You remember her... Earths' first mortal woman who's curiosity about what was in the jewelry box, caused her to ignore Zeus's warning not to open it... Not only did she kill the cat, but she unleashed a slough of poorly cut diamonds into the world where they found their way into the diamond market. Unfortunately, some of these diamonds are being represented as having "really nice make, fine make or excellent ideal proportions" when they're not even close to being in the ideal range by industry standards.. The term "proportions" simply describes the relationship between the elements or sections of the diamond design. There is a rating system used within the industry to describe the proportions grade based upon the balance or ratio between each section of a diamond.

Act One - Scene One:
Character: An analytical type
(i.e. Mathematician, Engineer, Computer Programmer, Geek, etc.)
To be read: Slowly and without feeling.

Unfortunately some dealers find it necessary to describe their diamonds as having "really nice make, fine make or excellent ideal proportions" when they're not even close to being in the ideal range. Fortunately, Pandora managed to slam the lid shut before "Hope" escaped. No, not the Hope Diamond, just plain old Hope. Even though many diamond grading reports don't provide you with all of the measurements necessary to determine the overall cut rating of a diamond, it's not too late to save yourself from the perils of purchasing a poorly cut diamond that you thought was ideal. Be the first kid on your block to figure this stuff out!

This article contains the "Secret Sauce" of the McDiamond Industry! It's your recipe for success in your attempt to whip up a spectacular diamond for your bride. Heck, if you're a quick study, you might even be able to hold your own in a room full of jewelers! The first thing to remember is that the only way to accurately determine the overall proportions rating of a diamond is to know all of the factors which contribute to the score, the necessary parts to know are the Measurements (the minimum / maximum diameter and overall depth); the Table Diameter; the Total Depth; the Crown Angle; the Pavilion Angle (the most critical factor); the Girdle Thickness; and the Culet Size. With that in mind, let's play!

A common misconception amongst the public is the belief that if you purchase a "certified diamond" that you are getting a "quality diamond" and that’s not always the case. The reality is that a diamond grading report issued by a gemological laboratory is merely than an evaluation of the diamonds' characteristics. A diamond grading report is not a "certification" of quality and if you read the disclaimer on the back of one of those reports that will become quite clear. The characteristics of a lab graded diamond can be good or bad, the presence of a lab report merely reflects the sellers’ willingness to pay for a report to be issued. The diamond grading laboratories will issue a report on a chunk of frozen spit, but who's going to know it's a piece of garbage if they can't decipher the report?

The secret to buying a lab graded diamond is to be able to comprehend what each of the factors that contributes to the diamond as a whole. A basic understanding of the common 4C's (Cut, Color, Clarity and Carat weight) is an absolute must. Unfortunately, many diamond grading reports do not provide complete information pertaining to the proportions of the diamond and thus you are missing several pieces of the puzzle. To complete the picture, you need to determine the table diameter, the total depth, the crown angle, the pavilion angle, girdle thickness, and the culet size.

But what do all those weird terms mean? What is a crown angle? And what does a diamonds table or culet size have to do with anything? Let's start at the beginning by learning what each part of a diamond is called and the rest will unfold as we go.