Category: Uncategorized

Diamonds have been well-loved since the fourth century BCE and were established as the April birthstone during Biblical times. In the book of Exodus in the Bible, the high priest Aaron wore a breastplate adorned with twelve gemstones—one being the diamond. In 1912, the list of birthstones was standardized, officially making diamonds the prominent April birthstone.

Diamonds are considered the top choice for April birthstone buyers. Diamonds offer incredible beauty and brilliance. They can be cut into many shapes for rings, pendants, earrings, and more. Diamonds are associated with love and passion and can be gifted for any celebration from engagements to birthdays and anniversaries. 

In general, diamonds are one of the best jewellery for gifts, because of their classic appeal and brilliance. Formed over billions of years beneath the Earth’s surface, diamonds are the most durable gemstone, ranking 10 on the Mohs scale of hardness. With this April birthstone, you can feel confident that it will last a lifetime and beyond.

Diamond Symbolism and Meaning

Diamonds were once reserved exclusively for royalty. Thanks to its legendary hardness, the diamond has long been associated with invincibility and strength, while assuming the king of gems status.

The world’s hardest substance is both a symbol of victory and strength as well as wealth and abundance. It’s featured in the literature of all the world’s major religions and civilizations. Although believed to be gifted by a mighty God, diamonds were actually forged by mother nature over millions of years.

The attribute that most interests us is the multifaceted gem’s symbol of enduring love. A diamond pledged freely and willingly can transfer its powers of strength and fortitude that can only be superseded by the love it symbolizes.

This diamond necklace by Chatila features a 54.29 carat Fancy Intense yellow cushion-cut diamond surrounded by 67.10 carats of colourless diamonds.

The four most popular diamond cuts have consistently been oval, round, cushion and radiant for the past few years. To help you decide which shape might be best for you, we have outlined how they differ from each other below.

We can set any one of these popular diamond shapes in any one of our gorgeous handmade settings. If you have narrowed your centre stone shape down to two or three of these diamond cuts it is a bit tricky to choose which one you would like to proceed with as they are all stunning!

Oval cut diamonds have an elegant, elongated appearance and are perfect for those who want something different than the traditional round diamond but gravitate towards the soft rounded edges. Ovals are also one of the most popular diamond cuts as they offer more finger coverage in the length than most other diamond cuts. 
This makes an oval diamond centre stone an excellent choice for those who want to complement their longer nails or fingers.

Round diamond cuts are historically the most popular diamond cut. They have a classic, timeless look that truly pairs well with any style engagement ring setting. Round diamonds are also the most brilliant cut, offering a bit more sparkle and higher light performance than all other diamond cuts.

Cushion cut diamonds are also one of the most popular diamond cuts, they have a soft, pillow-like appearance and come in both square and elongated shapes. There are different techniques when it comes to the cutting style of cushion-cut stones including brilliant-cut and antique cut. The different cuts make the choose of the right cushion cut diamond for your engagement ring that much harder!

Radiant cut diamonds are incredibly popular diamond cuts, especially for those who are looking for more finger coverage. Radiant cut diamonds have parallel sides and cut corners that provide an amazing balance of sparkle and finger coverage.
This cut provides different aspects of both the emerald and round shapes.

For hundreds of years India was the world’s source of diamonds. However, as that supply started to dwindle, there were smaller finds in Borneo and Brazil. The discovery of a large diamond deposit in South Africa in the mid-1800s helped to meet the world’s increasing appetite for these gems. Today, diamonds are also mined in South Africa, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Australia, Canada, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Angola, throughout many countries in western Africa and Russia.

Diamonds in Australia were recorded in the Bathurst area, New South Wales in 1851. Significant quantities also were mined from alluvial deposits at Copeton and Bingara, near Inverell in north-eastern New South Wales, from 1867 to 1922 and minor production resumed at Copeton in 1997, but has since stopped. Numerous minor occurrences of diamond have been recorded elsewhere in Australia.

Creek sediment sampling and other exploration techniques in the early to mid-1970s led to the discovery of 23 diamondiferous but low-grade pipes at Ellendale in 1976 and the Argyle deposit in 1979. Shark cages were used in the late 1980s to protect scuba divers against crocodiles while they sampled diamonds (eroded from land) from the seabed off river mouths in the north-east Kimberley region. Small numbers of gem-quality diamonds have since been recovered using an airlift drill attached to a boat.

It was not until the late 1970’s that geologists found the Argyle pipe in the remote Kimberley area of Western Australia: the richest diamond deposit in the world. Argyle is the world’s largest volume producer of diamonds, supplying a third of the world’s diamonds every year and since the late 1980s, over 90% of the world’s pink diamond supply has come from Rio Tinto’s Argyle mine. The Argyle deposit contains a large proportion of the world’s economic diamond resources and has some of the highest diamond grades in the world. Argyle sells 100% of its product direct to the world market. The majority of Argyle’s diamonds are sold as “rough” or uncut diamonds. These are sorted and prepared for in relatively small resources of alluvial diamonds were worked nearby in Smoke Creek (Argyle Alluvials) and the Bow River Mine. A number of small diamond ‘pipes’ with a much higher proportion of gem-quality diamond than Argyle have been mined at Merlin in the Northern Territory and Ellendale in the west Kimberley region, both of which are currently not in operation..

The colour of fancy coloured diamonds is graded according to hue (basic colour), tone (darkness or lightness) and saturation (strength or intensity). All of the diamonds in this chart fall in the yellow hue range; it is the differences in their tone and saturation that result in different colour grades. Diamonds with lighter tones and higher saturations, as seen in the upper right of this diagram, are typically the most desirable. 

This sweet 16.08 carat diamond, graded Fancy Vivid pink by GIA, is called the Sweet Josephine Diamond. At the time of its 2015 sale, it was the largest cushion-shaped Fancy Vivid pink diamond ever sold at auction and one of only three fancy pink diamonds weighing more than 10 carats to be sold in the past 250 years.

The purchaser was a Hong Kong billionaire who named the diamond after his seven-year-old daughter, Josephine! A mere day later, he purchased a blue diamond that he named the Blue Moon of Josephine, also after his daughter. This lucky young woman is going to have one sweet diamond collection when she grows up!

Guò nián hǎo”(过年好)

Over a billion people in China and millions around the world celebrate Lunar New Year, which begins February 12 in Asia (February 11 in the west). The start of the holiday coincides with the date of new moon in Asia, which falls this year on February 12. Countries in Asia celebrating Lunar New Year include China, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. It’s also celebrated in Chinatowns and Asian homes around the world. It’s considered a time to honour deities and ancestors and to be with family. Each year is associated with one of 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac. 2021 is the Year of the Ox.

Seen here is a ravishing brooch in the shape of a Chinese pipa (a four-stringed Chinese lute). It is set with a 100.02 carat Fancy Intense yellow diamond and can be worn as part of the Dunhuang Pipa necklace.
The designer, Taiwanese native Anna Hu, was inspired by images of women playing the pipa depicted on murals in Dunhuang, once an oasis town along the Silk Road. “I want this collection to speak to my Chinese roots,” Hu said, “and I thought the beauty of jewels could be enhanced with a touch of the traditional yet exotic music that once flowed through the Silk Road.” The Dunhuang Pipa necklace sold for US$5.78 million in 2019. Image 2 shows a mural from the Mogao caves in Dunhuang. The mural depicts a dancer surrounded by musicians. The dancer holds a large pipa while the musician in the lower right corner holds a smaller one.

Bursting with brilliance and fire, an Oval Cut Diamond is exquisite and unique. The Oval is considered a “fancy” shape; the elongated design makes it appear larger than other shapes of the same carat weight.

The slender body of the oval diamond creates a beautiful, elongated look. It often makes the hand and fingers appear slimmer. The diamond’s shape has no sharp corners, so it’s less prone to chipping.

If you enjoy a rounded design, but want a stone with more character, an oval diamond makes a stunning choice. In addition, oval diamonds are almost always priced lower than round brilliants.

BEST SETTINGS FOR OVAL CUT DIAMONDS

The best settings for oval cut diamonds generally have four or six prongs, showcasing the shape of the diamond. Oval cut diamonds can also look fantastic in bezel settings. Some oval cut diamond engagement rings, particularly those with three or five stones, feature four or six prongs for the center diamond, plus a bezel setting to hold the side diamonds.

In terms of style, you can design an oval cut diamond ring with almost any kind of setting, from vintage to side stone.

OVAL CUT DIAMOND – CUT QUALITY

The most important element in any diamond is the quality of its Cut, which impacts the fundamental beauty and structure of the stone along with its capacity to offer brilliance and fire. While the GIA (Gemological Institute of America) provides Cut grading for some shapes, such as Round Brilliant Cuts; it does not provide cut grading for Oval Cut Diamonds.

In this vein, standard cut parameters for an excellent Oval are unachievable—due to the Oval’s complex and unique structure. Despite what anyone describes, there is no magic combination for table % or depth %. All Cut recommendations for Oval Diamonds should be regarded as widely general and usually subjective.

Above all, an Oval Diamond’s beauty is determined by what you—and the wearer—sees. Review Oval Cut Diamonds thoroughly—and, ideally, have a diamond expert assist you. Rather than hoping to make a smart decision with your purchase, ensure that you do.

To offer a loose guideline for an excellently cut Oval Diamond, we provide our general parameters for Cut Quality below. Keep in mind that these parameters are general and should not be applied without looking at the diamond yourself and receiving an expert’s opinion.

Oval Cut Diamond – Cut Quality Recommendations

OVAL CUT DIAMOND – LENGTH TO WIDTH RATIO

A diamond’s length to width ratio reveals how proportionate it is according to its intended shape (i.e. square or rectangular). To calculate the length to width ratio, divide the length of the diamond by its width. For instance, a diamond with a length of 5.5mm and a width of 3.5mm has a length to width ratio of 1.57.

While primarily dependent on personal style and preference, the Oval Cut Diamond is usually most appealing with a ratio between 1.30-1.46. Review various Oval Diamonds to determine which ratio is most appealing to you.

The 2020 Argyle Tender has been named ‘One Lifetime, One Encounter’ and comprises 62 loose diamonds and 12 ‘Petite Suite’ sets.

Rio Tinto has unveiled the 2020 Argyle Tender of pink, red, and blue diamonds, which has this year been named ‘One Lifetime, One Encounter’.

Described as “one of the final collections” of Argyle Mine stones ahead of its closure at the end of 2020, this year’s Tender comprises 62 loose diamonds, weighing a total of 57.23 carats.

In addition, 12 sets of small pink, red, blue and violet diamonds, collected over the past five years, will also be offered. Referred to as ‘Petite Suites’, the diamonds weigh 13.90 carats in total of the loose stones, this year’s Tender features six named ‘hero’ diamonds including the Argyle Eternity – the largest fancy vivid round brilliant diamond ever offered at the Tender. Weighing 2.24 carats, the Argyle Eternity is vivid purplish pink.

Scared of getting ripped off? Don’t want to waste your money? Confused by all the choices? 

When it comes to pricing, not all diamond shapes are equal. For the most part, shapes that use less of the rough diamond, such as the round brilliant cut, cost more per carat than shapes such  as the emerald, princess, pear, cushion and radiant cuts. 

This means that if you’re more interested in the size of your engagement ring’s diamond than its shape, you’ll get better value for money by choosing a fancy shape over a round diamond. 

We’ve listed the best value diamond shapes, as well as the reasons why they’re comparatively affordable, below. We’ve also explained how factors other than shape can affect the price of a diamond and how you can use these to your advantage as a customer. 

A lot of would-be diamond buyers are surprised to learn that certain diamond shapes cost more than others.

At first, this doesn’t appear to make sense. After all, aren’t you paying for the diamond based on its cut quality, colour, clarity and carat weight — known in the industry as the five Cs — rather than its shape? 

The answer is, well, yes and no. While the five Cs have a major impact on a diamond’s price, a specific diamond’s price is also affected by the total percentage of the rough diamond that’s lost during the cutting and polishing process. 

WHY DIAMOND PRICING VARIES FROM SHAPE TO SHAPE

Remember, diamonds don’t come out of the ground clean, cut and brilliant. Instead, they’re cut into a specific shape by a diamond cutter from a rough diamond. Depending on the specific cut used for the diamond, between 20 and 60% of the rough stone’s original weight is removed. 

The percentage of the rough diamond that’s removed can vary dramatically from one diamond shape to another. For example, the average princess cut diamond uses about 80% of the rough diamond’s carat weight. This means that only 20% of the rough stone is lost during cutting. 

For a round diamond, only about 40% of the original stone is left after the cutting and polishing process is finished. As a result, about 60% of the rough diamond is removed. The material that is removed can’t be used for other diamonds, meaning it’s discarded as part of the process. 

As you’d expect, this has a significant effect on pricing. Because of this huge difference in the amount of rough diamond that’s used for each shape, prices for different diamond shapes can vary hugely depending on what you’re looking for.

WHICH DIAMOND SHAPE IS THE MOST AFFORDABLE?

From a pure carat weight per dollar perspective, the round brilliant cut is almost always the most expensive diamond shape. As we covered earlier, this is because of the large percentage of the rough diamond that needs to be discarded during the cutting and polishing process.

On the other hand, the Asscher, emerald, radiant, cushion and princess cuts all offer exceptional value from a carat weight perspective. These shapes ranged from 30% to as much as 44% less per carat than the round cut diamond of equal colour and clarity that we used as a comparison. 

It’s worth pointing out that no two diamonds are absolutely identical, meaning it’s impossible to do a perfect comparison. It’s also important to note that some cuts may display colour, inclusions and other flaws more easily than others, which can affect their appearance. 

However, it’s clear that many fancy cuts offer excellent value for money, provided the size of the diamond if your top concern. This makes a fancy shape diamond a great option if you’re looking for a large centre stone, but don’t have the budget for a round brilliant cut diamond.

If you need help picking out a diamond or setting, feel free to contact us. Our experts can help you find the largest, highest quality diamond for your budget and tastes.