Antique cuts
An antique cut does not imply "old." In fact, most "antique" stones have been cut very recently.
By going back to the beginning of the Diamond Era,
we are able to recapture the magic of these magnificent stones.
Asscher Cut
An Asscher cut is classified as a square emerald cut by the GIA, but there is much more to it. An Asscher cut diamond seems to draw your eye to the center of the stone, to its magical depth, the source of its incredible fire.
The Asscher cut is a step cut, so its clarity must be taken under consideration,...
A Complete Guide to Diamond Certification
Leon Mege is an honest jeweler. We offer only GIA certified diamonds and here is why:
Unlike anything else we sell (something you actually need), selling a diamond requires a massive amount of BS. Among professionals it is known as “Romancing a stone.” After all, when you need to sell a breakfast cereal, you can simply say, “Look, you need to eat something, why not our brand? How bad could it be?”
Even the famed florist’s technique is not useful for selling jewelry: “Look how pretty it is! It will make her happy and render her...
Diamond Alternatives
Lab-grown diamond
Spinel
Aquamarine
Topaz
Zircon
Sapphire
Danburite
Moissanite
Cubic Zirconia
Not every gemstone is a good fit for an engagement ring. There is a good reason a diamond is by far the most popular choice for an engagement ring; it does not have color.
Color is not desirable in engagement rings - that's why engagement rings are mostly made with platinum or white gold and set with colorless diamonds.
Unlike other jewelry that is worn on and off, an engagement ring is always present. No matter what situation you find yourself in - casual or formal, romantic or...
True Antique™ Cushion Cut
About the True Antique™ Cushion
The classic cushion classified by GIA as the "Old Mine" diamond is the original cushion cut developed a few centuries ago, that was used to facet the world's most famous diamonds, such as Hope Diamond, Beau Sancy, Dresden Green, etc.
Today these stones are commonly referred to as "Antique cushions" to distinguish them from so-called "Modern cushions" that also have a similar cushion outline but completely different faceting. Read about Modern cushions.
Leon Mege True Antique™ Cushion diamonds are NOT vintage stones or stones taken out of old jewelry. They are cut in New York...
HCA Trap
HCA score is a dumbed-down diamond cut evaluation system for suckers who trust too much what they read online.
It is a highly subjective opinion in a single number for easy digestion.
Among all the vile gimmicks designed to promote proprietary standards in diamond grading, nothing is more sinister than the infamous HCA calculator.
A close cousin of the Magic 8 Ball, this is a marketing tool that is supposed to calculate a round diamond grade based on just a few parameters.
HCA calculator is the online tool invented by Russian hacker-turned-diamond-specialist.
Octonus Software Co and the Australian-based self-proclaimed diamond guru Garry...
ASET scam
ASET test is NOT a scientific breakthrough, it's sales gimmick of the worst kind.
ASET "test" is the AGS last ditch attempt to stay relevant. ASET stands for - Angular Spectrum Evaluation Technology, a title that is supposed to evoke an image of scientists in lab coats bent over a diamond on operating table.
ASET was invented by AGS playing a catching game with GIA, which is the industry de-facto standard. Smaller labs like AGS are constantly looking new ways to differentiate their services in order to compete against the GIA - the industry's gold standard.
ASET cone is not used by professionals, but...
Diamond Math: 4C's + Craftsmanship = Five C's
4C's | Cut | Clarity | Color | Carat
Diamond size is an important factor, but not as crucial as some people think. It should not be decided arbitrarily by picking a carat weight at random or base it on an obsolete social norm. Most people are easily persuaded to trade diamond size for quality.
Diamond size is not dependent on a body height or a finger's length. A diamond ring is an accessory, but a diamond itself is a status indicator. Therefore, its size should be based on...
Diamond Cut Grade
4C's | Cut | Clarity | Color | Carat
Unlike stone’s shape, which is its outline visible from above, the cut refers to the relationship between the sizes of different parts of a stone, as well as to the position, shape, and proportions of its facets.
Important to distinguish between a stone’s cut and its cut “grade”
GIA which is the supreme authority on every aspect related to diamonds has an extensive material on the subject publicly available on their web site.
We are not going to reiterate the information, if you are are interested in...
Swords and Shields
Regarding the use of the term Hearts and Arrows:
The hearts and arrows cut is not well defined. All ideal cut diamonds display that effect to a certain degree. Japanese obsession with quality and precision resulted in diamonds cut so exactly that the shadows of facets produced kaleidoscopic patterns.
A small gismo was devised to aid the observation of this effect - the pattern of eight distinct chevron-shaped spots and eight elongated spots visible when the stone is flipped upside down. The original Japanese name "Swords and Shields" was eradicated and replaced by the sugary "hearts and arrows."
We use only...
Spend LESS, not more, on your perfect diamond
Sourcing your stone directly through Leon Mege will save you money.
Diamonds are cheaper than psychiatrists
Diamonds listed on the diamond trading network are accessible by every member of the trade. A Leon Mege membership affords you the direct access to every stone on the market.
By enlisting us as your agent, it is assured that you will pay the absolutely lowest price for the stone.
While the choice of a diamond supplier rarely matters, since prices are public, margins are small, and gem certificates guarantee the authenticity and quality of the stone we add, choosing...
Sourcing diamonds overseas
BMG material
The Letter M Stands for Milky
Forged Certificates
Fake Certificates
Synthetics
Stolen certificates
Delay in production
Wire Fraud
There is no such thing as “free lunch”
New York is the center of the Universe. It’s also the capital of the diamond world. The area within a one-block radius of 47th Street in New York’s Diamond District holds a vast amount of wealth in diamonds and precious stones.
The concentration of the world’s diamonds sitting in the vaults of the New York Diamond District is so immense that it could easily be enough to purchase a country. Strike that...
Fluorescence
Up to 35% of all diamonds in the world emit a glow when subjected to ultraviolet light. This glow is called fluorescence.
When we refer to stone's fluorescence, we mean medium to very strong fluorescence. Faint fluorescence is not considered to be detrimental to the value of the diamond.
There is little science to back up claims that fluorescent diamonds are inferior stones. Fluorescence commonly occurs in only 25-35% of all diamonds. According to GIA, fewer than 0.2% of the fluorescent diamonds appear "hazy or oily," so the ill effect is incredibly rare.
A fluorescent stone is the cashmere sweater with the red...
Fifty Shades of a White Diamond
4C's | Cut | Clarity | Color | Carat
The most expensive alphabet in the world
The GIA is the absolute authority on all aspects of diamond grading.
For in-depth information, a visit to the GIA website is a must.
The subject of diamond color grading presented there is authentic and detailed, unlike the regurgitated versions cloned by almost every jewelry website.
Our approach is different, we explore the subject from the point of view of a jewelry designer.
• A Freak of Nature: D-colored diamond - click here...
Transparency of a Diamond
4C's | Cut | Clarity | Color | Carat
Clarity
Clarity refers to the presence of inclusions and blemishes in a diamond. Since a diamond is a natural substance, gemologists refer to these inclusions or patterns of inclusions as "identifying characteristics," and consider them to be a diamond's unique "fingerprint."
Inclusions could help in diamond's identification. Examples of the types of internal inclusions are: pinpoint - an included crystal that is transparent, opaque or dark clouds: groups of pinpoints feathers: fractures
External blemishes include polishing lines, grain lines (crystal growth twinning planes), scratches, chips, nicks...
Side stones
Matched pairs of stones are used to accent a center stone in a three/five stone ring. They are also used in earrings, usually as links in drop earrings.
How well they are matched to each other is one of the most important characteristics side stones are judged by.
Some side stones are commonly set north to south (in line with the finger), and there are some that are set east to west (across the finger). Some could be set either way.
Almost every shape can be faceted as either a step or a brilliant cut.
See which side stones shapes complement...
Modern Diamonds
Emerald Cut
The supreme elegance of an emerald cut cannot be disputed. Its clean lines come from step-cutting or parallel line facets.
It is always cut with blocked corners and is usually cut to a rectangular outline, less common are square emerald cuts that often are misrepresented as Asscher cuts.
An emerald cut with uncut corners is called a baguette.
The Emerald cut is the only common step-cut diamond, most often step cut faceting is found on side stones.
Because step cut faceting makes inclusions more visible to the unaided eye, it is recommended to consider a VS1 clarity or better.
The length-to-width ratio is...
Karat or Carrot? Neither, it's Carat
4C's | Cut | Clarity | Color | Carat
Carat, Not Karat, Not Carrot
Diamonds are weighed on a carat scale (not to be confused with Karat- a unit of gold purity). The weight unit's name "carat" is derived from the carob seed - a measuring unit used in the Middle Ages. There are 100 points in one carat. Therefore, weight can also be understood as a ratio (i.e. points/ 100). A fifty point diamond or half a carat is 50/100's of a carat.
The size of a diamond...
Diamond "Blood" Types
Just like a blood type for humans, diamonds have 4 distinct groups based on their crystalline structure. Type 2a and Type 2b stones are the most rare and usually sought after by connoisseurs and collectors.
Type 1a diamonds contain clusters of Nitrogen atoms throughout the crystal structure. Those stone usually display some degree of yellow color. Really nothing to write home about.
Type 1b diamonds contain singular Nitrogen atoms. These stones are 0.1% of all diamonds with strong orange, brown and sometimes green color.
Type 2a diamonds lack Nitrogen in their crystal structure. They represent no more than 2% of all...
Carbonado
A “Black Diamond” is a natural polycrystalline aggregate of minute graphite and carbon crystals grown together at different angles which causes them to absorb the light.
They are 4 billion years old, formed in a supernova explosion long before our Solar System was born and found only in a few places on Earth, notably Central Africa and Brazil
Are black diamonds real? Yes, they are real. Real crap.
A black diamond, called carbonado, is a natural aggregate of tiny graphite and carbon crystals grown together.
They are essentially clumps of diamond dirt.
The tiny crystals are stuck together at different angles, absorbing the...
Famous Diamonds
Until the advent of the modern round cut in the early 1900s, almost all diamonds were cushions. The cut was called "Old Miner", but other names were used to describe it, i.e. Peruzzi cut, triple cut, etc. The Old Mine cut was the earliest form of a brilliant cut, it was THE diamond cut of its era. It is characterized by a high crown, small table, shallow pavilion, large facets, and open culet.
The beauty of these stones is not in their perfect symmetry or the amount of light they return when measured through a multi-colored plastic cone.
Antique diamonds cannot...
Our exclusive Diamond Cut Evaluation Index is designed to rate round ideal cut diamonds certified by the GIA.
The calculation evaluates the diamond's light performance with the help of a proprietary algorithm developed by us through extensive scientific research.
The formula can be used to calculate the cut index of any modern round brilliant accompanied by a GIA certificate.
The index is measured on a scale of 0 to 100, with 100 being the highest possible score.
In practice, the highest score never exceeds 97.
Margins of less than 10 points are irrelevant and should be ignored.
The calculation is...
