The 4C’s – Cut

In today’s marketplace there are at least 10 major diamond shapes or cuts. Beginning with the round brilliant, gem quality diamonds are categorized as princess, emerald, marquise, pear shape, oval, radiant, asscher, heart, or cushion cut stones. In addition to these shapes, diamonds may be cut into many different uniquely cut stones. That list would include trilliants, kites, both tapered and straight baguettes, briolette cut diamonds as well as half moons, bullet shaped, and rose cut stones. The choices and options available based on the different possible combinations in these shapes, quantity and sizes of diamonds has led to an explosion in the number of jewelry styles and fashions available to the general public. This however, was not always the case.

For hundreds of years diamonds were used in their natural state admired for their hardness and rarely used in jewelry. The first attempts at modifying the diamonds natural shape came in the middle ages, and it was not until the 17th century that “brillant” cut stones were developed. While these stones looked nothing like the diamonds of today, it was the first attempt by professional diamond cutters to reshape a diamond symmetrically and add some luster and brilliance to the stones by grinding away some of the diamond at select intervals and adding “facets” to the diamond. It really was not until the beginning of the 19th century, with the advancement of diamond tools and lathes that further advancements were possible.

It is in 1919, with the geometric observations and calculations of Marcel Tolkowsky in his book “Diamond Design” that modern diamond cutting or polishing began. While his calculations continue to be modified he was the first to use real mathematical and geometrical calculations to determine the optimum placement and position for all facets in the construction of a round brilliant diamond. These calculations understood the relationship between light and the refraction of that light inside the diamond in order to bring out the most fire, luster and sparkle from the diamond material. Today’s mathematics, science and technology have further enhanced our ability to determine the precise locations for all facets of a diamond and the “cut” of a diamond plays a very important role in the overall appearance and value of a diamond.

The Gemological Institute of America has included “cut” as one of the 4C’s, the others being color, clarity and carat, in its description of a diamond. Those diamonds with the best cut are characterized as excellent, followed by very good, good, fair and poor. As with color, the results of how a stone is cut can immediately be seen in the luster, and brilliance of that stone. If the mathematical proportions and calculations were correct, the diamond, and in many ways regardless of its other characteristics, will stand out and refract light in such a ways as to have a fire inside the stone. Along with cut comes the diamonds symmetry and polish. Symmetry of course refers to the diamonds geometrical proportions and polish refers to the smoothness of the surface of the diamond as a result of its faceting. Both of these attributes have a bearing on how well light refracts and reflects off of the many facets of a diamond. The better a stone is cut the more it sparkles. It is an attribute which has a direct impact on the look and overall appearance of the diamond or piece of jewelry which is being created. As an attribute that can immediately be seen, it can make a white stone appear whiter as it allows more light into the stone and because of the refraction of that light, keeps it there for a longer period of time.

The cut of a diamond is one of its most important attributes. It cannot only add value to the stone, but enhances its look, size, sparkle and luster. It should be considered carefully when purchasing a diamond.

The 4C’s – Carat

Diamond in its original form, before it is polished and shaped is called rough diamond or just rough. About half of the world’s rough diamond comes from central or south Africa. In addition there are significant diamond deposits in Russia, Canada, Brazil, Australia and India. There are approximately 130 million carats of diamonds mined annually.

The carat is the unit of weight that is used to measure and quantify all diamond. All diamonds whether in the rough form before polish or after as a finished gem are sold “per carat”. The carat is one of the four criteria used to describe and value all diamonds. The others of course are color, clarity and cut. The De Beers Corporation created these 4C’s in 1939 as a ways to standardize the description and value of all gem quality diamonds.

Historically, the word “carat’ comes from the Greek “fruit of the carob”. The carob is a seed, which was used as the standard unit of measure on scales for thousands of years. The carob seed was used because of the belief that all carob seeds were uniform in weight. Today however, a carat is defined as the weight of two hundred milligram’s and is divided into one hundred points of 2 milligram’s each. It is for this reason that we say there are one hundred points in one carat of diamond. As such, .50 points would be a half a carat, .25 points a quarter carat, .75 points three quarters of a carat and so on.

In the mining of diamonds there are significantly more smaller rough diamond found than larger rough diamond and so and diamonds are bought and sold throughout the world, smaller diamonds cost less money “per carat” than larger diamonds. This difference in price, which can be substantial in the total cost of a stone, is due in part to the market conditions of supply and demand.

Thus, all diamonds are grouped according to size. Stones between 1 to 4 points have the same “per carat” price given that color, clarity and cut remain the same. The same stones between 5 and 7 points have a different “per carat” price. These price breaks continue, as the diamonds get bigger. Diamonds between 8 and 11 points are priced less than those between 12 and 14 points, diamonds between 14 to 18 points are priced less “pre carat” than those 18 to 22 and so on. These price breaks continue throughout the entire range of diamonds and continue more prominently as diamonds cross the full one-carat size.

These differences in the price per carat of a diamond solely related to its size or carat can have a dramatic effect on its price. If we use a quarter carat, half-carat and three quarter carat diamond as an example, we can illustrate this difference. A quarter carat diamond, H in color and SI1 clarity, a nice white stone with some imperfections in the stone, none of which would be visible to the naked eye could cost about $225.00 dollars. The same quality stone in a half-carat size about $900.00 dollars and a larger stone of .75 points about $1500 .00 dollars.

To further the example, that same stone as a one-carat diamond would be close to $4000.00 dollars but as a .90-carat, (just under a carat) it would cost just $3000.00 dollars. That’s a difference of about $1000.00 dollars for 10 points in size which will not be seen once that diamond is put into a ring. The same differences in prices would hold true regardless of what colors and clarities we chose. The only variable here was the carat weight or size of the diamond.

While decisions about the size and look of a diamond are always very personal and important, a real understanding of each of the 4C’s, carat, color, clarity and cut can give invaluable information to anyone interested in learning about or purchasing a diamond.

The 4C’s – Clarity

Diamond crystals have been present in and on the earth’s surface for millions of years. As they were being formed through the heat and pressure being exerted on the continental plates, most developed unique characteristics inside each of these crystals. Today, we call these fissures, cracks and other assorted characteristics, marks or material inside or on the surface of a diamond crystal, inclusions or blemishes.

These inclusions or blemishes have been categorized in a variety of ways to reflect the not only the size and number of them, but also their color, position and the extent of their visibility with or without magnification. While these inclusions and blemishes usually have little bearing on the strength or integrity of the diamond, in some cases depending on size and position, they can cause the diamond to fracture more easily. These inclusions and blemishes are considered imperfections in a diamond and while some larger imperfections may be seen by the naked eye, many can only be seen with the use of and under 10X power magnification. Each diamonds imperfections are unique to that particular stone and can be used to identify the diamond and authenticate the natural and not synthetic origin of the stone.

Beginning in the early 1950’s, the Gemological Institute of America began grading diamonds using a new standard to define the clarity of a diamond. Using 10X power magnification as its method of observation it defined the different types of inclusions and blemishes found inside and on the surface of the diamond, and assigned words and numbers to equate with the size, amount, type, place and color of the imperfections found in or on the diamond. Diamonds not possessing any of these imperfections or “flaws” under 10X power magnification were considered “flawless”. The next level of imperfection was considered very, very, slight and was thus labeled VVS1 or VVS2, based on the very slightest of difference as to where and type of imperfection found in the stone. The next level of imperfections were considered slightly stronger that those found in the VVS category and were labeled very slight or VS1 or VS2. Following this category were the next levels of imperfection, slightly imperfect or SI1 and SI2. These imperfections were yet again considered stronger than those found in the VS category.

Its important to recognize at this point, that unlike color, which can be seen and judged immediately, clarity in any of these categories which have just been explained, absolutely cannot. In most cases, to the naked eye, there is no difference in the appearance of a stone categorized as Flawless or as one characterized as SI2 assuming color, cut, and carat are the same.

This can have a significant impact on the price of a diamond. We can use a .75ct, three quarter carat round diamond which is H in color, as an example. An H colored diamond is a nice white stone. A .75ct HSI1 diamond would cost approximately $1550.00 dollars. The exact same stone as an HVS1 would cost approximately $2150.00dollars, about $500.00 dollar more. While technically there is a difference in the level of imperfection in the diamond, there would be no visual difference to the naked eye. At its most extreme, in a stone like this, the difference between a VVS1 rating and a SI2 rating could be as much as $1200.00 dollars.

Following the slightly imperfect or SI level, those diamonds with stronger imperfections, those that perhaps can be seen by the naked eye without the help of 10X power magnification are categorized as imperfect or I1 and I2. In recent years the word “imperfect” in the definition of each category has been changed to the word “included” and an additional category of I3 has been added. In almost all cases those diamonds categorized as I2 or I3 have strong enough imperfections or inclusions to be seen by the naked eye.

While the level of imperfection in or on the surface of a diamond can have as significant an impact as differences in color on the cost a diamond, only the strongest of imperfections or inclusions will change the look luster or sparkle of that diamond. In all cases however, a real understanding of the 4C’s, color, cut, clarity and carat will provide timely and important information for anyone thinking about the purchase of a diamond.

The 4C’s – Color

For more than six thousand years diamonds have had a place in man’s history. They have been sought after as mineral’s possessing mystical properties, as objects of beauty and as symbols of status and power. However, before De Beer’s creation of the 4c’s (color, cut, clarity, and carat), in 1939, there were no universally accepted standards used to categorize and describe the qualities of diamonds.

Color is an attribute of a diamond which is immediately visible to the naked eye and as such can immediately be compared to other diamonds which are seen as “whiter” or not as white. The color of a diamond is determined by its chemical makeup and impurities inside the stone. There are diamonds of many different colors, from white to black, brown, yellow, pink, orange, red, green, purple, blue and grey. While technically the color white is made through a combination of colors, it is easier in a discussion of diamond ‘whiteness” to think of white as the absence of color. As a diamond has less color in its crystals, it is colorless and appears whiter. When we say that a diamond is colorless or “D” in color, we are saying that this is the whitest a diamond can be. As with any color there are slight variations to that color. A diamond color is no exception and so there are varying color grades of white.

In the 1940’s, the Gemological Institute of America began assigning letters to describe the different levels of whiteness found in a diamond. This diamond color grading chart defines diamond color beginning with the letter “D” and continuing through the letter “ Z”. This is considered the normal color range of all diamonds. Diamonds not in this range due to increased or intense color are considered “fancy colored diamonds” and are graded using many of the standards and terminology used to grade colored stones like ruby, emerald and sapphire. Beginning, however, with the letter “D” and continuing with the letters “E, F, G, H, I and sometimes J, are generally considered white stones. The Gemological Institute of America has defined the level of white attributed to diamonds in each of these color grades. As more color is found in the crystal structure of each diamond, it appears less colorless and thus less white. The difference in these color grades of diamonds can only be seen by comparing the color of one diamond with another. Diamonds are generally graded loose, essentially upside down with the culet or point of the stone facing upwards. Yet, it is difficult to determine the “whiteness” of a diamond color in the abstract. Professional’s in the diamond business, grade diamond color by comparing each stone to a master set of color-coded synthetically created crystals.

In addition, diamond color may only be determined before the stone is placed in a piece of jewelry. Diamonds like prisms will reflect the color of the metal placed around it, and so a diamond will always appear whiter when surrounded by a white metal, like platinum or white gold. So much so that it can actually appear to be one full grade higher on a diamond color chart. As an example a G color stone will appear to be F in color in a platinum or white gold ring.

Ultimately, our perception of the whiteness of a diamond is influenced by the amount of light which passes through the diamond, and how that light is broken up or refracted in the stone and then reflected out of the stone. This refraction and then reflection of light in a diamond is what is responsible for the “fire” or sparkle of a diamond. This leads us to a discussion of another of the 4C’s, the “clarity” of a diamond.

The Story of Joe Perez

Sometimes the best lessons of the martial arts are not necessarily learned in class or taught by your instructor, and almost always they take years to learn. This past April I celebrated my 45th year studying the martial arts. As I look back to the first four or five years of my training I realize that Saturday’s were the most important day of the week. My regular classes were at least three days a week for at least an hour and a half each day. They were rigorous, challenging and perhaps the most enjoyable thing I’ve ever done in my life.

For 3 hours each Saturday however, after both the Judo and Karate classes were finished, there was three hours of free practice. No formal instruction, although there was always someone around to answer a question, we were free to practice what we were learning in our regular classes. It was a big treat to watch the higher grades practice on Saturday’s because it was the only time we had an opportunity to see what would come next in our training. Our classes were strictly segregated by rank, and when your class finished you weren’t permitted to stay around to watch the next class. Frankly, Sensei Pereira, as he was called at the time, chased you out the door.

Saturday’s were also one of the days that private classes took place. Usually it was one of the instructors who gave these classes to people who wanted and paid for this special attention. To be picked and used by one of the instructors as the uke during one of those private classes was a big deal. You had to be able to follow directions well, your ukemi had to be excellent, your stamina great, and your ability to withstand pain substantial. You were the instructor’s uke as he was demonstrating a technique and you were the private students uke during the course of his class. Occasionally, and I mean very occasionally, Sensei Pereira gave those classes himself. Needless to say, to be Sensei Pereira’s uke was a very big deal.

It was one Saturday in 1966, that I met Joe Perez. Joe had come to Sensei Pereira to learn Jujutsu. He was a tall, young, strong man, unremarkable and indistinguishable from the rest of us except for the fact that he had cerebral palsy. People with Joe’s type of disability have many types of problems with balance, coordination, and focus, but Joe wanted to learn. Sensei Pereira called me over to where Joe was standing and for the next six weeks I was Joe’s uke. Sensei Pereira was an excellent teacher and in some ways I felt like I was the one getting the private class. Joe worked hard and in spite of his disability made progress. He asked questions, tried very hard, and had a wonderful attitude. After a while, Joe changed his private classes to some time during the week and stopped coming on Saturday’s. I went on with my training and forgot about him, just another one of the thousands of students who passed through the Miyama Ryu system.

Joe however, did not forget and last fall I was invited to the house of an “old student” who wanted to see me. When I asked who it was, his name did not ring a bell until I walked into his apartment and saw him. His face hadn’t changed much, older as we all are, with the same smile, and the same attitude and resolve I had seen in that much younger man. Over dinner and between our stories of Shinan Pereira, Joe told me something about his remarkable life.

Joe’s father was a boxing trainer and was determined that Joe’s life would be much more than his disability. He screwed pipes along the walls of their apartment so Joe would learn to walk and tapped a rubber ball inside of Joe’s hands so he could exercise the muscles in his hands and wrists. He pushed him to lift and move and make himself strong. It all must have worked, because over Joe’s lifetime he has accomplished great things.

In 1985 he entered and completed the NYC Marathon. As a weightlifter, he competed in the 1985 US Nationals and won both Silver and Bronze medals. In the 1987 London World Games he won a silver medal. In the Barcelona games of 1992 he was awarded a Bronze medal and he competed for and was given a place on the team going to the 1992 Seoul Olympic Games. Along the way he married, held a regular job, and lived a remarkably regular life. Throughout his life Joe has lived well above his disability and constantly pushed himself to achieve more.

With all of this, he never forgot his time in Miyama Ryu. At dinner that night he asked me to help train him again, and I agreed. As he’s aged his disabilities have made some things more challenging but Joe continues to work with the same desire as he did as a young man. He is focused and determined and I have every confidence he will achieve whatever goal he sets for himself. Proficiency in the martial arts first requires an understanding of one’s own body and the finding of one’s own center. It is only in this way that balance can be understood and without an understanding of balance there is no martial art. Joe understands his body as well as anyone I’ve ever seen and is well on his way to developing a real center. This is a great accomplishment for any student of the martial arts, let alone one so physically challenged. Joe’s story is one that should inspire all of us. It is a story of constant curiosity and learning, a story that demonstrates what can be achieved through will and determination. It is a story of shaping your own life and pushing yourself to the absolute limit. I am happy to be able to speak about a very small part of that story, one that is still being written and from which there is much to be learned.

Kind Words from Shinan Antonio Pereira

Diamonds

Diamonds have been used as an adornment, a token of affection, or as a statement of social position or title for thousands of years. Historians tell us that they were first used as an adornment on religious icons in India more than three thousand years ago. The Greeks believed that diamonds were the ‘tears of God and splinters of the stars”, and that jewelry made with diamond “reflected the constant flame of love”. Kings adorned their armor in diamonds and they were believed to have mystical powers. From the thirteenth century, European royalty wore diamonds as jewelry and in 1477; Archduke Maximilian of Austria gave a diamond ring to Mary of Burgundy beginning the tradition of diamond engagement rings. It was not however, until the twentieth century that diamonds became wholly accessible and affordable to the general public. This is in large part due to the discovery of diamonds in South Africa in the late ninetieth century and the formation of the De Beers Mining Company in 1888.

No description of diamonds and the diamond business would be complete without an understanding of the role of the South African, De Beers Company, founded by Cecil Rhodes. By the end of the First World War this company controlled approximately 80% of the distribution of all the rough diamond in the world. They in turn, controlled both the supply and thus the price of diamonds. As new mines were discovered in different parts of the world De Beers worked to form alliances to continue this influence. In 1939, De Beers created the 4C’s, color, cut, clarity, and carat, as the criteria to judge all diamonds, and since that time has worked to create marketing strategies to educate and influence the buying habits of consumers. In 1949, De Beers began its “A Diamond is Forever” campaign, which has successfully marketed diamonds as the ultimate symbol of love and commitment. While business conditions have changed over the years and De Beers control of the worlds diamond supply has diminished to a little over 40%, De Beers continues to have a tremendous influence in the price, sale and marketing of diamonds around the world.

In defining the color, cut, clarity and carat of diamonds, De Beers clarified and in many ways simplified many technical aspects of diamond manufacture and polishing. These ‘4C’s”, however, do provide the consumer with a basic understanding of the characteristics of all diamonds. Over the years the purchase of a diamond has become more affordable and available. Through careful selection and grading there are diamonds and diamond jewelry in all price ranges and qualities. Diamond jewelry and especially all jewelry surrounding one’s engagement or wedding can be a significant purchase, second or third in line with the purchase of a house, apartment or car. For this reason it is important that the consumer thoroughly understand the diamond guidelines of color, cut, clarity and carat. For every budget and at every price an understanding of these diamond characteristics can give the consumer a realistic picture of what they should expect from the diamonds or diamond jewelry they purchase. The purchase of a diamond in whatever capacity, whether an engagement or wedding gift, a simple pendant or token can provide many years of warm memories. It becomes part of an event, a history, and a life, just as it has for thousands of years.

The Nature of Diamonds

As the hardest natural material on the planet, diamonds have always held a unique position amongst the minerals of the earth. Some diamonds found in South America and Africa were actually created in outer space and deposited on Earth as a result of the asteroid showers that took place about 3 billion years ago. However, the vast majority of the diamonds on the planet were created over the course of millions of years just below the continental plates of the Earth’s crust.

While most of the world considers the word diamond almost synonymous with their use in jewelry, more than 80% of the world’s diamonds have industrial not commercial gemstone applications. Due to a diamond’s hardness and its ability to with stand high temperatures, most industrial diamond is embedded in the grinding, drilling cutting and polishing tools that power industry. With the creation of synthetic, man made diamonds more applications in the electronics and computer industries have become possible.

The history of diamonds as gemstones begins in India at least 3000 years ago, where they were used as adornments for religious statutes. Until the 18th century, India was the primary source for the world’s diamonds, being replaced at that time by Brazil. In the late 19th century South Africa became the primary source of diamonds, and up until today South Africa still accounts for almost half of the world’s diamonds. Many other countries contribute to the balance of diamonds in the world, including Russia, Australia, Canada, the Congo and Brazil. While the diamonds used as gemstones are primarily white, diamonds come in a variety of colors ranging from black and varying shades of brown, yellow, and pink. There are also very rare instances where green, blue, and red diamonds have been found. This last group of diamonds, those with a color other than white are sometimes called “fancies” or “fancy colored diamonds” and depending on the exact shade or color of the diamond command a premium price way in excess of what a similar white diamond might command.

Diamond in its raw form is called “rough diamond” and in many instances looks nothing like its brilliant and sparkling cousin. After being taken from the mines this “rough diamond” is sorted and graded by its size and potential shape and quality. It is then sold or traded through a series of dealers before ending up in a diamond-cutting factory where it is polished into the form that most people are familiar with. This done mostly in Europe, specifically Antwerp, Belguim where about 80% of all rough diamond is traded. The vast majority of diamonds are then sent to cutting factories, smaller stones going to India and the larger staying in Antwerp, or going to other major cutting centers in Israel or New York. Today, with modern methods of shaping and faceting the stones, diamonds are polished to near mathematical perfection guaranteeing brilliance, proportion and luster. These polished diamonds are then resorted and graded by their shape, size, color and clarity to be sold to dealers all over the world where they are ultimately used to create all the many different styles and types of jewelry that are available to the public.

The business of Diamonds is truly a global business with sales of all grades of diamond totaling more almost $9 billion US dollars a year. The growth of this business has been clearly fueled by the increased affluence of societies all over the world and their desire to own and wear gem quality diamonds as well as the many industrial uses this unique mineral provides.

The Nature of Silver

Silver has been mined since the beginning of time. Silver mines in what is now Turkey had large scale silver mining operations as long ago as 2500BC. Silver was used in the production of plates, coins and jewelry in both the ancient Minoan and Mycenaean civilizations. Greek and later Spanish silver mines provided more than 1000 onzes of silver per year to fuel the world ‘s uses of silver for the first 1000 years after the birth of Christ. After the discovery of the New World in 1492, silver production grew as the world’s appetite and uses for silver grew. By 1800 more than 1.5 million troy onzes were taken from mines in Mexico with additional amounts being mined in both Peru and Bolivia. In addition through out the 19th and 20th century significant amounts of silver were discovered and mined in both the United States and Canada.

Of the three precious metals platinum, gold and silver, silver is easily the most abundant. With mines producing more than 20 tons of silver a year, it is used in the fabrication and manufacture of everything from coins and jewelry to photography and medicine. Because it is an excellent conductor of electricity, it also has numerous uses in the electronics, nuclear and auto industry. Silver’s overall use in the jewelry industry continues to grow as fashion trends continue to favor a white metal over yellow and as the other two precious metals, platinum and gold, become more expensive.

Silver is truly a white metal and with the advances in tarnish resistant silver alloy, it is easy to maintain. Because it is less expensive and lighter in weight than is either platinum or gold, jewelry fashioned in silver can be made more substantial and durable. Relative to gold it has a lower melting temperature and thus can be combined with yellow gold to create “two tone” or multicolored jewelry. The silver used in jewelry is traditionally a mixture of pure silver or fine silver and copper with silver being 92.5% of the mixture and copper the remaining 7.5%. This combination is called sterling silver.

Sterling silver has come a long way in the manufacture of jewelry. Today, in addition to using only sterling silver in the creation of jewelry, it is also combined with diamonds, many different types of precious (ruby, emerald, sapphire) and semi precious stones to create a line of high fashion jewelry. Silver is featured prominently in the designs of many of the world’s finest designers and its use in high end designer jewelry continues to grow as fine jewelry stores like Tiffany and Cartier expand their use of the metal. Jewelry made from sterling silver is both durable and affordable and can be an attractive alternative to almost any piece of jewelry made from gold or platinum.