Expanding on the success of GCAL’s 8X® Cut Grades, new 8X® Proprietary Certificates are available for patented and specialty cuts and can be customized to include a client’s brand and logo. The world’s first 8X® Proprietary Certificates are in association with JannPaul Diamonds, an innovative premier diamond retailer, based in Singapore.
The 8X® Cut Grade Certificate was introduced by GCAL in 2021 as the ultimate diamond cut grade for round brilliant, princess and oval brilliant cuts. It encompasses eight aspects of evaluation, including both traditional cut analysis methods (polish, symmetry, and proportion analysis) and direct assessment of the actual light performance (including brilliance, fire, scintillation, and optical symmetry). As a result, new 8X® Proprietary Cut Grades are possible for all shapes and faceting styles under the same eight categories to visually, scientifically, and accurately demonstrate cut quality. This unique approach brings a higher level of transparency to the process and helps consumers make informed purchasing decisions when selecting diamonds with optimal light performance.
Today there is a continuous demand for differentiation and consumers are increasingly educated. They are asking retail jewelers to provide transparency in all aspects of the products they are purchasing, including both natural and lab grown diamonds. “Consumers drive demand and with the new GCAL 8X® Proprietary certifications, jewelers will not only be able to differentiate with new products, but they’ll be able to keep up with the rapid shift in the demands of a new generation of consumers,” said Paul Hung, founder and CEO of JannPaul.
“JannPaul is world renowned for their exacting standards and exceptional patented diamond cuts. It’s an honor that they’ve selected GCAL as their grading laboratory,” said Angelo Palmieri, COO and co-owner of GCAL. “They have an amazing ability to design and execute innovative diamond cuts that deserve to be recognized through a multitude of metrics that help consumers appreciate their outstanding precision.”
Founded by CEO Paul Hung in 2010, JannPaul has been transformative in the diamond industry with their focus on diamond cuts and consumer education. JannPaul is home to 10 proprietary diamond patents including the White Series Collection, featuring a variety of high-performance diamond shapes, each a breakthrough and revolutionary cut.
“At JannPaul, we are always looking for ways to improve our customers’ experience and provide them with the best possible products and services,” said Paul. “After 20 years of searching for a laboratory that can grade diamond cuts accurately, I have found that GCAL, especially with their 8X® cut grade, meets all the criteria that I have been looking for. It allows consumers to look at a certificate, understand it, and walk away knowing that they have purchased the most beautiful diamond.”
“GCAL fully embodies the essence of consumer protection and transparency in the diamond industry,” said Paul. “In my honest opinion, GCAL is currently the most stringent laboratory in the world, and they have never compromised on grading results. For the past 6 months, I have been working with the team of GCAL, testing their consistency by sending them various diamonds. Through this process, we have discovered that GCAL has remained consistent with the original grading system first established by GIA. We have found almost no discrepancies in color and clarity grading.”
“For example,” continued Paul, “two diamonds could be graded Triple Excellent or (formerly) Triple Ideal Zero, though one is far superior to the other. GCAL, on the other hand, has the technology and scientific knowledge to demonstrate the diamonds’ inequality.”
Considering the continuous growth of fancy shapes and consumers’ demand for unique options, the increased interest in proprietary cut diamonds should not be surprising to the jewelry industry. According to Angelo: “In 2020, and for the first time, the number of fancies coming through the GCAL lab surpassed rounds. And this trend is continuing. This is why we introduced the oval and princess 8X® diamonds at JCK last year, and why 8X® cushions and radiants are in the works. Proprietary cuts are a logical addition to the 8X® grading system.
“Today, diamonds are being designed and precisely faceted in patterns and shapes we would have once thought unimaginable. We have experienced a great deal of interest in 8X® cut grading on proprietary cut diamonds and the stones coming through our lab are nothing short of sensational.”
View some examples: DECAGON, ROUND 10, CUSHION 8, EMERALD 2.0, HEART 2.0, OVAL 8 , SHIELD 2.0.
To inquire about setting up 8X® Cut Grades for your Proprietary Cuts, please contact GCAL at 212-869-8985, or email awp@gcalusa.com. Learn more about GCAL at www.gcalusa.com.
