When it comes to jewellery, we are sure you know your stones and your styles and your metals quite
well. But how well do you know about the standards and certifications that come with your jewellery?
Here’s some handy microlearning just for you.

BIS hallmark:

• Stands for Bureau of Indian Standards.
• Hallmarking system for gold and silver
• Certifies the purity of the metal

916:

•  Certifies the purity in carat and fineness
•  Is a part of the hallmark seal
• Signifies 91.6 grams of pure 24-karat gold per 100 grams of alloy
• Denotes 22-karat divided by 24-karat (22 ÷ 24 = 916)

GIA certification:

• Stands for Gemological Institute of America
• Most reputed diamond certification authority
• Developed the 4Cs and the GIA International Diamond Grading System
• GIA certificates can be verified online.

4 Cs of Diamonds:

Colour

• GIA’s color-grading scale for diamonds is the industry standard
• Scale begins with the letter D, representing colourless
• It continues with increasing presence of colour to the letter Z, or light
  yellow or brown

Clarity

• Refers to the absence of inclusions and blemishes
• GIA Clarity Scale contains 11 grades, from flawless (FL) to obvious
  inclusions (I3)
• Most diamonds fall into the VS (very slightly included) or SI (slightly
  included) categories
• The 11 grades are Flawless (FL), Internally Flawless (IF), Very, Very Slightly
  Included (VVS1 and VVS2), Very Slightly Included (VS1 and VS2), Slightly
  Included (SI1 and SI2), and Included (I1, I2, and I3).

Cut

• Cut is responsible for a diamond’s fire, sparkle and brilliance
• It is the traditional 58 facets, precisely cut and defined
• The shape of the diamond is often mistaken for its cut
• Round is the most common shape used in diamond jewellery
• All other shapes are known as fancy shapes.

Carat

• Denotes the weight of the diamond
• One carat is equal to 0.2 grams (the weight of a paperclip)
• Majority of diamonds used in fine jewellery weigh one carat or less.

PS. You can get all these details and more from the staff at Jos Alukkas. Every Jos Alukkas showroom has
experienced staff who are willing to help customers understand the jewellery they are paying for. Happy
shopping!