The best way to assure yourself of diamond quality is to have it certified by an independent gemologist with a graduate degree from GIA, the world's most highly respected source on diamond grading.

Fast Fact: All of the diamonds sold at DiamondPendantsOnly.com are hand-picked by our expert buyers, then sent to an independent gem laboratory, where they are rated for cut, clarity, color and carat weight. A Certificate of Appraisal is included, which should be sent to your insurance company to establish the retail replacement value. We encourage you to have your diamonds re-appraised by a local gemologist of your choice. The American Society of Appraisers will provide you with a list of qualified gemologists in your area.

The GIA grading scale for diamond cuts is shown below. Notice that the better cuts toward the right reflect more light toward the viewer's eye. Imagine a diamond as a tiny house of mirrors. If the mirrors (or facets) are lined up correctly, there is less light leakage through the sides of the diamond, and more brilliance is released through the top of the diamond to the eye of the viewer.

GIA Scale for Grading Diamond Cut:
Poor (light leakages from bottom)	Fair (minimal light releases through diamond table	Good (some light releases through diamond table)	Very Good (exceptional light releases through diamond table)	Excellent (nearly all of the light releases to the viewer's eye

The mathematical formula for a round diamond works like this: for a cut with exceptional brilliance (rated "very good" or better), the depth of the diamond will measure between 57% to 65% of the total diameter. In other words, a 1 carat diamond that is 6.5mm wide and 3.9mm deep will display an exceptional return of light to the viewer's eye.