Diamond Jargon Glossary
Plain-English definitions of the diamond terms you will meet while shopping, from the 4Cs and inclusions to IGI, CVD, fluorescence, table and scintillation.
Diamond shopping comes with its own vocabulary, and a confident buyer is one who knows the words. This is a plain-English glossary of the terms you will meet on certificates and product pages, in alphabetical order. Keep it open while you browse.
A to C
- 4Cs: the four qualities that grade every diamond, Cut, Colour, Clarity and Carat.
- Blemish: a surface imperfection such as a scratch or nick, as opposed to an internal inclusion.
- Brilliance: the white light reflected back from inside a diamond, the core of its brightness.
- BIS hallmark: the Bureau of Indian Standards mark that certifies the purity of gold, stamped on every Varniya piece.
- Carat vs karat: carat is the weight of a diamond (0.20 grams), while karat (KT) is the purity of gold, as in 14KT or 18KT.
- Certificate: an independent lab report grading a diamond's 4Cs, such as an IGI, GIA or SGL report.
- Crown: the upper part of a cut diamond, above the widest point.
- Culet: the tiny facet or point at the very bottom of the diamond.
- CVD: Chemical Vapour Deposition, one of the two methods used to grow lab diamonds.
D to G
- Eye-clean: a diamond whose inclusions cannot be seen by the naked eye, which VS1 and above reliably are.
- Facet: one of the flat, polished surfaces cut into a diamond. A round brilliant has 57 to 58.
- Fire: the flashes of rainbow colour a diamond throws as it splits light.
- Fluorescence: a soft glow, usually blue, that some diamonds give off under UV light.
- Girdle: the thin band around the widest edge of the diamond, where the laser inscription usually sits.
- GIA: the Gemological Institute of America, a strict, globally respected grading lab.
H to P
- HPHT: High Pressure High Temperature, the other main method of growing lab diamonds.
- IGI: the International Gemological Institute, the leading lab for lab-grown diamonds in India.
- Ideal cut: the top cut grade, returning maximum light. IGI calls it Ideal, GIA calls it Excellent.
- Inclusion: a natural internal characteristic, such as a tiny crystal, used to grade clarity.
- Pavilion: the lower part of the diamond, below the girdle, which acts like a cone of mirrors.
- Plot map: the diagram on a certificate that maps where a diamond's inclusions sit.
S to T
- Scintillation: the sparkle and play of light as a diamond, or the viewer, moves.
- SGL: Solitaire Gemological Labs, which certifies Varniya's finished jewellery.
- Solitaire: a ring set with a single diamond and no side stones.
- Table: the large flat facet on the very top of the diamond, its biggest window for light.
How Varniya uses these terms
Every Varniya diamond is graded on the 4Cs to a no-compromise standard: Ideal or Excellent cut, DEF colourless colour, VS1-and-above clarity that is always eye-clean, certified by IGI on solitaires above 0.50 carat, with SGL on finished jewellery and a BIS hallmark on the gold.
FAQs
What is the difference between carat and karat? Carat measures a diamond's weight, where one carat is 0.20 grams. Karat measures the purity of gold, so 18KT gold is 75% pure and 14KT is about 58.5% pure.
Browse the collection, or talk to a Varniya expert - we'll help you choose with confidence.
What does eye-clean mean? It means any inclusions are invisible to the naked eye at normal viewing distance. Every clarity grade Varniya stocks, VS1 and above, is eye-clean.
Next: Diamond Fluorescence. Back to Diamond Buying Guide.
