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The name diamond is derived from the Greek word adamas (“invincible”), which was probably applied by the Greeks to any hard stone, such as corundum. The first distinct and undoubted reference to diamonds occurs in Roman literature of the 1st century AD
Diamonds consist of pure carbon compressed into a tight, isometric crystalline form. They are considered the hardest substance on the earth. Brilliant diamonds have a high index of refraction. Light entering a cut, or cleaved, crystal from the top, may also eventually exit from the top. This gives a false notion of internal sparkle. Coloured flashes of light occur in a fiery diamond when light is separated into colours. A Diamond is a mineral form of carbon, valued as a precious stone, and also used for various industrial purposes. Diamonds occur in various forms, including the diamond proper (a crystalline gemstone), bort - an imperfectly crystallized type of diamond, extremely hard, and dark in color, ballas - a compact, spherical mass of tiny diamond crystals of great hardness and toughness, and carbonado - sometimes called black diamond or carbon, is an opaque grayish or black form of diamond with no cleavage. Two important characteristics of the diamond is the index of refraction and the dispersion is higher for diamond than for any other natural, transparent, colorless stone.
Other characteristics of the diamond add nothing to its appearance but are frequently useful in identifying the stone and in differentiating between true diamonds and imitations. Because diamonds are excellent conductors of heat, they are cold to the touch. Most diamonds are not good electrical conductors and become charged with positive electricity when rubbed. Genuine cut diamonds, unlike imitations, are transparent to X rays. Another important physical characteristic of the diamond is its resistance to attack by acids or alkalies. Transparent diamond crystals heated in oxygen burn at about 800° C (about 1470° F), forming carbon dioxide.
Buy with confidence from a member of the Jewellery Council of South Africa Jewellery Council of South Africa members are expected to adhere to a Code of Ethics and Conduct, which requires them to conduct their business in a correct and ethical basis. The Council's role is not to prescribe to an individual how to conduct their business, but rather to set a level of standards within the industry to which all participants are proud to subscribe. Membership of the Council is voluntary, therefore it cannot become legally involved in any dispute, however, the Council does assist in bringing about successful resolutions to disputes that may arise from time to time.
When purchasing a piece of jewellery:
When handing a piece of jewellery in for repair:
When purchasing diamonds:
The Jewellery Council Diamond Grading Laboratory was established in 1978 - the first diamond certification laboratory in South Africa. The Laboratory offers diamond grading services to the highest standard. Reports issued by the Jewellery Council Laboratory are recognised worldwide. Diamonds are graded in strict accordance with the rules of the International Diamond Council. A diamond report guarantees the authenticity of a diamond; confirming that the stone is a natural diamond.
The grading laboratory is an organisation which grades diamonds according to the "International Rules for Grading Polished Diamonds". These rules were established by the International Diamond Council (IDC), an organisation founded by the World Federation of Diamond Bourses and the International Diamond Manufacturers' Association. This system is used by the Hoge Raad Voor Diamant of Antwerp, the Swedish Testing Institute, the Diamant Pruflabor of Idar Oberstein in Germany and the Diamond Certification Laboratory of Australia. The objectivity of the grading results is guaranteed by preserving the strictest anonymity. When the diamond is brought in to the laboratory for grading, all data is fed into a computer. In order to follow the stone through the laboratory, the stone is allocated a tracking number, so the graders who perform the examination never know whom the stone belongs, thus ensuring absolute objectivity. There are currently 12 staff members. There is a manageress, 6 Diamond Graders (GIA), 3 administration manageresses', a Geologist (FGA), a bookkeeper and an executive director; all highly qualified in their fields.
The shape is the form in which the stone is polished. The round brilliant being the most popular diamond shape.
Diamonds are cut in many different and exciting shapes. The shape of a diamond is often confused with its cut. Shape refers to the basic form of the diamond: oval or pear shaped, for instance. Cut or proportions, on the other hand, refer to the ability of each of these shapes to reflect light.
A round diamond, for example, could have a good cut or a poor cut depending upon its proportions. When it comes to shape, it is simply a matter of personal taste. The right shape for you is really the one whose appearance you prefer. Shape can be a statement of whom you are; like other areas of fashion, shape can reflect your individuality.
Fancy Colours Diamonds also occur in nature in shades of pink, blue, green, amber, or even red. These rarely occurring colors are referred to as fancies and are evaluated by a different set of color standards. These standards take into consideration various factors such as hue and saturation. The laboratory also issues reports on coloured stones, the reports are based on the well recognized ICSL System initiated in 1982, as published in the USA by the accredited Gemologist Association. Fluorescence Fluorescence is the effect whereby invisible ultraviolet light is transformed into visible light. The colour of the fluorescence is usually blue, but other colours are possible. Normal daylight contains a certain amount of UV light and therefore fluorescence can influence the colour of the stone. In the case of blue fluorescence the colour of the diamond shows lighter under a lighting containing UV rays (tube lamps, sunlight) and darker under lighting without UV rays.
The Jewellery Council Laboratory was established in 1978 and has set and maintained the highest standards in diamond grading. Every diamond submitted to the laboratory is examined by several experienced diamond graders using sophisticated state of the art technology, spectraphotometer Macbeth Judge 2, DiamondSure, DiamondView and microscopes specifically designed for diamond grading which use an ingenious gem manipulator and vacuum system.
Another state of the art technological machine is the Sarin Dia-Mension system. It is a Gemstone Proportion Measurement System based on the International Measuring Standard for Gemological Labs, Gem Manufacturers and Gem dealers. It measures round and fancy gemstones up to 28mm and it is constantly being updated- It automatically measures the length, width, depth and angles displayed on a colour monitor. The laboratory also offers a laser inscription service. One can have any alpha numeric digit engraved on the girdle of a diamond.
There is a Diamond Report for every diamond that has been through the Laboratory process. On the Report it gives the details of the diamond examined. The clarity, cut, colour and carat weight is provided on the Report. (the 4 C's).
The proportions of the diamond is also provided and recorded by the Sarin Dia-Mension system. This report is then given to the owner of the diamond, accompanied by the diamond. Two types of reports are available. A large Report and a small report.
The Jewellery Council of South Africa established the “SA Gold” programme in the mid 90’s. This system required participants to subscribe to an acceptable quality standard and ensure that all jewellery produced was of a caratage equal to or greater than that stamped in the article. Due to certain circumstances, the system was put on hold. As a manufacturing jeweller and member of the Jewellery Manufacturers’ Association and/or the Cape Jewellery Manufacturers’ Association, you are invited to subscribe to the principals of the Jewellery Council Quality Assurance System (JCQAS) and stamp the mark in your jewellery. By agreeing to subscribe to the principals of JCQAS, Sasseens Designer Goldsmiths undertake to:
JCQAS will be actively promoted to the South African retail jewellery industry with retailers being encouraged only to purchase jewellery from manufacturers who are entitled to utilise the JCQAS mark. The funds generated from annual membership subscriptions of R500.00 per annum, will be used exclusively for the purposes of promoting JCQAS both locally and internationally. On registration as a member of JCQAS, you will be required to mark all jewellery over 2 grams with your allocated JCQAS number, e.g. G01, caratage stamp and/or your hallmark. The establishment of the JCQAS mark is an important step to providing bona fide South African manufacturing jewellers with a competitive edge against inferior imported product and a means to combat the increasing instances of under caratage jewellery being supplied to the market.
The Jewellery Council Diamond Grading Laboratory is a founder member of the Proudly South African Campaign. Proudly South African is an exciting new campaign to promote South African companies, products and services which are helping to create jobs and economic growth in our country. Supported by organized labour, organized business, government and community organizations, Proudly South African is the way for every South African to do something concrete to support job creation, and help build our young nation. At the heart of the campaign is the Proudly South African logo. Companies who meet the standards set by Proudly South African can use the logo to identify themselves, their products and services. Proudly South African is an initiative of the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac) and is supported by organized business, organized labour, government and the community. You can visit their website for information: http://www.proudlysa.co.za/
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