Diamond Polish
Polish is graded on a scale from Excellent to Poor based on the presence and visibility of polish features at 10x magnification. The following features are considered in the polish assessment.
Polish Feature | Abbreviation | Definition | Example |
---|---|---|---|
Abrasion | Abr | An area of minute scratches or pits along a facet edge producing a fuzzy white line instead of a sharp facet junction | |
Burn | Brn Dop |
Whitish haze caused by excessive heat during polishing or, occasionally, by a jeweler’s torch is listed as “Brn.”
A burn mark caused by excessive heat at the location where the dop touched the diamond is referred to more specifically as “Dop.” |
|
Laser Manufacturing Remnant | LMR | A remnant of laser manufacturing that remains on the surface of the polished diamond; typically appears as a transparent or white groove; only considered polish when it does not penetrate into the diamond at 10x magnification. | |
Lizard Skin | LS | A transparent, uneven texture confined to one facet caused by polishing a facet off-grain | |
Nick | Nck | A small notch on a facet junction, usually along the girdle or at the culet | |
Pit | Pit | A tiny opening appearing as a white dot | |
Rough Girdle | RG | An irregular pitted or granular surface of a bruted girdle due to pits and nicks | |
Scratch | Scr | A surface mark, normally seen as a fine white line that may be curved or straight | |
Polish Lines | Wht TP Drag line Polish mark |
Parallel lines left by the polishing process; may appear white (Wht) or transparent (TP). A heavy transparent polish line off a surface-reaching feature is referred to more specifically as a “drag line”.
A surface feature made during the polishing process that resembles an extra facet without a distinct or straight facet junction is referred to as a “polish mark”. |
This information is courtesy of GIA