Govindji's has set a standard of excellence for quality diamonds, earning us the privilege of being a part of many engagements, weddings, anniversaries and other significant celebrations.

Due to their very limited availability, diamonds are rare and unique gems. A Govindji's diamond is rarer still, as each must meet Govindji's' strict criteria.

Very few of the polished diamonds available meet Govindji's standards. Govindji's expert gemologists scrutinize each diamond, ensuring it has been fashioned to release all the fire and brilliance the diamond possesses.

Meticulous grading and certification for clarity, color and proportions according to rigid international gemological (GIA) standards, assure that your Govindji's diamond is among the best the world has to offer.

The shape of a diamond completes its brilliancy and defines its personality. Throughout the centuries, jewelers have experimented, refined, and perfected the modern round brilliant-cut diamond to fully unleash its fiery magic and seductive allure. From the imagination and craftsmanship of many artisans, other shapes have evolved. Although, Govindji's specializes only in the most brilliant, the round brilliant-cut diamond with an excellent cut grade, excellent polish grade and an excellent symmetry grade; today, diamonds can even be cut in the shape of a heart.

GIA categorizes the cut grade into five segments:

• Excellent
• Very Good
• Good
• Fair
• Poor

Govindji's specializes in only "Excellent-Cut" diamonds.

The precise placement of each facet and their exact geometric relationship to one another is what enables a diamond to reveal its full potential. Diamond cutting demands the meticulous precision of a gifted artisan to unleash the maximum brilliance and hidden fire locked within every stone.

The proportioning of a diamond determines how beautiful a diamond is. Technically, the proportions are measured either against the average millimeter diameter, in the case of rounds, or against the millimeter width, in fancy-shapes. The angles of crown and pavilion facets are measured against the plane of the girdle.

The proportioning of a polished diamond is now usually analyzed and determined while it is in its "rough" or unpolished state. Interestingly, more rough diamond is lost when fashioning a beautiful well-proportioned stone and this very significantly effects the "value" of a diamond.

It is the absence rather than the presence of color that signifies the value and rarity of a diamond with the exception of a few "fancy-colored" stones. Although most diamonds appear to be colorless, there is a slight tint within their depths that is only discernible to an expert's eye.

At Govindji's, we specialize and stock the upper tier: D, E, F and G; all certified by GIA.

D-F	Colorless
G-J	Near colorless
K-M	Faint Yellow
N-R	Very Light Yellow
S-Z	Light Yellow

A diamond is commonly called "flawless" if no inclusion or surface blemish is visible when viewed with 10x magnification by a skilled examiner. Clarity is the extent to which a diamond is free of inclusions. A truly flawless diamond is extremely rare.

At Govindji's, we specialize and stock the upper tier, certified by GIA: IF, VVS1, VVS2 and VS1.

IF	Internally flawless - minor surface blemishes
VVS1-VVS2	Very, very slightly included
VS1-VS2	Very slightly included
SI1-SI2	Slightly included
I1	Included - visible to the unaided eye
I2-I3	Included - obvious to the unaided eye

The "carat" is a measure of diamond weight. In modern terms, a carat is 0.2 grams. One carat is divided into 100 "points," so a "50-point" diamond weighs half a carat. As the carat size of a diamond increases, so does its rarity and value, depending on the diamond's shape, proportions, color and clarity.

Your Govindji's diamond was born deep within the earth, at least 300 million to one billion years ago, when carbon atoms were squeezed together to form the hardest substance in nature. Tectonic forces created steam, pushing the pressurized liquid magma up toward the surface of the planet. These volcanic "pipes" forced their way to the surface, and a very few brought with them diamonds. The magma cooled, and the diamond crystals became embedded in the solidified pipe.

A diamond that is cut and proportioned brilliantly is beautiful, but not until it is made into jewelry does it become a personal item to be treasured for a lifetime. Govindji's takes pride in ensuring that a meticulous grading regime is instituted in selecting diamonds before they are mounted in exquisite and artistic creations. These creations are the heartfelt work of many people. Our in-house designer conceives beautiful one-of-a-kind pieces, which are brought to life by our craftsmen

The piece then arrives at the Govindji's showroom, where it may be offered as an expression of love and appreciation. The gift of a diamond is a significant event in any relationship. Making it a Govindji's diamond makes it all the more special.

A Govindji's diamond of less than one-half carat is accompanied by a Govindji's diamond certificate. If the diamond is one-half carat or larger, you will receive a Govindji's diamond certificate and a certificate from the independent Gemological Institute of America (GIA).

Abrasion

Tiny nicks along facet junctions, producing white fuzzy lines instead of sharp crisp facet edges.

Baguette

A step cut in the shape of a small rectangular stone. May be tapered at one end.

Bearded girdle

Tiny, numerous, hair-like fractures extending into the edge of a diamond.

Bezel

A facet on the crown, or upper part of the diamond above the girdle.

Blemish

A clarity characteristic that occurs on the surface of a diamond. Though some blemishes are inherent to the original rough diamond, most are the result of the environment the diamond has encountered since it was unearthed.

Brilliance

The brightness that seems to come from the very heart of a diamond. It is the effect that makes diamonds unique among all other gemstones. While other gemstones also display brilliance, none have the power to equal the extent of diamond's light-reflecting power. Brilliance is created primarily when light enters through the table, reaches the pavilion facets, and is then reflected back out through the table, where the light is most visible to your eye.

Brilliant Cut

One of three styles of faceting arrangements. In this type of arrangement, all facets appear to radiate out from the center of the diamond toward its outer edges. It is called a brilliant cut because it is designed to maximize brilliance. Round diamonds, ovals, radiants, princesses, hearts, marquises, and pears all fall within this category of cut. Other styles of faceting arrangements include the step cut (in which facets are arranged in parallel rows around the table and the culet) and the mixed cut (in which either the crown or pavilion of a diamond is cut as a brilliant cut, and the other part of the diamond is cut as a step cut). Some jewelers use the term "brilliant cut" as a synonym for "round diamond."

Bort

Industrial grade diamonds.

Bow-Tie Effect

An effect caused by a shadowy area visible in some fancy shapes, caused by light leaking out the bottom of the diamond.

Bruise

An inclusion consisting of surface crumbling, often accompanied by tiny, root-like feathers.

Burned Facet

This facet may appear whitish or burnt as a result of the cutter polishing the facet "against the grain."

Carat Weight

The metric carat, which equals 0.200 gram, is the standard unit of weight for diamonds and most other gems. If other factors are equal, the more a stone weighs the more valuable it will be.

Cavity

An inclusion consisting of a large or deep opening in the stone.

Chip

A tiny piece missing, caused by normal wear and tear, or by cutting.

Clarity

A stone's relative position on a flawless to imperfect scale. Clarity characteristics are classified as inclusions (internal) or blemishes (external). The size, number, position, nature, and color or relief of characteristics determine the clarity grade. Very few diamonds are flawless, that is, show no inclusions or blemishes when examined by a skilled grader under 10x magnification. If other factors are equal, flawless stones are the most valuable.

Cloud

A group of tiny white inclusions, which if found throughout the diamond could result in a milky or cloudy appearance.

Coated Diamond

A diamond colored by a surface coating, which masks the true body-color. The coating may be extensive (entire pavilion, for example), but is more often limited to one or two pavilion facets or a spot on the girdle.

Color

Grading color in the normal range involves deciding how closely a diamond's body color approaches colorlessness. Most diamonds have at least a trace of yellow or brown body color. With the exception of some natural fancy colors, such as blue, green, pink, purple or red, the colorless grade is the most valuable.

Crown

The upper part of the diamond above the girdle. Consists of a large flat area on top called a table and several facets below it.

Culet

The smallest facet at the bottom of the diamond. Not all diamonds have a culet.

Cut

The proportions and finish of a polished diamond (also called make). Cut can also mean shape, as in emerald-cut or marquise-cut. Proportions are the size and angle relationships between the facets and different parts of the stone. Finish includes polish and details of facet shape and placement. Cut affects both the weight yield from rough and the optical efficiency of the polished stone. The more successful the cutter is in balancing these considerations, the more valuable the diamond will be.

Emerald-Cut

A step cut, usually rectangular.

Extra Facet

A facet placed without regard for symmetry and not required by the cutting style.

Facet

Plane, polished surface of a diamond.

Faceted Girdle

Sometimes cutters polish the girdle with tiny facets. A girdle can also be polished smooth or unpolished (waxy).

Fancy-Colored Diamond

A diamond with an attractive natural body color other than light yellow or light brown.

Feather

A separation or break due to either cleavage or fracture, often white and feathery in appearance.

Flaw

An imperfection on or in a diamond.

Fracture

A crack on the diamond's surface.

Girdle

The outer edge or the widest part of the diamond forming a band around the stone.

Grain Center

A small area of concentrated crystal structure distortion, usually associated with pinpoints.

Hardness

Mineral's resistance to scratching on a smooth surface. Mohs scale of relative hardness consists of 10 minerals, each scratching all those below it in scale and being scratched by all those above it. Diamond is "10" on the scale and no natural substance can scratch a diamond, except another diamond.

Hue

Pure, spectral (prismatic) color. Hues include gradations and mixtures of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet and purple.

Included Crystal

A mineral crystal contained in a diamond.

Inclusion

An internal imperfection in a diamond. An inclusion will only affect the clarity grade of a diamond if it is visible at 10x to a trained gemologist.

Internal Graining

Internal indications of irregular crystal growth. May appear milky, like faint lines or streaks, or may be colored or reflective.

Irradiated Diamond

A diamond that has been exposed to radiation

Knot

An included diamond crystal that reaches the surface of a polished diamond.

Laser Drill Hole

A tiny tube made by a laser. The surface opening may resemble a pit, while the tube usually looks needle-like.

Loupe

Magnifying glass usually of 10x.

Melee

Small diamonds less than .18 carat.

Mohs scale

The ten-point scale of mineral hardness, keyed arbitrarily to the minerals talc, gypsum, calcite, fluorite, apatite, orthoclase, quartz, topaz, corundum and diamond.

Natural

Part of the rough diamond remaining on a polished diamond, having survived the cutting process. This is usually the sign of a cutter attempting to maximize the weight retention of the polished diamond from the rough.

Needle

A long, thin included crystal, which looks like a tiny rod

Nick

A tiny notch near the girdle or a facet edge.

Off-Make

A poorly proportioned diamond.

Old European Cut

Early round cut similar to the round brilliant cut, but carrying a very small table and heavy crown. Not as popular today because it does not return the same brilliance as the modern brilliant.

Pavilion

The bottom part of the diamond, below the girdle.

Pinpoints

Miniscule spots internal to a diamond. A cluster of pinpoints can form a cloud.

Pit

A tiny opening on the surface, often looking like a white dot.

Point

100th of a carat.

Polish Lines

Tiny parallel lines left by polishing. Fine parallel ridges confined to a single facet, caused by crystal structure irregularities, or tiny parallel polished grooves produced by irregularities in the surface.

Polish Mark

Surface clouding caused by excessive heat (also called burn mark, or burned facet), or uneven polished surface resulting from structural irregularities.

Rough Girdle

A grainy or pitted girdle surface, often with nicks.

Round Brilliant-Cut

The most common cut, usually containing 58 facets. Also the most brilliant cut in terms of reflecting light back to the eye.

Saturation

A color's position on a neutral to vivid scale.

Scratch

A linear indentation on the surface normally seen as a fine white line, curved or straight.

Spread Stone

A diamond with a large table and a thin crown height. The cutter has internally decreased the brilliance, dispersion and scintillation in order to maximize weight retention.

Surface Graining

Surface indication of structural irregularity. May resemble faint facet junction lines, or cause a grooved or wavy surface, often across facet junctions.

Tone

A color's position on a colorless-to-black scale.

Treated Diamonds

A diamond that has undergone some type of artificial enhancement, such as changing body color by some form of artificial irradiation, often in conjunction with controlled heating (known as annealing), or by subjecting the diamond to high pressure and temperature.

Twinning Wisp

A cloudy area produced by crystal structure distortion, usually associated with twinning planes.