DIAMOND & DIAMOND GRADING EXAM
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS WITH
COMPLETE SOLUTIONS 100%
CORRECT RATED A+ NEWLY UPDATED
2025
Q: Abrasion (Abr)
A: ✔✔ A series of minute nicks along the facet junctions of a fashioned diamond;
gives the edges a white or fuzzy appearance. (Assignment 10)
Q: Adamantine luster
A: ✔✔ The highest degree of luster possible in a transparent material. (Assignment
8)
Q: Aggregate
A: ✔✔ A solid mass of individual, randomly oriented crystals, intergrown or held
together by a natural binding agent. (Assignment 7)
Q: Alluvial deposit
A: ✔✔ A deposit where gems are eroded from their source rock, then transported
away from the source and further concentrated. (Assignment 5)
Q: Angle of incidence
A: ✔✔ The angle at which a ray of light strikes a surface, measured from the
normal. (Assignment 8)
Q: Angle of reflection
A: ✔✔ The angle between the normal and a reflected ray of light. (Assignment 8)
,Q: Annealing
A: ✔✔ Using heat to stabilize irradiated color in gemstones. (Assignment 12)
Q: Appraisal
A: ✔✔ An estimation of the value of an article, usually for insurance purposes.
(Assignment 1)
Q: Average girdle diameter
A: ✔✔ The result achieved by adding the smallest and largest girdle measurements
of a round brilliant and dividing by two. (Assignment 14)
Bast -ANSWER✔✔Frosted rough diamond. "Bark" in Dutch. (Assignment 9)
Bearded Girdle (BG) -ANSWER✔✔Very small feathers that extend from the
girdle surface into the stone; can result from the cutting process. (Assignment 10)
Belly -ANSWER✔✔The slightly curving center of the long side of a pear,
marquise, heart, or oval. (Assignment 16)
Beneficiation -ANSWER✔✔A commitment to reserve a portion of the resources
derived from any country for the economic development of that country.
(Assignment 3)
Best Practices Principles (BPP) -ANSWER✔✔De Beers' formalized commitment
of itself and its sightholders to the highest ethical standards. (Assignment 3)
Blemish -ANSWER✔✔Clarity characteristic that's confined to the surface of a
polished gemstone. (Assignment 10)
,Block caving -ANSWER✔✔Underground mining that involves building a
concrete-lined tunnel under an ore deposit, then collecting the ore through
openings in the liner. (Assignment 6)
Blocking -ANSWER✔✔Placing the first 17 or 18 facets on a diamond.
(Assignment 9)
Bow-tie -ANSWER✔✔A dark area across the center of an elongated brilliant cut.
(Assignment 16)
Brick-and-mortar retailer -ANSWER✔✔A traditional store consisting of walls and
a fixed location. (Assignment 3)
Brightness -ANSWER✔✔The effect of all the diamond's internal and external
reflections of white light. (Assignment 8)
Brilliant cut -ANSWER✔✔A cutting style in which triangular and kite-shaped
facets radiate from a gem's center toward its girdle. (Assignment 16)
Brillianteering -ANSWER✔✔Placement and polishing of the star and upper and
lower girdle facets. (Assignment 9)
Bruise (Br) -ANSWER✔✔A tiny area of impact accompanied by very small, root-
like feathers visible at 10X magnification; typically occurs at a facet junction.
(Assignment 10)
, Bruting -ANSWER✔✔Forming the basic face-up outline of a diamond to prepare
it for faceting. (Assignment 9)
Bulk sampling -ANSWER✔✔Large-scale character sampling. (Assignment 5)
Burn Marks (Brn) -ANSWER✔✔Hazy surface areas that result from excessive
heat or from uneven polishing caused by structural irregularities; also called polish
marks or burned facets. (Assignment 10)
Cavity (Cv) -ANSWER✔✔An angular opening created when part of a feather
breaks away. (Assignment 10)
Central Selling Organisation (CSO) -ANSWER✔✔An agency designed to
purchase, sort, evaluate, and sell rough diamonds. (Assignment 2)
Character sampling -ANSWER✔✔Testing for the size, shape, clarity, and color of
the diamonds in a deposit. (Assignment 5)
Characteristic color -ANSWER✔✔The basic color of a fancy-colored diamond.
(Assignment 13)
Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) -ANSWER✔✔An industrial process adapted to
allow growth of synthetic diamond from carbon-rich gas in thin layers onto a
silicon or diamond surface. (Assignment 19)
Chip (Ch) -ANSWER✔✔A shallow opening caused by damage to the stone's
surface; typically occurs at a girdle edge, facet junction, or culet. (Assignment 10)
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS WITH
COMPLETE SOLUTIONS 100%
CORRECT RATED A+ NEWLY UPDATED
2025
Q: Abrasion (Abr)
A: ✔✔ A series of minute nicks along the facet junctions of a fashioned diamond;
gives the edges a white or fuzzy appearance. (Assignment 10)
Q: Adamantine luster
A: ✔✔ The highest degree of luster possible in a transparent material. (Assignment
8)
Q: Aggregate
A: ✔✔ A solid mass of individual, randomly oriented crystals, intergrown or held
together by a natural binding agent. (Assignment 7)
Q: Alluvial deposit
A: ✔✔ A deposit where gems are eroded from their source rock, then transported
away from the source and further concentrated. (Assignment 5)
Q: Angle of incidence
A: ✔✔ The angle at which a ray of light strikes a surface, measured from the
normal. (Assignment 8)
Q: Angle of reflection
A: ✔✔ The angle between the normal and a reflected ray of light. (Assignment 8)
,Q: Annealing
A: ✔✔ Using heat to stabilize irradiated color in gemstones. (Assignment 12)
Q: Appraisal
A: ✔✔ An estimation of the value of an article, usually for insurance purposes.
(Assignment 1)
Q: Average girdle diameter
A: ✔✔ The result achieved by adding the smallest and largest girdle measurements
of a round brilliant and dividing by two. (Assignment 14)
Bast -ANSWER✔✔Frosted rough diamond. "Bark" in Dutch. (Assignment 9)
Bearded Girdle (BG) -ANSWER✔✔Very small feathers that extend from the
girdle surface into the stone; can result from the cutting process. (Assignment 10)
Belly -ANSWER✔✔The slightly curving center of the long side of a pear,
marquise, heart, or oval. (Assignment 16)
Beneficiation -ANSWER✔✔A commitment to reserve a portion of the resources
derived from any country for the economic development of that country.
(Assignment 3)
Best Practices Principles (BPP) -ANSWER✔✔De Beers' formalized commitment
of itself and its sightholders to the highest ethical standards. (Assignment 3)
Blemish -ANSWER✔✔Clarity characteristic that's confined to the surface of a
polished gemstone. (Assignment 10)
,Block caving -ANSWER✔✔Underground mining that involves building a
concrete-lined tunnel under an ore deposit, then collecting the ore through
openings in the liner. (Assignment 6)
Blocking -ANSWER✔✔Placing the first 17 or 18 facets on a diamond.
(Assignment 9)
Bow-tie -ANSWER✔✔A dark area across the center of an elongated brilliant cut.
(Assignment 16)
Brick-and-mortar retailer -ANSWER✔✔A traditional store consisting of walls and
a fixed location. (Assignment 3)
Brightness -ANSWER✔✔The effect of all the diamond's internal and external
reflections of white light. (Assignment 8)
Brilliant cut -ANSWER✔✔A cutting style in which triangular and kite-shaped
facets radiate from a gem's center toward its girdle. (Assignment 16)
Brillianteering -ANSWER✔✔Placement and polishing of the star and upper and
lower girdle facets. (Assignment 9)
Bruise (Br) -ANSWER✔✔A tiny area of impact accompanied by very small, root-
like feathers visible at 10X magnification; typically occurs at a facet junction.
(Assignment 10)
, Bruting -ANSWER✔✔Forming the basic face-up outline of a diamond to prepare
it for faceting. (Assignment 9)
Bulk sampling -ANSWER✔✔Large-scale character sampling. (Assignment 5)
Burn Marks (Brn) -ANSWER✔✔Hazy surface areas that result from excessive
heat or from uneven polishing caused by structural irregularities; also called polish
marks or burned facets. (Assignment 10)
Cavity (Cv) -ANSWER✔✔An angular opening created when part of a feather
breaks away. (Assignment 10)
Central Selling Organisation (CSO) -ANSWER✔✔An agency designed to
purchase, sort, evaluate, and sell rough diamonds. (Assignment 2)
Character sampling -ANSWER✔✔Testing for the size, shape, clarity, and color of
the diamonds in a deposit. (Assignment 5)
Characteristic color -ANSWER✔✔The basic color of a fancy-colored diamond.
(Assignment 13)
Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) -ANSWER✔✔An industrial process adapted to
allow growth of synthetic diamond from carbon-rich gas in thin layers onto a
silicon or diamond surface. (Assignment 19)
Chip (Ch) -ANSWER✔✔A shallow opening caused by damage to the stone's
surface; typically occurs at a girdle edge, facet junction, or culet. (Assignment 10)
