A to Z of Diamonds Glossary

Diamonds Index

Round Brilliant Cut Diamond

Baguette	A rectangular or oblong step or trap cut used for diamonds and other gemstones.
Balance	A diamond balance is any scale or balance specially designed for weighing diamonds, and is calibrated in carats, often with a resolution of 1/1000 of a carat.
Banana	A colour description used for certain fancy brownish yellow diamonds.
Banque Diamantaire ( Suisse ) S.A.	The French name of The Diamond Bank (Switzerland) Ltd.
Barion	An early forerunner of the princess cut, an improved facetting arrangement for baguette or square diamonds introduced in 1971 by Basil Watermeyer and his wife Marion.
Baroque	Any irregularly shaped diamond. Also any jewellery from the Baroque period of the 17th and 18th centuries or in similar style.
Bead	Diamonds are sometimes drilled for threading as beads.
Bearded, Bearding	Small stress cracks around the girdle caused by bruting (rounding) too quickly or with too much force.
Best Diamonds	A typical diamond FAQ is "where do the best diamonds come from". There is no single quick answer, apart from the slightly facetious "in the ground". We are in process of preparing a more complete answer which will be linked from here when ready.
Best Practice Principles	An "Assurance Programme" to be rolled out across the entire De Beers group, as well as to Sightholders and their business partners "to enhance and uphold the fine values diamonds represent".
Betrothal	A slightly old fashioned word for engagement (to marry). A mutual promise to marry. In earlier times this was considered fully or partially binding. Mary of Burgundy is often cited as the first woman to receive a diamond betrothal or engagement ring.
Bezel	Generally as rim or sloping side. The bezel facets of a diamond are also known as kite facets.
BHP Billiton	The second most active diamond prospecting company after De Beers. Owns the Ekati mine in Canada, producing 4% and 6% of world's diamonds by volume and value respectively. Markets using CanadaMark brand name.
Big, Biggest	The biggest diamond known is a star 'Lucy' discovered in February 2004 by Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. Biggest on earth are listed on Large & Famous Diamonds.
Black Orlov	The Orlov (or Orloff) Black) is a large famous diamond. Although not the largest black diamond, it is probably the most famous because of a supposed curse. It was originally called the Eye of Brahma, but was recut into three smaller stones.
Black Star of Africa	At over 200 carats, this is about the 11th largest diamond in the world.
Black	Probably the least attractive colour for diamond, although there seems good demand for treated black diamonds. The main attraction surely being the excellent surface lustre. Black is technically the complete absence of any colour. Many black diamonds have poor surface quality and are probably partially carbonado.
Black Diamond	"Black diamond" is a term used in American ski resorts to designate a steep slope or one which involves challenging terrain. So called because the marker signs show a black diamond (lozenge) shape on a white background.
Blackpool	The location of the Chard office and showroom.
Blue	A very rare and valuable colour for diamonds. All natural blue diamonds are type 2b, and contain traces of boron.
Blemish	An external mark or imperfection on a diamond, implicitly only slight and capable of being removed.
Blocker, Blocking	Diamond cutter who grinds or cuts the first 18 facets being table, culet, and first eight facets on the crown and pavilion. A brillianteer polished the final 40 facets.
Blood Diamond	Another name for Conflict Diamond. Also the name of a 2006 film set in Sierra Leone in 1999.
Blue Book	The CIBJO Blue Book is a definitive set of standards for the grading, methodology and nomenclature standards for diamonds, coloured gemstones and pearls, in which the latter incorporates all organic materials.
Blue Ground, Blueground	Unweathered kimberlite rock, normally diamondiferous, and named after Kimberley in South Africa.
Blue White, Blue-White	Originally describing near white diamonds with strong blue fluorescence, often misleadingly used or abused term to confer the idea of whiter than white.
Boart	From Dutch boort, imperfectly crystallized diamond or diamond fragments used as an abrasive. Round, or shot, bort, found at Kimberley, was valuable for diamond drill points. Also spelt bort.
Body Colour	The colour of light seen through a diamond without any dispersion, usually viewed through the side of a stone. A diamond's actual colour.
Bort	From Dutch boort, imperfectly crystallized diamond or diamond fragments used as an abrasive. Round, or shot, bort, found at Kimberley, was valuable for diamond drill points. Also spelt boart.
Botswana	The most important source of rough diamonds by value if not in volume.
Bourse	One of about 25 associations or clubs with premises for dealers in rough or polished diamonds. A member of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses.
Beurs voor Diamanthandel	Antwerp Diamond Bourse. A meeting place for dealers to trade, mainly polished diamonds.
Bow Tie, Bowtie	An optical effect adversely affecting marquise and other fancy cuts of diamonds, can be minimised by careful cutting using best proportions and angles.
Brabant Rose	A hexagonal rose cut with 12 upper facets, and a flat base facet, also called Antwerp rose.
Bracelet, Bracelets	A piece of jewellery usually worn around the wrist, often containing diamonds.
Brazil	Diamonds were discovered in Brazil in 1725, when it became the main source of diamonds. By the 19th century, most of its diamond deposits were depleted, and few diamonds are mined today.
Briefjes	A packet or paper specially produced for containing diamond parcels. They usually contain several inner leaves of crinkly bluish paper, designed to make the diamonds look whiter. Learning to fold and refold them is an acquired skill.
Brilliance	The brightness and sparkle of a diamond, not to be confused with its fire or dispersion.
Brilliant Cut	A diamond cut using modern facetting layouts, as described by Tolkowsky and others, with 58 facets. Normally round, but there are modified variants in other shapes.
Brillianteer, Brillianteering	Person who grinds or polishes the fourty final facets on a brilliant cut diamond after the "blocker" has cut the table and the "eights" on the crown and pavilion.
Briolette	A long teardrop shaped diamond with rose cut facets, sometimes drilled, used as a pendant.
Broche, Mazel &	Jewish phrase often said at the conclusion of a diamond trade by the seller to the buyer, meaning good luck and god be with you.
Broker	A specialist who introduces diamond buyers and sellers, earning his commission on the value of deals done.
Brooch, Brooches	Jewellery worn on the lapel or chest, sometimes containing diamonds.
Brown	Attractive or vivid brown diamonds are rare, and classed as fancy coloured, slightly brownish stones (off-white) are slightly less common than slightly yellow, and offer reasonably priced alternatives to colourless stones.
Bruise	An inclusion consisting of surface crumbling, often accompanied by tiny, root like feathers, usually caused by external trauma such as a knock.
Bruting	The process of rounding a diamond to form its girdle, customarily done by grinding one diamond against another on a rotating wheel. Some American retailers call this girdling. It may also be called rounding.
Burn, Burnt, Burned	A facet may appear foggy, whitish, or burnt, as a result of the cutter polishing the facet against the grain, or otherwise allowing the diamond to overheat causing the surface to oxydise.
Buying Office, Buying Offices	Offices set up, usually in or close to diamond mining areas by individuals or companies including De Beers, to purchase rough diamonds from miners.

There are currently over 600 entries in this table.
Over 90 of them have page links to a page on this site. Eventually, we intend to add a more complete description for most entries, each on its own page. Please watch this space!