotal role in preserving and perpetuating this heritage. Their commitment to ethical sourcing and adherence to the Kimberley Process has not only contributed to the industry’s integrity but also upheld Antwerp’s reputation as a responsible and reliable source of diamonds.

Click to view slideshow.Furthermore, Anita Diamonds takes pride in empowering its workforce. Their commitment to education and training ensures that their employees are equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to excel in their craft. This investment in human capital not only reflects their commitment to quality but also supports the local community. Social responsibility is another aspect to Anita Diamonds, providing best facilities for their employees to thrive, as well as work life balance, Anita Diamonds sponsor many sport events to project the positive image for diamond industry.

Click to view slideshow.In an ever-evolving industry, Anita Diamonds remains dedicated to innovation. They continuously explore cutting-edge technologies to enhance the diamond-cutting process, ensuring that their diamond continue to shine brighter than ever. This forward-looking approach positions the company as a leader in the diamond sector, ready to embrace the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century. While visiting Anita Diamonds, I had the opportunity to visit their diamond manufacturing facility. Here is a video:

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One of the core elements that sets Anita Diamonds apart is their firm stand to the use of natural diamonds, a choice that embodies their dedication to authenticity, quality, and the preservation of Earth’s natural wonders. Their dedication to the authenticity of natural diamonds ensures that customers can be confident in the origin and quality of their precious gems. Every diamond in their collection is a natural masterpiece, unaltered by human hands beyond expert cutting and polishing.

Anita Diamonds; The most incredible team in Antwerp!

Anita Diamonds understands the immense responsibility that comes with being a player in the diamond industry. The company is committed to ensuring that every step of their supply chain adheres to ethical practices. From sourcing to cutting and polishing, Anita Diamonds prioritizes transparency and accountability. They actively engage with their suppliers to ensure that their diamonds are conflict-free and responsibly sourced, upholding the highest standards of corporate responsibility.

Click to view slideshow.Anita Diamonds represents the epitome of Antwerp’s diamond heritage. Their unwavering commitment to ethics, excellence, and sustainability, coupled with a forward-looking vision, ensures that this iconic company will continue to shine brightly on the global stage.

Hans D. Krieger legacy goes back to the18^th century; the family goldsmiths and agate cutters are registered in the city’s history as early as 1720.  In 1935, Hans D Krieger started his career in diamond cutting and made his first jewellery piece following a customer’s order in 1964. This was the beginning of his journey in manufacturing exquisite high jewellery which made the name became synonymous with high quality. The company has exponentially grown over the decades and today under the management of Andreas Krieger, Hans’ son; it has become one of the most significant manufacturers of diamond and gemstone jewellery in the world.

Last month, Tracey and I had the opportunity of visiting Hans D. Krieger in the heart of Idar-Oberstein. Our journey started from Frankfurt airport, and after 90 minutes of scenic drive, we arrived at Marienhoeh Hideaway & Spa  in Langweiler, Rhineland-Palatinate. Our journey followed by a superb meal at one of the most exquisite restaurants in Kirschweiler, Veeks restaurant. Veeks owner’s passion for food and gemstones has led him in developing gemstone/diamond gins and liquors. Checkout instagram highlights for more videos of our trip.

Entering Hans D. Krieger headquarters in Idar-Oberstein the next morning, we were immensely impressed by the facility. First stop was the beautiful private showroom with an open deck, minimalist decoration with breathtaking art pieces.

The facility tour continued with visiting every single department and the most impressive aspect was that everything is done in house, under one roof.

Diamond and Gem Cutting:

Hans D. Krieger takes pride in cutting and polishing their diamonds and gemstones on site. Using Sarin mapping device gives them the best outcome and yield of the rough, following by their experienced diamond cutters on site to cut and polish the rough diamond. There is a gem cutter on site as well, shown here cutting an aquamarine.

CAD process:

For every piece, diamond and gemstone is first sent to CAD department. First step is measuring the stones and their proportions to make sure they are the right fit for the design. Afterwards the design is also imported into CAD for maximum precision before the casting is done.

Casting:

From melting gold/platinum to casting trees, every single step of the way is done in house. First the cast or mold is made in silver by the jewellery artisans, from there it get duplicated in rubber and wax . After few time consuming steps, the casting tree is ready. Usually the process takes about 24-48 hours depending on the metal.

Diamond/Gemstone setters and jewellery artisans:

Every single piece is set in house at Hans D. Krieger facility, from pave setting to large diamond/gemstone there are different experienced setters that set jewellery here by hand with utmost precision.

Polishing, Plating and Engraving:

After the setting, jewels are sent to polishers to polish them to perfection, also checking the setting for any issues. For white gold, there is an extra step of rhodium plating, which by adding the alloy of rhodium, the white gold turns from gray (its natural color) to white. Engraving is done on every single piece, both HDK logo as well as the metal mark.

Hans D. Krieger currently has 55 employees. The diamond and jewellery manufacturing team in collaboration with teams of skilled designers, experienced sales/export/import, marketing and admins, are running a smooth and ultimately efficient operation. Due to the strong sales and positive outlook of future growth, company management has decided to further expand the operation by building additional manufacturing facility in the same location to support the growth and to consolidate the manufacturing process.

At the end of the extensive tour, we were given access to the inventory room, where we had the chance to select trays of jewellery, try them on and share the joy with our audience.

After touring Hans D. Krieger, I personally have a deeper understanding of craftsmanship and tremendous appreciation and respect for the quality of the pieces that I had the opportunity to hold and try on. I hope this article also gives you a better perspective on what goes into creating one small piece of jewellery; vision, expertise, time and material.

Both Tracey and I are grateful to Andreas and the team at Hans D. Krieger for their warm welcome and the time and effort they put into showing us around the facility. Their outstanding hospitality during our stay in Idar-Oberstein along with the best of German culinary is a memory that we will cherish forever. Our last night in Idar Oberstein was well spent at Weinkonzept Sebastian Stueber restaurant, a hidden gem in the city of gems where we enjoyed a private dinner with a curated menu.

We look forward to seeing Andreas Krieger and Hans D. Krieger team in Geneva for Haute Jewels Geneva; March 26-April 2 2023, Fairmont Grand Hotel.

Let’s introduce you to Sarine. Sarine is a technology company that has reimagined the diamond industry through their AI-based technology. Established 30 years ago by a group of passionate gemologists who joined forces with technological innovators, to establish the world’s first diamond technology company. By the help of technology, Sarine has succeeded in providing accurate and precise solutions to assist the diamond manufacturers to manufacture the diamonds in the optimal way. GALAXY®, DIAEXPERT® and DIAMENSION® are to name few of Sarine advanced technologies that assist with inclusion mapping, external surface modeling for rough diamonds and high fidelity 3D modeling for polished and semi polished diamonds. For over a generation, Sarine has developed and supplied breakthrough technologies that cover the entire diamond pipeline, from mine to the jewelry store and beyond. David Block, CEO of Sarine Technologies, explained to us that “Sarine’s digital reports enable consumers to explore every facet of their precious diamond, from the 4C’s grading characteristics to its origins and its journey from the mine to the ring”. In this blog, we are going to focus on two of the products that help the consumer to be educated about the diamond they are acquiring

One of the most important products that Sarine offers is the diamond journey. The diamond journey provides accurate, traceable and verifiable data in regard to the journey of a diamond from rough to polished. By being part of Aura Blockchain consortium all the data is recorded in real time on blockchain. From the time that the diamond is scanned by a miner through 3D scanning, a link to its digital report is created by a verifiable image of the rough diamond. The creation of the link is the start of a chain of authentication at the every stage of the journey which results in a true end-to-end traceability. One of the important factors in diamond journey is that when the diamond lands at polishing sites they will get scanned again and Sarine’s algorithm matches it with the original scan to make sure it is the same stone and once it is verified, the registration changes to the new owner. So you can track back to see which continents, countries and companies handled your diamond. This also provides immense value for social sustainability of the stone, and the positive impact it had on the surrounding communities.

After verification of the rough, Sarine mapping, planning and polishing technologies assist the polishing site to determine the best cutting plan to achieve the perfect cut. During all the manufacturing process, Sarine Diamond Journey Traceability documents and captures information to record the transition process from rough to polished. Once polishing is complete; the polished stone is matched against previously documented actual and expected features for validation. The ID is once again registered by the manufacturer.

Next step is to use Sarine AI grading. AI grading is powered by artificial intelligence and years of in-depth research which overcome inconsistencies of human observation. Resulting in accurate, consistent and repeatable grading to relay diamond’s true value to the consumer. The Polished Validation stage verifies the stone’s ID by matching its various properties – such as its polish proportions, inclusions,  and additional unique features – to the properties registered during the final planning stage. This verifies the polished stone is indeed derived from the specific rough.

Sarine Diamond Journey™ Traceability report provides an attractive visual by showcasing diamonds unique journey from rough to polished including every step of the way for it to land in the consumer’s hands.

In addition to the Diamond Journey report, Sarine also provides TrueMatch, an additional layer of protection for consumers by adding the stones to the TrueMatch system which verifies and validates the diamond by using a matrix and unique fingerprint inscribed in diamonds girdle that matches the data on Sarine cloud.

Another cutting edge technology that Sarine provides is the Light Performance. Light performance adds an additional dimension to diamond grading report by measuring diamond’s interaction with light to scientifically measure and determine diamond’s visual appeal.

There are two stages in measuring the light performance;

Stage 1 grades the following 4 parameters based on 5 levels: exceptional, very high, high, standard and minimal.

• Brilliance
• Fire
• sparkle
• Light symmetry

Stage 2: based on the parameters’ measurement, total light performance is calculated for the diamond and the final grade provides an accurate assessment of the beauty of a diamond, on a scale ranging from Low to Ultimate.

• Low: Diamond with limited light return.
• Classic: Good light interaction creates classic beauty.
• Premium: Excellent visual beauty sets these diamonds apart.
• Ultimate: Only the rarest diamonds have ultimate light beauty

According to David “For over 30 years, Sarine has been providing cutting edge technology to mines, manufacturers, and retailers worldwide. As a result, over 100,000,000 rough diamonds are processed annually on our different technologies along the diamond pipeline, creating the only source of fully verifiable and independent data’’.

You can learn more about Sarine, their products and their current network of mines, wholesalers and retailers, here!

The diamond mining industry has been long regarded as one of the most prestigious resource mining operations, and for good reason. Such precious stones have been created by Mother Nature, over the course of millions of years, in a few locations worldwide. Much like other mining and precious resources industries, the diamond mining industry has evolved through time from the first discovery of diamonds in some of the more remote places on the planet, to the current massive and sophisticated operations that now produce most of the world’s diamonds.

‘Blood Diamonds’ – Challenging a Long-Held Misconception of the Diamond Industry

Edward Zwick’s 2007 movie ‘Blood Diamond’ has cemented itself in the minds of many, and highlighted the need for greater and stricter regulation of diamond mines internationally. However, such tighter regulation was in fact already put in place and developing just a few years prior to the movie’s release. This regulation is known as the ‘Kimberley Process’ which prevents the proceeds of diamond sales from funding conflicts, terrorism or unlawful trading in the international diamond market and calls for the ethical treatment of workers, and the responsible use of funds and exports to conduct the mining of this precious resource. Many diamond mines globally now adhere to and follow the Kimberley Process. Unfortunately, despite the significant progress made by the industry over the past decade, there is still a lingering and widespread misconception about mining operations in the diamond industry.  Recently, I have had the opportunity to visit the world’s largest diamond mining company, De Beers, in South Africa, which enabled me to experience firsthand an in-depth, behind-the-scenes insight into the mining process, operation and challenges faced by the industry.

A Rare Glimpse into Diamond Mining

 In September 2019, De Beers opened its doors for the first time to the Venetia Diamond Mine to welcome 25 members of the Young Diamantaires* group; from over 10 countries. This was a group designed to represent the next generation of diamond industry members, founded by Mr. Rami Baron, Chairman of the Promotional Committee of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB). The trip was also organized with great thanks to Mr. Ernest Blom, World President of the WFDB, Mr. Molefi Leftivski, Mr. Kealeboga Pule and Mr. Frank Auger. I was fortunate enough to be invited on this trip, and to learn first-hand, not only as a jeweller, but as an Exploration Geologist, about the mining operation and processing of rough diamonds at the mine site, and to experience conditions at the Venetia Mine. The colossal mine spans approximately 17.7 hectares, and contains two sections, an open-pit mine to a depth of 450 m, and an underground mine that spans nearly 1,000 m depth. The Venetia open pit mine opened in 1992, and provides the region with 4,365 jobs. It is South Africa’s largest diamond producer which produced 4.2 million carats in 2018. The underground portion of the mine has been deepened to a depth of 1,080 meters, extending the life of the mine until 2046, and producing a further 2,000 jobs in the process. This is no small operation, but what is not often discussed is the benefit that this scale of mining brings not only to local communities, but to the environment that it operates in and the development of the region. In light of the current trend towards synthetic stones and lab-created ‘diamonds’, there has never been a better time to discuss the key benefits of natural diamond mining.

The Unspoken Benefits of Natural Diamond Mining in South Africa

Perhaps not widely recognised is the major contribution large companies such as De Beers play in the role of education, healthcare, environment and employment in the communities and areas they are working in. While De Beers makes significant profits from diamond mining, major re-investment of capital back into local communities, the level of safety maintained at their mine sites and taking good environmental stewardship of the regions in which they operate is of paramount importance. De Beers promotes a strict policy of ‘Zero Harm’ with significant priority given to reducing Lost Time Injuries (LTI) at the Venetia mine site. De Beers were very forthcoming in sharing statistics and discussing incidents that have happened at the mine with full transparency. It was very apparent that employee safety is the company’s primary concern and taken extremely seriously. The mine site itself was clean and well-organized, with many safety measures in place to ensure safe and comfortable working conditions. One such example, was the installation of underground ‘rescue bays’, designed to rescue workers in the event of mine collapse or other major accidents where workers congregate in a secure area if trapped underground. We had the chance to speak openly with workers around the mine site who were on shift that day, and they were all too happy, allowing us to take photos and answer any questions that we had. Both women and men were working their shifts at the mine site wearing the appropriate safety gear and following procedure. The entire operation appeared well organised and managed with a strong emphasis on teamwork, following strict safety procedures while applying the ‘Zero Harm’ mindset to all tasks. Another key area that the company focusses on is the environment. One major example of this is when De Beers purchased 36,000 hectares surrounding the 17.7 hectares used for the Venetia Mine in order to create the Venetia Limpopo Nature Reserve (VLNR), which conserves and protects many native species, such as elephants, from harm and in particular poaching. Without the mine, this area would have been left as farming land excluding the protection and free range of many native species. De Beers is committed to preserving the natural landscape of South Africa, in that for every Baobab tree uprooted in the development of the Venetia Mine, the Baobab and its roots were preserved, and re-planted at the VLNR, in order to preserve the life of these iconic and important species. It is also important to note that one third of water used at the mine site is recycled for later use.

Investing In Their Future – Community Initiatives

In addition to providing thousands of jobs for local workers, the company has provided a multitude of benefits in terms of environmental and social benefits in the region. One such example is that De Beers has built 19 schools in the region to support the local community. The Limpopo region, where the mine is located, suffers from heavily over-enrolled schools, hence De Beers’ efforts in this area have been extremely important for young people. The company has also implemented the ‘De Beers Teacher Subvention Programme’ that provides the enhanced capacity for mathematics and science educators to work at schools. Such programs have been implemented at the Renaissance High School, Messina Primary, Eric Louw High School and Musina School. We were fortunate to visit the local Renaissance High School which revealed the extent of over-enrolment and an acknowledgement that there is still so much more to be done as the region expands. An important discussion was initiated by Mr. Baron, in which the participating Young Diamantaires members devised a plan to raise $140,000 USD to extend and upgrade the Renaissance Secondary School in the regional town of Musina in order to build a library and a commercial-grade cafeteria for the students studying at the school.  As an Exploration Geologist, I believe emphasis should be placed on working with secondary teachers to help develop a program for secondary students to learn about the Geosciences in order to provide them with a working background of how to responsibly explore for, mine and develop such precious resources.  These students are living in such a resource-rich country and such education would not only place them in a stronger position to understand the resources industry, but also enhance long-term job prospects. I will be exploring opportunities to volunteer at the end of my PhD studies to introduce more Geoscience education to secondary schools in this resource-rich region. Another very important area where De Beers makes an important contribution is its long-standing history of providing its employees with critical healthcare assistance. One such example is that as of 2019, nearly all of the company’s employees are aware of their HIV status and are fully medicated. In the last 10 years, there has been no HIV transmission between any mother employed by De Beers to her child which is a significant measure that demonstrates the company’s dedication to the healthcare of its employees.

The visit to the region also provided an opportunity to discuss initiatives to assist the growth and development of the Johannesburg-based diamond cutters. One initiative involves a pilot program of purchasing diamonds directly from the cutting and polishing manufacturers themselves in Johannesburg, as opposed to international intermediaries, in order to assist local business and to assist sales in the target countries. One final, but important fact is that De Beers has long-supported local women, with the Accelerating Women Owned Micro-Enterprises (AWOME) program. This program is designed to provide local women with micro-financed loans to start their own businesses and to create more jobs and administer business training in order to reduce the rate of unemployment, to reduce financial dependence and to build skills. Some such examples of these projects can be found at De Beers Group “Building Forever” initiative. These are just some of the benefits that have come from natural diamond mining. As discussed, the impact of the Venetia Mine has had far-reaching benefits across the communities in the region. While I have not had the experience of visiting many different diamond mines internationally, the experience to me as a diamond dealer, geologist and jeweller was invaluable. The transparency of De Beers in allowing us to view their operations at the Venetia Mine and speak to their people was greatly appreciated and underscores the confidence they have in their operations. It is my hope that every company follows this example, and employs similar practices and transparencies in mining their own diamonds.

The Synthetic ‘Diamond’ Trade – Marketing and Myths

The natural diamond mining industry is currently facing challenges from the synthetic diamond industry, which produces laboratory-manufactured diamonds. The story told by many synthetic or lab-grown diamond traders is that their stones are ‘conflict-free’, and ‘eco-friendly’. Firstly, it is simply incorrect to assume and market that all natural Earth-mined diamonds are derived from conflict areas, and mined in unethical, un-regulated mines used to fund terrorism and conflict. Secondly, in order to create a synthetic, or lab-made diamond, extreme temperature and pressure and the use of petroleum-based chemicals is applied to a ‘seed’ crystal to produce a fully man-manufactured stone. This process consumes a large amount of energy and chemicals, which produces a large quantity of emissions, heat and waste, per stone in large factories. This can hardly be argued as totally ‘eco-friendly’ when we consider the scale of production, the size of the factories and the methods for production that creates a synthetic stone.

The problem for synthetic diamond manufacturers is that while synthetic stones are still priced at ~20-30% less than natural Earth-mined diamonds, they actually cannot hold their value on the international market, which is a problem for the consumer. Why? Because anything that can be created en-masse in a laboratory with lack of scarcity value implies that the product’s supply is virtually endless, hence no appreciation or retention of value can be maintained. Consumers need to be made aware of the facts that divide lab-made and natural stones, and need to make the choice to purchase something beautiful and unique created by over millions of years that appreciates in value, or to compromise with an inferior product that cannot foreseeably hold its value, and has no limit to its supply. It is, however, important and reasonable to ask your jeweller or wholesaler where their diamonds are sourced to ensure that their diamonds are derived from conflict-free regions and regulated mines.

Our Diamonds and Process

At Saphira Diamonds, 100% of our diamonds are natural and Earth-mined, sourced from regulated mines in conflict-free regions.  We work only with manufacturers who purchase rough diamonds from mines that are regulated, and many who are part of the Responsible Jewellery Council and from countries and mines that follow the Kimberley Process. We recognise that purchasing diamonds is a significant investment and seek to provide our clients with the confidence, education and all of the facts required to make the right decision for them. We are proud to be part of the #realisrare movement, to support natural diamond mining and local communities and hope that this article has demonstrated another side to the diamond mining industry that you may not have previously been aware. Diamonds are a gift from Mother Nature that are to be enjoyed, admired and passed onto future generations. How lucky are we to have these beautiful resources on our planet? Let’s pledge to protect, honour and respect the process for enjoying these precious gems and to remember their true value in all that we do.

Adriana Lauren Traviati BSc (Hons)

Director, Saphira Diamonds

PhD Candidate, Exploration Geophysics, Monash University, Australia

* Mr. Rami Baron created the Young Diamantaires group in 2016, when he saw the need to help, introduce and inspire the next generation of Diamantaires through challenging times, and gave young people a voice by which to express their views on the ever-changing industry and to learn from other members, worldwide. His organization in the heavily over-subscribed Venetia Mine trip has set the scene for many wonderful events at natural diamond mines in future for so many other young industry professionals.

Diamond in normal range are colorless through light yellow. Fancy color diamonds are yellow and brown diamonds that show color beyond Z color or exhibiting any other color face-up. Such rare stones come in almost every color of spectrum but most importantly in blue, pink, green and red. As discussed in diamond grading article, diamonds in range of D-Z showing decrease in value by exhibiting color and the exact opposite happens for fancy color diamonds, their value increase by the strength and purity of color.

Graff Lesotho Pink Diamond, 13.33ct rough diamond

Pink Diamond: appearance of pink color in diamonds is a result of enormous pressure that leads to structural damage to the crystal lattice of the diamond after it has begun to grow. This distortion in the crystal structure cause internal graining which results in pink color zones to appear.

In fancy color diamonds, Color outweighs all other Cs (clarity, cut and carat) in determining the value. Color has three attributes that help grading it properly: hue (the appearance of red, blue, green, or anything in between), tone (the relative lightness or darkness of a color), and saturation (the relative strength or weakness of a color). The color
appearance of a diamond is the result of a combination of these three attributes.

The Okavango Blue; 20.46ct Type IIb ‘Fancy Deep Blue’ yielded from 41.11 rough diamond

Blue Diamond: Color of blue in diamonds is result of presence of Boron during formation. Boron is mostly available in larger quantities closer to the earth surface, therefore its presence in earth mantle where diamonds are formed is extremely rare, and that is why blue diamonds are so scarce.

The GIA color grading system uses nine grades to distinguish color ranges. These are: Fancy Vivid, Fancy Intense, Fancy Deep, Fancy Dark, Fancy, Fancy Light, Light, Very Light and Faint. For fancy colored diamonds, the general rule of thumb is that the stronger the hue, the more valuable the stone becomes.

Mouawad Dragon Diamond 54.21 fancy vivid yellow diamond yielded from 105ct rough diamond.

Yellow Diamond: Yellow in diamonds is caused by presence of nitrogen within the stone that filters blue/violet range of visible light spectrum and reflects yellow. Nitrogen is abundant in earth crust, it can often find a way into diamond during formation process.

Diamond types: pure carbon is the essential composition of diamonds. Many diamonds certain trace elements such as nitrogen or boron, acquired naturally during the formation. Availability of such trace elements and other imperfections are important because they cause the color and ultraviolet fluorescence reactions in diamond. The presence or absence of these lattice defects can affect a diamond’s appearance. Initially diamonds were divided in two types: Type I diamonds contain nitrogen and Type II diamonds show pure absence of nitrogen.

GIA Diamond Type Classification

Type Ia:
These diamonds contain nitrogen atoms in clusters. Approximately 95% of natural diamonds are type Ia. They normally vary from near-colorless to light yellow.  These so-called “cape” diamonds derived their name from diamonds that were initially mined in or near Cape Province, South Africa.

Type Ib:
These diamonds also contain nitrogen, but as isolated atoms instead of clusters. They are often bright yellow in color, and are extremely rare. The trade sometimes refers to these colors as “canary.”

Type IIa:
These diamonds have no measurable nitrogen or boron impurities; they are usually colorless but they can also be gray, light brown, light yellow or light pink.  Among all diamonds, those that are type IIa are chemically the most pure.

Type IIb:
These diamonds are known to conduct electricity. The trace element boron is responsible for most diamonds that are blue or grayish blue in color.

GIA Continuous Hue Circle

GIA Ligher Tone Hue Circle

GIA Darker Tone Hue Circle

Some of the 27 hue names include modifiers such as purplish or yellowish. A modifier in a hue name does not denote a lack of potential strength, or purity, to the color. Light or dark colors at low levels of saturation are challenging to discern. Thus, fewer terms are used in these areas (as evident in the hue circles for lighter and darker tone). These terms may be modified in one of two ways. The first is the use of the word pink as a substitute for red in the medium to light tones and moderate to weakly saturated versions of reddish purple, red-purple, purple-red, purplish red, red, orangy red, and reddish orange. The other is the addition of brown/brownish or gray/grayish to the description. As colors transition darker or weaker, they appear more brown or gray. Warm hues (such as yellow, orange, or red) appear browner as they darken or weaken; cool colors (such as blue or green) appear grayer. In each instance, the fancy grades and color descriptions represent a range of color sensations, not a “single” color sensation.

Aurora Green; 5.03ct fancy vivid green diamond sold at Christies for $16.8m

Green Diamond:Green color is caused by exposure to radiation, this natural phenomenon occurs when diamonds come in close contact with radioactive uranium from rocks near earth surface. In rare cases radiation can be found in groundwater sources. Research shows green diamonds are more common in alluvial deposits because diamonds transported to sources of radiation which is more likely than for radiation to exist near a kimberlite source of diamond.

In fancy color diamonds, clarity is not a determining  factor in value. Even diamonds with many inclusions that result in a low clarity grade are sought after by collectors as long as they display an attractive color face-up. Inclusions that can threaten the durability of diamond would lower the value significantly.

Size and shape are two aspects that can influence the color, larger diamonds usually have deeper pavilion that facilitates the farther light can travel in it. This can often lead to a richer, more intense color. The style of cut can also play a key factor in color. Usually mixed cuts like the radiant cut can intensify the color in diamonds and radiant  cut provides (including majority of fancy cuts) provides higher yield from the rough than a standard round brilliant.

For more information on fancy color diamonds, download GIA Colored Diamonds Color Reference chart booklet.

Now lets get into diamond grading, there are many laboratories who offer diamond grading worldwide, here are to name a few of the ones that are most heard of:

GIA (Gemological Institute of America)

HRD Antwerp

AGS (American Gem Society)

EGL (European Gemological Laboratory)

IGI (International Gemological Institute)

I am not going to get into details of how these labs work in grading stones but GIA has the highest consistency and standard in grading, therefore is the most reputable and trusted laboratory following by HRD Antwerp.

Now back to grading itself, after diamonds are mined and sort through the sorting system, they are offered in tenders by mining companies for buyers to offer the best price in acquiring a rough diamond. After acquiring the rough, it goes to different manufacturing facilities from Israel to India, Russia, UAE and many more countries. After planning, cut and polish the polished diamond is send off to a diamond grading laboratory to receive its certificate, having the certificate number is laser inscribed on the girdle of diamond for future tracking. All certificate numbers can be looked up on laboratories websites.

4Cs: the 4Cs of diamond quality is the universal method for assessing the quality of any diamonds, created by GIA

4Cs of Diamond Quality by GIA

Color: in diamonds, diamond color means lack of color; absence of color in a diamond makes it a gem quality diamond. A chemically pure and structurally perfect diamond has no hue. GIA D-Z color grading system measures the degree colorlessness by comparing the diamond under controlled lighting and precise viewing condition to master stones of established color value. Many of the color distinctions are so subtle that are invisible to naked (untrained) eye but those distinctions can have a very large impact on the quality and therefor the price.

GIA D-Z Color Scale

Colorless D-E-F

Near Colorless G-H-I-J

Faint K-L-M

Very Light N-O-P-Q-R

Light S-T-U-V-W-X-Y-Z

Clarity: Diamond clarity refers to absence of inclusions and blemishes. during formation of diamond a variety of internal characteristics called ‘inclusions’ and external characteristics called ‘blemishes’ occur in a diamond.

To evaluate diamond clarity, first we need to determine the number, size, relief, nature, and position of these characteristics, as well as how these affect the overall appearance of the stone. The closer a diamond comes to perfectly pure (absolute absence of inclusions and blemishes), the higher its value.

GIA Clarity Scale

GIA Clarity Scale has 6 categories, with some divided in total there are 11 specific grades:

• Flawless (FL) No inclusions and no blemishes visible under 10x magnification
• Internally Flawless (IF) No inclusions visible under 10x magnification
• Very, Very Slightly Included (VVS₁ and VVS₂) Inclusions so slight they are difficult for a skilled grader to see under 10x magnification
• Very Slightly Included (VS₁ and VS₂) Inclusions are observed with effort under 10x magnification, but can be characterized as minor
• Slightly Included (SI₁ and SI₂) Inclusions are noticeable under 10x magnification
• Included (I₁, I₂, and I₃) Inclusions are obvious under 10x magnification which may affect transparency and brilliance

Flawless & Internally Flawless

VVS 1,2 / VS 1,2

SI 1,2 / I 1,2,3

Cut: Diamonds are known for transmitting light and sparkle intensely therefore a diamond’s cut is crucial to the interaction of diamond’s facets and light. Diamond’s cut is the most complex and technically difficult to analyze.  It is pure artistry and workmanship to cut a diamond that its proportions, symmetry and polish deliver the maximum return of light and create desirable visual effects such as:

• Brightness: Internal and external white light reflected from a diamond
• Fire: The scattering of white light into all the colors of the rainbow
• Scintillation: The amount of sparkle a diamond produces, and the pattern of light and dark areas caused by reflections within the diamond

Often a diamond’s cut is mistaken with diamond’s shape but diamond’s cut grade is about how well a diamond’s facets interact with light. 

Diamond CutThe distance from the bottom of the girdle to the culet is the pavilion depth. A pavilion depth that’s too shallow or too deep will allow light to escape from the side of the stone or leak out of the bottom. A well-cut diamond will direct more light through the crown.

Excellent

Very Good

Good

Fair

Poor

Diamond’s cut grade only applies to round brilliant diamond, for the rest if fancy shapes (any shape beside round brilliant is considered a fancy shape) due to their complexity in facets and steps only grading for polish and symmetry is available.

Carat:Diamond carat weight is the measurement of how much a diamond weighs. A metric “carat” is defined as 200 milligrams. Each carat is subdivided into 100 ‘points.’ This allows very precise measurements to the hundredth decimal place.

Diamond Carat Weight

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