Certified loose diamonds start their life in the bowels of the Earth about ninety miles beneath the surface. Millions of years ago a volcanic eruption forced a large chunk of the Earth's mantle to the surface of what is now South Africa and awaited discovery.
When diamonds are pulled from the ground, they are very rough with many imperfections. The rough stones are sent to a diamond cutting facility where trained and certified individuals analyze the stones from every angle. They decide what size and shape to cut the diamonds to eliminate the most imperfections while maintaining the largest possible volume.
The first cut, that can take upwards of four hours, is generally to slice the stone in half to create two finished diamonds. All the cutting and polishing tools are metal coated in diamond dust and oil. Diamond can only be cut by itself. The table facet is the first cut, followed by the bottom facets, and finally the side facets. This process can take hours if not days depending on the size and value of the diamond.
Once all the cutting and polishing is finished, the best stones are then sent to one of several gemologist labs that certify diamonds. The labs follow a strict set of objective guidelines to grade the stone by the 4 Cs and several other criteria. The now certified loose diamonds can be sold as is or sent to jewelers to be set in an array of fine jewelry.
When diamonds are pulled from the ground, they are very rough with many imperfections. The rough stones are sent to a diamond cutting facility where trained and certified individuals analyze the stones from every angle. They decide what size and shape to cut the diamonds to eliminate the most imperfections while maintaining the largest possible volume.
The first cut, that can take upwards of four hours, is generally to slice the stone in half to create two finished diamonds. All the cutting and polishing tools are metal coated in diamond dust and oil. Diamond can only be cut by itself. The table facet is the first cut, followed by the bottom facets, and finally the side facets. This process can take hours if not days depending on the size and value of the diamond.
Once all the cutting and polishing is finished, the best stones are then sent to one of several gemologist labs that certify diamonds. The labs follow a strict set of objective guidelines to grade the stone by the 4 Cs and several other criteria. The now certified loose diamonds can be sold as is or sent to jewelers to be set in an array of fine jewelry.
