Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 3219 Charm: The 5th "C" The French call it “je ne sais quoi,” a pleasing, indefinable quality. You’ll probably discover this phenomenon in your diamond search. One gem’s sparkle will likely resonate with you above the others. Despite the statistics listed on the gemological paperwork, your diamond preference will have much more to do with its aesthetic. Each diamond contains over 13,000 pathways of light giving it a unique sparkle signature. Selecting a diamond based solely on its accompanying paperwork would be like trying to choose a spouse from a stack of driver’s licenses. We strongly recommend you meet your diamond before you spend the rest of your lives together. Select the diamond that has you charmed with its beauty. Grading Laboratories In the 1950’s, the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) introduced their International Diamond Grading System. This system universalized the terminology used by jewelry professionals to assess and discuss a diamond’s quality. GIA’s grading system has been adopted by most gemological laboratories; however, the standards used to obtain these grades vary greatly between labs. Since the GIA is a research organization, it uses a very strict set of universal standards when grading diamonds. Conversely, most commercial labs tend to be much more lenient in the use of grading standards. For instance, a GIA graded G color (near colorless) diamond may receive a grade of E color (colorless) by another laboratory. Or, a GIA graded SI2 clarity diamond may receive a clarity grade of VS2 by another lab. This grading discrepancy can be extremely confusing to customers trying to evaluate which diamond to purchase. Therefore, when choosing between diamonds, make certain the grading reports are from the same laboratory. This will ensure an apples-to-apples comparison. For the most accurate and valuable evaluation, we recommend purchasing a diamond that has been graded by a reputable laboratory like GIA or AGS (American Gem Society). 18 Visit Us Today - Schedule an Appt www.hlgross.com