Glossary
Hardness
Measure of resistance to scratching and abrasion. Diamond is the hardest material on earth, a 10 on Moh’s Scale; however, it is not the toughest. Hardness and toughness together determine the durability of diamond.
Heart Cut
Diamond cut or shaped into a heart, with a cleft in the wide end, and a softly tapered point at the narrow end.
Hearts & Arrows
Describes a pattern that appears in some round brilliant cut and square cushion cut diamonds that have a certain parallelism and symmetry. When viewed from above through the crown, the pattern is a series of eight arrowheads. From below through the pavilion, the pattern appears as eight heart shapes. Hearts & arrows does not mean that a diamond is ideal cut, only that it is symmetrical.
Hot Laser Inscription
The use of a laser beam to write a number or customised personal message on the girdle of a diamond, generally for identification purposes. Hot laser machines operate at a higher wavelength, and unlike cold laser inscription can penetrate into and thus damage the diamond; penetration can result in chips and fractures. Click here to learn more about diamond laser inscription.
HPHT (High Pressure High Temperature) Treatment
Treatment to change or artificially enhance the colour of a diamond. Certain types of diamonds are subjected to extreme heat and pressure conditions in a laboratory, which rearranges their atomic structure and thus alters their colour. Click here to learn more about HPHT treated diamonds.
Hue
Occasionally ‘colourless’, or Cape Series diamonds will have a visible negative tint of brown or grey. These diamonds are graded on the same scale of color saturation as Cape Series diamonds, but will state the hue on the certificate. Diamonds with brown, grey, or ECG hue are of lower value than those with no hue. Click here to see where to find hue on a Diamond Certificate.
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latest news
Wednesday 14 July, 2010
INTERNATIONAL DIAMOND COUNCIL RELEASES IDC RULES IN RUSSIAN
The International Diamond Council (IDC) released the Russian translation of the "IDC Rules for Grading Diamonds" today in Moscow, on occasion of the 34th World Diamond Congress, the biennial congress of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB) and the International Diamond Manufacturers Association (IDMA).
Thursday 1 July, 2010
ZIMBABWE DEFIES BAN OF MARANGE DIAMONDS
Zimbabwe’s government has resolved to defy a diamond sale ban ruled by the world approving authority, the Kimberly Process and will now begin exporting diamonds from its Chiadzwa fields.
Monday 10 May, 2010
DIAMOND PRICE INDEX PUBLISHED FOR CONSUMERS
For the first time ever, diamond jewelry consumers are going to have a diamond retail benchmark that will guide them in how much they should pay for a diamond.