Oh, this is the most interesting thead yet. I'm fascinated by history like this. Please, please keep it coming! I think EMJ just suggested starting a show off your vintage jewels thread - they would go perfectly together!

I remember one of the first things I was ever told about diamonds (not totally accurate as it turns out). My mother was going out one evening and putting on her grandmother's diamond collet. She told me they were cushion cuts, or candle light diamonds, designed to blaze in candle light.  I think I was six at the time and I just wanted to play with them! I don't think they are cushions, but I haven't seen that piece in years. I must ask what happened to it.
Jen

Also, what about the names for various shades of brown? How yellow does it have to be to be considered a 'canary'?

Funny, my grandmother mentioned blue white diamonds (by which I think was meant D-F with blue fl) many years ago. She told me roughly what to look out for in a good stone, and everything I've learned since has confirmed what she told me.

To put this in context, on that side of the family, my grandmother came from generations of coal miners. Desperately poor, comprehensively exploited communities where children died of hunger and disease and primitive housing conditions prevailed. Whole families starved when mine owners cut wages or provoked a strike for basic humanity in working conditions. A desperate hand to mouth existance in poverty and degredation.

So, with that background, how did my brave, courageous grandmother know about (and own!) some fine diamonds???

On the other side of the family, at least until WWII, there's more old money than you can count. And. Not. One. Single. Diamond. What does that say about them?  He He! (your typical dour Scots Presbyterians!)

Jen

Hi Everybody!

Here's some more of the older terminology....
River= D-F ( colorless)
Top Wesselton= G-H
Wesselton= I-J


Common terms like "Blue White" and "Canary" have no definitive values in today's gem world.
Kind of like calling a used car a "Creampuff"

More on the GIA- it was 1980 when gold went to record levels.
This was driven by a number of factors.
Diamonds followed, with the price of a 1.00 D/ Internally Flawless soaring from less than $10K to $60k in a matter of months,
At that point you had to have a GIA.
GIA had been doing their thing for many years prior- but in my opinion that was the defining moment in terms of GIA's overwhelming market dominance.




Maggie- from the photos I'd say that if a tint is going to bother you, that diamond is not for you.
It does not look like it would face up yellow no matter how you set it.
If you don't mind a tint, it might be nice.

Magster- we sell a lot of I1's.
But we never recommend one to someone who's saying they are a stickler for a clean diamond.

I have no idea who called this diamond I1- it could be an I3- or an Si1- we just don't know if there's no GIA report.
Oddly enough-we have good luck when we get to select the best diamonds GIA calls I1. We find eye clean ones.

BUT- generally, when diamonds are referred to as "I1" it's generally because the diamond has a booger you can see.

I just read a chart on this old diamond terminology in one of my Sotherby's catalogs.  How ironic and cool is that David that you posted this.   I wondered about that terminology, but now I know!!!

Magster...I think it is FABULOUS!  I truly love the older cut stones with a little tint.  So beautiful in the candlelight and they have such an old world charm to them.   Enjoy!

When did the GIA start using the letter grades for color? I was reading a Tiffany's history book dated 1971,that had GIA certificates in the old grading system...