The Husar's Diamond

At Husar’s House of Fine Diamonds, diamonds are our passion, and there’s nothing we love more than sharing that passion with our clients. One of the best ways to do that is by sharing our expertise. We pride ourselves on offering an excellent diamond education program, equipping all diamond buyers to make a well-informed decision.

When you visit our store to purchase a diamond, we’ll give you a one-on-one presentation about what makes a quality diamond, and show you how the diamond you’re considering stacks up against the best gem grading scales. For now, though, you can start learning at home. Here is a brief guide to the four key factors that determine diamond quality: cut, color, clarity and carat.

 Diamond Cut

Diamond cut is the only aspect of diamond quality controlled by humans, and it plays a pivotal role in determining a diamond's beauty and perceived size. This might surprise you, as diamond cut is often overshadowed by discussions about color, clarity, or carat size.

Cut encompasses more than just the shape of a diamond; it includes proportions like depth, table, and symmetry, as well as the diamond’s light performance. Professional gemologists use an Angular Spectrum Evaluation Tool (ASET) to reveal a diamond’s light return, which is described in terms of brilliance, fire, and scintillation. Brilliance is the total light returning from the diamond, fire describes the spectral colors of that light, and scintillation refers to the diamond’s sparkle.

In recent years, gemologists have expanded their vocabulary to better capture a diamond’s visual allure. Terms like contrast and pattern refer to the interplay of light and dark areas, while leakage highlights areas that fail to reflect light back. The best-cut diamonds, known as ideal cut diamonds, reflect nearly all incoming light, dazzling with unmatched sparkle and scintillation. Astonishingly, around 85% of diamonds fall short of these standards, lacking the mesmerizing brilliance that sets ideal cut diamonds apart.

Ideal Cut Diamonds

In 1919, mathematician and diamond cutter Marcel Tolkowsky established the original proportions for an ideal cut diamond, defining specific measurements for its angles and depths. Although technology has advanced and diamond cutters have developed other high-quality configurations, Tolkowsky's measurements remain the gold standard for the world's finest diamonds. These measurements laid the groundwork for the American Gem Society (AGS) Laboratory's first cut grading system in 1996.

The AGS grading system is notoriously strict, with less than 3% of the world's round diamonds achieving their top grade of 0, or 'ideal.' Earning this grade places diamonds in an elite club, characterized by excellent proportions, depth, durability, polish, and symmetry. Such diamonds boast unparalleled sparkle and brilliance compared to typical diamonds.

The cut significantly influences both the color and perceived size of a diamond. A Ideal-cut diamond's sparkle can mask light yellow hues and make the diamond appear larger to the naked

Diamond Color

A diamond's color significantly influences both its appearance and value. Diamonds are graded on a color scale ranging from colorless to noticeably tinted, with grades starting at D and progressing to Z—this is known as the "normal range." Colors beyond Z enter the realm of "fancy colors," which are graded differently. Typically, diamond values decrease through the normal range, but once the color reaches the fancy range, values suddenly soar. In this article, we'll delve into the intriguing world of color grading within the normal range.

What is the Diamond Color Scale?

In the 1950s, the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) revolutionized diamond grading by developing the color scale that remains a global standard today, used in virtually all diamond laboratories. This alphabetic scale grades diamonds from D (colorless) to Z (light yellow), capturing increasing increments of body color, usually yellow.

The most coveted part of the grading scale lies within the “colorless” (DEF) and “near-colorless” (GHIJ) ranges. Colorless diamonds, true to their name, exhibit no body color, dazzling with an icy-white brilliance. Near-colorless diamonds possess slight body color but maintain a white appearance, especially when viewed face-up and cut for optimal light return, like ideal cut diamonds.

A common misconception is confusing diamond color with the prismatic "fire" effect—where white light disperses into a spectrum of colors due to refraction. In the right lighting, diamonds can showcase this vivid display of rainbow hues, a phenomenon largely independent of the diamond’s body color grade. Discover more about this captivating feature on our page dedicated to diamond cut

Why does the diamond color scale start at D?

Curious about why the color scale starts at D instead of A? When the GIA developed their grading scale, existing systems already used simple labels like A, B, and C, or A, AA, and AAA to describe color grades. To stand out and avoid confusion, the GIA made the bold choice to begin their scale at D, setting a new standard in the industry!.

Colorless Diamonds:

• D: The pinnacle of perfection, perfectly colorless. A D color diamond dazzles with its icy white brilliance, the ultimate in the normal range.
• E: Nearly identical to D, it retains its colorless allure. Only under a clinical lens does a whisper of color become faintly noticeable.
• F: An F color diamond shines with an icy white glow, appearing colorless from every angle, except when compared by a trained eye to master diamonds.

Near Colorless Diamonds:

• G: Leading the near colorless category, a G color diamond is virtually indistinguishable from its colorless counterparts in everyday settings.
• H: Solidly near colorless, an H color diamond maintains its white appearance, even when viewed from the side or in larger sizes.
• I: Confidently near colorless, the I color diamond blends beautifully with white gold or platinum, showing no significant contrast.
• J: A J color diamond "faces up" white, especially when its light performance is optimized, adding a touch of elegance.
• K: With a faint warm glow, a K color diamond, when cut precisely, returns a stunning abundance of ambient light, creating a unique allure.

Diamond Clarity

The fascinating subject of diamond clarity reveals the unique "fingerprint" created by impurities in each diamond, offering a distinctive identifier. While diamond inclusions pique the interest of many shoppers, their impact on a diamond’s beauty is often minimal. Despite the detailed discussions surrounding clarity, many diamonds maintain their allure regardless of minor inclusions.

The GIA (Gemological Institute of America) revolutionized the diamond industry in the 1950s with its groundbreaking color and clarity grading scale, a standard that remains today. This clarity scale stretches from Flawless diamonds, devoid of any visible features under 10x magnification, to those so heavily included that they lack transparency or face durability issues. Interestingly, while much commercial jewelry uses these imperfect diamonds, a significant portion of certified diamonds falls into the middle and upper clarity categories.

The GIA system boasts eleven clarity grades, with the top six ensuring diamonds appear "eye clean" when viewed face-up. Even diamonds several grades lower can maintain stunning visual appeal without noticeable clarity features affecting light performance. Uniquely among the diamond 4 C’s, clarity has little impact on appearance.

In essence, "Clarity is Rarity." The rarity of a diamond, defined by size, clarity, and color, dictates its price. Remarkably, unless a diamond falls into the Imperfect range, clarity chiefly influences price without compromising its beauty. Prepare to be dazzled by the exquisite charm of diamonds, where clarity and rarity intertwine in a dance of brilliance!