Lab-grown · natural on request · Specializing in GCAL 8X certified diamonds
Top 1% GCAL 8X diamonds. Hand-picked with you by Richard Arnold, forty years a master jeweler.
To earn GCAL 8X, the top certificate, a diamond has to score Excellent on all eight cut checks. Fewer than 1 in 100 make it. Richard hunts for the ones that do. By appointment in Franklin. Map
Your own private jeweler.
Richard works by appointment and deals with you himself, from the first text to the finished piece. He'll talk you through any stone before you spend a dollar.
- 40+years a master jeweler
- 2jewelry stores of his own
- GCAL 8Xcertified diamonds. What that means
Richard's Signature Showcase · Filmed in 360°
Richard's diamonds
Richard's featured lab-grown showcase stones, each one filmed. These are the highest quality, at exclusive prices that can't be beaten anywhere. Open any stone to turn it and see its grades, size and report number.
Looking for a specific carat or grade? Browse 2,500+ more lab-grown stones in the GCAL 8X Extended Vault below ↓
No stones match that shape and size.
Richard's Full Lab-Grown GCAL 8X Vault
The GCAL 8X Extended Vault
Above are Richard's featured showcase stones. Below is the rest of our live vault of 2,500+ lab-grown GCAL 8X diamonds. Click any stone to inspect its 360° video and official certificate, then let Richard know which ones you'd like pulled for your private viewing.
Richard confirms a stone is still free before he pulls it for you. Some may be out on memo, and any of them can sell first. If you want a mined stone, tell Richard the shape and size and he will find one.
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Why 8X is so rare
More than half of all round diamonds get an Excellent cut grade. Fewer than 1 in 100 of those qualify for GCAL 8X. That's GCAL's own figure. You're getting one of the rare ones, and GCAL calls them the most brilliant and beautiful diamonds there are.
GCAL 8X is the top certificate from GCAL (Gem Certification & Assurance Lab, New York). The lab checks a diamond's cut on eight points. To earn 8X, the stone must score Excellent on every one. A single "Very Good" and it doesn't get 8X.
- Polish how smooth the surface is
- Symmetry how evenly the facets line up
- Proportions the angles and depths
- Brightness how much white light comes back
- Fire the flashes of color
- Sparkle the flashes as it moves
- Optical symmetry how evenly the light comes back
- Hearts and arrows the pattern a perfect round shows (other shapes use the GCAL 8X fancy-shape check)
In plain words: it's cut to get every bit of sparkle out of the stone.
What the GCAL 8X certificate guarantees
- Grades guaranteed. GCAL guarantees the carat weight and the cut, color and clarity grades. If they turn out wrong, GCAL pays you the difference in value. Good for two years from the certificate date.
- A real diamond. GCAL guarantees the stone is a genuine diamond, natural or lab-grown.
- Its own fingerprint. GCAL records every diamond's Gemprint, a light pattern no other stone has, so yours can always be identified.
- Check it yourself. Type the certificate number into GCAL's website and see the grades.
- An audited lab. GCAL's methods are checked by outside auditors every year (ISO 17025).
Other labs issue a grading report. GCAL issues a certificate and puts its money behind it. To use the guarantee, you send GCAL the loose stone with your receipt and the certificate.
What the grades mean, in plain words
- Carat
- Carat is weight: one carat is 0.2 grams. Shape changes how big a stone looks face-up, so every listing also gives its exact length and width in millimeters.
- Color
- Color is graded from D to Z. D, E and F are the top three grades: colorless. Richard focuses on D, E and F colorless grades, along with rare Fancy Vivid Blues.
- Clarity
- How clean the stone is inside. FL and IF show nothing under 10× magnification. VVS1 and VVS2 have marks so tiny a grader struggles to find them at 10×. To your eye, they look flawless.
- Cut, polish, symmetry
- How well the stone is shaped and finished. This decides how much it sparkles. Excellent is the top grade.
- Grading report
- GCAL (the GCAL 8X lab), GIA and IGI are independent labs. Type a stone's report number into the lab's website to see its grades. More on GCAL 8X above.
- Fancy color
- Colored diamonds are graded on how strong the color is. Fancy Vivid is the most saturated grade.
Questions people ask
How does viewing stones from the vault work?
Tell Richard which stones catch your eye from either the signature showcase at the top or the 2,500+ lab-grown GCAL 8X Extended Vault. He will have those exact stones and their official grading certificates ready on the tray for your private appointment.
Can Richard make the ring or setting for my stone?
Yes. With forty years at the bench as a master jeweler, Richard can set your diamond into a classic solitaire, hidden halo, three-stone ring, pendant, or custom piece made from a photo you bring him. Text Richard
How long does a setting take?
Usually a few weeks, depending on the style. If you have a proposal date, say so up front. He'll tell you whether it can be ready in time.
See it before you buy.
Email, text, or callText, call, or email Richard with the stones you'd like to see. He'll have them ready with their grading certificates for your appointment.
How buying works
- Pick a stone and tap "Text Richard about this stone". The text tells him which one.
- He'll confirm it's still here and set up a time.
- See it in person, with its report.
- Take the loose stone, or have Richard set it.
Saved on this page
Same stones as the bar at the top of the page. They stay in this tab until you close it.
- Call or text
- Hours
- Where
- By appointment in Franklin. Map