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Characteristics of Polish:
The term "Polish" refers to the degree of "polishing lines" that appear on the surface of a finished diamond with or without the use of 10x magnification. These polishing lines are caused by the minute diamond crystals which are embedded in the polishing wheels used by the diamond cutters to polish the surface of the diamond after cutting. While not quite the same in appearance, they are similar in concept to the swirl marks left on the surface of a car from the use of an orbital buffer, but are much less noticeable. It is important to note, however, that polish lines are straight in appearance.
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Another factor of the Polish Grade is the absence or presence of burnt
facets. Contrary to your expectations, a burn mark on a diamond is usually
white in color and not black. Burn marks may be the result of
the polishing process, or a repair such as the re-tipping of the prongs
that hold the diamond in the ring.
It is important to note that surface blemishes such as pits, nicks,
scratches, and bruises, are not considered in the polish grade. If
they are not indicated on the plotting diagram which appears on most
diamond grading certificates, such blemishes are usually mentioned under
the "Comments" section and may appear as "minor details of
finish not shown". By the way, if you're wondering what a
"bruise" is, it is essentially a concussion mark or grouping of
tiny feathers left as the result of an impact, or from diamonds rubbing
and bumping up against each during storage or shipping. To avoid
"bruising" most dealers store diamonds individually in special
parcel papers.
At first glance, the polish grade of a diamond may seem obvious to you,
but it's important to remember to look at each facet of the diamond
carefully. Just because you don't see anything when viewing the
diamond through it's crown (top half) does not mean that you won't see
anything through the pavilion (bottom half). There are 58 facets on
the standard modern round brilliant cut diamond, if one of them has a
minute burn mark on it the polish grade of the diamond could plummet from
Very Good to Fair. It is for this reason, that determination of the
Polish Grade is best left to experienced diamond grading professionals
like the AGS or GIA Laboratory.
Most laboratory issued diamond grading reports rate polish on a scale
which might include ratings such as Poor, Fair, Good, Very Good, and
Excellent or Ideal. In general, determining factors of each grade
are as follows:
GIA Excellent or AGS Ideal: This is our preference. No polish
lines or marks are visible when the diamond is viewed under 10x
magnification. High magnification, such as 30x may be used to locate any
possible imperfections. The brilliance of a diamond with Excellent Polish
will be noticeably superior to that of a diamond with a polish rating of
Good.
Very Good: Represents diamonds that contain one or two minor
groupings of transparent polish lines that are visible under 10x
magnification. Higher magnification will again be used to locate these
areas easily. The degree of brilliance between a diamond graded as
Very Good in Polish and Good is still noticeably different.
Good: Numerous areas consisting of minor transparent lines are
visible under 10x magnification. Occasional white polish lines may
also be visible, but limited in number. As a bare minimum, we
recommend that a diamond have a Polish Grade of Good or better.
Fair: Numerous transparent or white polish lines are visible. Minor
burn marks may be present. Luster is below average and unimpressive.
Poor: A significant presence of heavy white polish lines and/or burn
marks are visible on the surface of the diamond. Luster is minimal
and the diamond may appear to be cloudy in appearance.
The American Gem Society Laboratory (AGS) uses a numerical system
to represent the Polish Grade of the diamonds that they evaluate.
The numerical grades and associated degree of visibility of the Polish
Characteristics are as follows:
AGS-0 Ideal: Extremely difficult to locate under 10x magnification.
AGS-1 Excellent: Very difficult to locate under 10x magnification.
AGS-2 Very Good: Difficult to locate under 10x magnification.
AGS-3 Good: Relatively easy to see under 10x, not visible to the unaided
eye.
AGS-4 Good: Easy to see under 10x, extremely difficult to see with unaided
eye.
AGS-5 Fair: Very easy to see under 10x, very difficult to see with unaided
eye.
AGS-6 Fair: Obvious under 10x, difficult to see with the unaided eye.
AGS-7 Fair: Relatively easy to see without magnification.
AGS-8 Poor: Easy to see without magnification.
AGS-9 & AGS-10 Poor: Obvious to the unaided eye.
We recommend you purchase a diamond with a Polish Rating of GIA Excellent
or AGS Ideal. At the very least, the Polish Rating of the diamond
you select should be Very Good... Yep, you guessed it, a diamond with
a Polish Grade of Excellent is going to cost a smidge more than a diamond
with comparable characteristics and a Polish Rating of Very
Good. However, there is also a significant difference in the
brilliance of the diamond. We consider a TRUE "Ideal Cut" to be
a diamond with Zero Ideal Proportions and a Polish and Symmetry Rating of
either AGS Ideal or GIA Excellent depending on which laboratory issued the
grade. Remember, there are three categories to consider when determining
a diamond's overall cut rating... Polish... Proportions... and Symmetry.
May we help you find the diamond of your dreams?
Send us an email diamonds@niceice.com
and tell us what you are looking for.
Or give us a call at 206.319.8152 or Toll Free 877.844.5443
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