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GLOSSARY
BENEFICIATION
Creation of activities beyond mining the
natural resource in producing countries. For diamonds, this
usually means sorting, valuing, selling and manufacturing
4Cs
The four main characteristics that define the quality
of a polished diamond: carat, colour, cut and clarity
CAGR
Compound annual growth rate, a year-on-year
percentage growth rate over a specified period of time
CARAT
A unit of mass for diamonds and gemstones,
standardised worldwide in the 20th century at exactly
one-fifth of a gram (the metric carat). One of the 4Cs
CARATS PER PIECE
The number of carats in an individual
piece of jewellery
COLOURLESS DIAMOND
A diamond’s colour is a result of its
composition: colourless diamonds allow more light to pass
through than a coloured diamond
CONFLICT DIAMONDS
Mined rough diamonds used to fund
rebel and revolutionary activities against legitimate and
internationally recognised governments
CRATON
An old and stable part of the continental lithosphere
that may contain diamonds. Having often survived cycles
of merging and rifting of continents, cratons are generally
found in the interiors of tectonic plates
CUTTING AND POLISHING
The process of preparing a rough
gem-quality diamond so that it can be used in the
manufacture of jewellery
CVD
Chemical Vapour Deposition: a process to create
synthetic diamonds
CVD REACTOR
A machine designed to create synthetic
diamonds using the CVD process
DENSE MEDIA CYCLONE
A device used in the recovery plant to
separate the diamondiferous material from waste
DIAMOND
A precious stone consisting of a clear and typically
colourless crystalline form of pure carbon, the hardest
naturally occurring substance
DIAMANTAIRES
The French term ‘diamantaire’ (‘diamantair’
in Flemish) is used in the diamond industry to denote a
person who possesses diamond-related skills
DIAMOND JEWELLERY ACQUISITION
Diamond jewellery received
as a gift or self purchased
DIAMOND DEPOSIT
A body of rock or other mineralisation
containing a concentration of diamond of possible
economic interest
DIAMOND DREAM
The allure that diamonds have for consumers
on the basis of their association with romance and a sense
of the eternal, and the fact that they are seen as a lasting
source of value
DIAMONDIFEROUS
Containing or yielding diamonds
DIAMOND JEWELLERY
Jewellery containing diamonds, no
matter how big or small, including in combination with
other precious or semi-precious stones
DIAMOND PIPELINE
The industry value chain that runs from
consumers and retail stores to jewellery manufacturers,
cutters and polishers, back to producers and explorers
DIAMOND RECYCLING
The sellback or trade-up of previously-
owned diamonds or diamond jewellery
DOWN-HOLE LOGGING
The process of measuring physical,
chemical, and structural properties of penetrated geological
formations using logging tools that are either lowered into
the borehole on a wireline cable (wireline logging) or placed
just behind the drill bit as part of the drill pipe itself
(logging-while-drilling)
DOWNSTREAM
The stage of the diamond value chain that
includes jewellery retailing to end consumers
DER
Diamond Engagement Ring
EBIT
Earnings Before Interest and Tax: an indicator of
a company’s profitability, calculated as revenue minus
expenses, excluding tax and interest
FINE JEWELLERY
Jewellery made with precious materials such
as gold, and precious and semi-precious stones
GEM
A cut and polished precious stone fine enough for
use in jewellery
GEM-GRADE, GEM-QUALITY
A rough or manufactured precious
stone fine enough for use in jewellery
GIA
Gemological Institute of America. A US-based non-profit
organisation established in 1931 engaged in research, gem
identification and grading services as well as a variety of
educational programmes worldwide
HPHT
High Pressure High Temperature: a process to create
and treat synthetic diamonds
IBA
Impact Benefit Agreement: an agreement made with
aboriginal peoples to ensure that they benefit from mining
projects and are compensated for any negative impacts
of mines on their communities, their land, and their
traditional way of life