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Diamonds & Stones
What a grading report says, which laboratory said it, and whether a stone is natural, lab-grown, moissanite or treated. Four disclosures that change the price by an order of magnitude — and that several catalogues sell side by side.
Where to start
Comparisons
Glossary terms
- The 4 Cs
- Carat, colour, clarity, cut — what a diamond grading report records.
- Points
- One hundredth of a carat. A 25-point stone is 0.25 ct.
- Table
- The large flat facet on top of a cut stone — the window you look through.
- Girdle
- The narrow band around a stone’s widest point, where a setting grips it.
- Culet
- The point or small facet at the bottom of a brilliant-cut stone.
- Lab-Grown Diamond
- A real diamond made in a reactor rather than mined — and disclosed as such.
- Moissanite
- Silicon carbide — a different material from diamond, with different optics.
- Treated Stone
- A stone altered after cutting — clarity-enhanced, irradiated or HPHT-processed.
The short list
Three entries from the ledger — the full ranking lives on the best-of pages.
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Pre-owned Hermès Birkin on eBay
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Pre-owned Louis Vuitton Neverfull on eBay
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Pre-owned Cartier Love bracelet on eBay
35 pieces published
13 brands tracked