GIA DIAMOND ESSENTIALS STUDY SHEET
SOLVED QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
ANSWERS VERIFIED PREP CONTENT
●● Culet
Answer: Small facet at the bottom of a finished gem
●● Durability
Answer: A gemstone's ability to withstand wear, heat, and chemicals
●● Facet
Answer: A flat, polished surface on a finished gem
●● Fancy cut
Answer: Any gemstone shape or cutting style other than a standard
round brilliant
●● Fire
Answer: The flashes of colour you see in a polished diamond
●● Four Cs
,Answer: Four value factors (clarity, colour, cut, and carat weight) that
describe the quality of a finished gem and also relates primarily to its
value
●● Girdle
Answer: The narrow section of a finished gem that forms the boundary
between the crown and the pavilion and functions as the gem's setting
edge
●● Hardness
Answer: How well a gemstone resists scratches and abrasion
●● Inclusion
Answer: Clarity characteristic totally enclosed in a polished gemstone or
extending into it from the surface
●● Karat
Answer: A unit for the fineness of gold, abbreviated "K" or "Kt"
●● Metric carat
Answer: The international unit of measure for gram weight. One carat
equals one-fifth of a gram (0.200g)
●● Mixed cut
,Answer: Cut that combines brilliant-cut and step-cut styles
●● Mohs scale
Answer: Ranking of the relative hardness of 10 minerals
●● Pavilion
Answer: Lower part of a faceted gem below the girdle
●● Point
Answer: One hundredth of a carat (0.01ct)
●● Scintillation
Answer: The flashes of light and the contrasting dark areas you see
when the diamond, the light, or the observer moves
●● Simulant
Answer: A natural or manmade material that resembles a gem (also
called imitation)
●● Single cut
Answer: A round stone with 17 or 18 facets
●● Stability
, Answer: How well a diamond resists chemicals and temperature changes
●● Standard round brilliant
Answer: A round brilliant-cut stone with 57 or 58 facets. Often called a
full cut
●● Step cut
Answer: A cutting style that features long narrow facets in rows parallel
to the girdle on both the crown and pavilion
●● Synthetic gem
Answer: A manmade gem with essentially the same chemical
composition, crystal structure, and properties as a natural gem
●● Thermal shock
Answer: Damages caused by sudden, extreme temperature changes
●● Toughness
Answer: How well a gemstone resists breaking and chipping
●● Value factors
Answer: Features used to judge the quality and value of all gemstones
SOLVED QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
ANSWERS VERIFIED PREP CONTENT
●● Culet
Answer: Small facet at the bottom of a finished gem
●● Durability
Answer: A gemstone's ability to withstand wear, heat, and chemicals
●● Facet
Answer: A flat, polished surface on a finished gem
●● Fancy cut
Answer: Any gemstone shape or cutting style other than a standard
round brilliant
●● Fire
Answer: The flashes of colour you see in a polished diamond
●● Four Cs
,Answer: Four value factors (clarity, colour, cut, and carat weight) that
describe the quality of a finished gem and also relates primarily to its
value
●● Girdle
Answer: The narrow section of a finished gem that forms the boundary
between the crown and the pavilion and functions as the gem's setting
edge
●● Hardness
Answer: How well a gemstone resists scratches and abrasion
●● Inclusion
Answer: Clarity characteristic totally enclosed in a polished gemstone or
extending into it from the surface
●● Karat
Answer: A unit for the fineness of gold, abbreviated "K" or "Kt"
●● Metric carat
Answer: The international unit of measure for gram weight. One carat
equals one-fifth of a gram (0.200g)
●● Mixed cut
,Answer: Cut that combines brilliant-cut and step-cut styles
●● Mohs scale
Answer: Ranking of the relative hardness of 10 minerals
●● Pavilion
Answer: Lower part of a faceted gem below the girdle
●● Point
Answer: One hundredth of a carat (0.01ct)
●● Scintillation
Answer: The flashes of light and the contrasting dark areas you see
when the diamond, the light, or the observer moves
●● Simulant
Answer: A natural or manmade material that resembles a gem (also
called imitation)
●● Single cut
Answer: A round stone with 17 or 18 facets
●● Stability
, Answer: How well a diamond resists chemicals and temperature changes
●● Standard round brilliant
Answer: A round brilliant-cut stone with 57 or 58 facets. Often called a
full cut
●● Step cut
Answer: A cutting style that features long narrow facets in rows parallel
to the girdle on both the crown and pavilion
●● Synthetic gem
Answer: A manmade gem with essentially the same chemical
composition, crystal structure, and properties as a natural gem
●● Thermal shock
Answer: Damages caused by sudden, extreme temperature changes
●● Toughness
Answer: How well a gemstone resists breaking and chipping
●● Value factors
Answer: Features used to judge the quality and value of all gemstones