GradingJan 24, 2023
GIA Launches AGS Diamond Light Performance Supplement ReportGradingMar 23, 2023
GCAL Introduces 8X Cut Grade for Proprietary Cuts
Patented and specialty cuts now can receive an 8X Proprietary Certificate, which can be customized to include a company’s brand and logo.
Introduced for round brilliant diamonds in 2021 before expanding to oval- and princess-cut diamonds, GCAL’s 8X cut grade is now available for patented and specialty cuts, like the shield-cut diamond seen here.
New York—The Gem Certification and Assurance Lab is continuing the rollout of 8X, the new diamond cut grade it introduced in 2021.
Earlier this month, the New York-based laboratory announced the launch of 8X Proprietary Certificates for patented and specialty cuts. GCAL can customize the certificates to include a company’s brand and logo.
JannPaul Diamonds, a diamond retailer in Singapore known for its innovative cuts, is the first to issue the new certificates, GCAL said. Founded by CEO Paul Hung in 2010, JannPaul holds 10 proprietary diamond patents, including the “White Series Collection.”
“JannPaul is world renowned for their exacting standards and exceptional patented diamond cuts. It’s an honor they’ve selected GCAL as their grading laboratory,” GCAL Chief Operating Officer Angelo Palmieri said.
The company has “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,” he added.
Related stories will be right here …
Earlier this month, the New York-based laboratory announced the launch of 8X Proprietary Certificates for patented and specialty cuts. GCAL can customize the certificates to include a company’s brand and logo.
JannPaul Diamonds, a diamond retailer in Singapore known for its innovative cuts, is the first to issue the new certificates, GCAL said. Founded by CEO Paul Hung in 2010, JannPaul holds 10 proprietary diamond patents, including the “White Series Collection.”
“JannPaul is world renowned for their exacting standards and exceptional patented diamond cuts. It’s an honor they’ve selected GCAL as their grading laboratory,” GCAL Chief Operating Officer Angelo Palmieri said.
The company has “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,” he added.
GCAL introduced 8X as the “Ultimate Diamond Cut Grade,” and first issued 8X certificates to round brilliant-cut diamonds in 2021 before adding oval and princess cuts in 2022.
The cut grade 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).
Palmieri said the addition of proprietary cuts to the 8X family was a logical next step, considering the growing number of consumers looking for something other than a traditional round brilliant.
“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,” he said. “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,” he continued.
“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.”
For more information about 8X cut grades for proprietary cuts, contact GCAL at 212-869-8985 or via email, awp@gcalusa.com.
Editors' Picks
Sponsored by
More on Grading
The Latest
PodcastsAug 20, 2026
Episode 8: Diamond Industry Update With David Bonaparte & Ronnie VanderLindenThe industry veterans join the podcast to discuss diamond marketing, the FTC Jewelry Guides, and lobbying for lower tariffs.
TechnologyAug 20, 2026
A New AI-Powered Gemstone Identification App Is HereFounder Vik Westermann said the app is a “starting point” to inspire people to work with appraisers and gem labs, not replace them.
AuctionsAug 20, 2026
Storied Unicorn Brooch Up for Auction Gallops to New Home The Verdura brooch, which belonged to the late Virginia Fortune Ryan Ogilvy, was sold to a private collector in Asia.
Brought to you by
Your Piece Could Be the One Editors Talk AboutSubmit your pieces for a chance to win in this year's competition.
Events & AwardsAug 20, 2026
MJSA Education Foundation Names 5 Scholarship WinnersThe five students were awarded a total of $10,000 through the nonprofit’s 2026 “Future of Jewelry Making” scholarship.
Weekly QuizAug 13, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
MajorsAug 20, 2026
Plumb Club Elects 2026-2027 BoardSteven Lerche is now beginning his term as the youngest member to become president of The Plumb Club’s elected executive committee.
MajorsAug 19, 2026
Mike Alexander To Succeed Scott Murphy as Jewelers Mutual CEO Murphy will retire at the end of the year and Alexander, currently the company’s president, will take over at the start of 2027.
Brought to you by
Why More Jewelry Retailers Are Hosting Turnkey Estate Buying EventsRetailers are seeking new ways to attract customers, increase traffic, and create revenue – Estate buying events are a popular solution.
Policies & IssuesAug 19, 2026
Spinelli Kilcollin Embraces Dupes With Trade-In ProgramThe jeweler is encouraging customers who own lookalike rings to come into the store and trade them for credit towards an authentic piece.
MajorsAug 19, 2026
Zales Wants You to Wear Fine Jewelry Every DayThe new campaign, “You Are The Occasion,” discourages shoppers from saving their fine jewelry for special occasions only.
SourcingAug 19, 2026
Vasant Mehta, a Dedicated Diamond Industry Leader, Dies at 81Mehta led India’s GJEPC through the 2008 financial crisis and was respected worldwide for his wisdom, integrity, and knowledge.
CrimeAug 18, 2026
2 California Men Arrested in Fatal Vehicle Smash RobberyOne is the driver who allegedly crashed a car into a Sacramento jewelry store in April, striking a 71-year-old employee who later died.
ColumnistsAug 18, 2026
Peter Smith: The IKEA Effect and Bridal Branding In a new column, Peter Smith posits that people actually enjoy putting together IKEA furniture, and the same is true for engagement rings.
CrimeAug 18, 2026
Thieves Snatch $1M in Jewelry From New Jersey Jeweler9lakha Jewelers in Iselin, New Jersey, was the target of a smash-and-grab robbery on Aug. 8.
Lab-GrownAug 18, 2026
Ring Concierge, Kendall Jenner’s Tequila Brand Collab on GiveawayThe jeweler has partnered with 818 Tequila to gift lab-grown diamond studs to a bride-to-be and their bridal party.
Events & AwardsAug 17, 2026
Exhibition on Louis Comfort Tiffany’s Studios to Open at The MetThe exhibition will feature more than 100 drawings of stained-glass lampshades, windows, and more, many created by women and émigrés.
CollectionsAug 17, 2026
Marquise Diamonds Dance in Spinelli Kilcollin’s ‘Wren’ CollectionMarquise-cut diamonds in drop charms are the center of the new collection, reflecting the movement of a dancer in modular styles.
Events & AwardsAug 17, 2026
There’s a New Jewelry Show Coming to FloridaThe inaugural Fort Lauderdale Jewelry, Antique, & Object Show will be held from Jan. 28 through Feb. 1, 2027.
IndependentsAug 14, 2026
Smyth Jewelers to Open Fourth LocationThe family-owned jeweler will open a new showroom in Bel Air, Maryland, this fall.
CrimeAug 14, 2026
Wife of Man Convicted in Jeweler’s Murder Sentenced for Conspiracy Amanda Ileana Hernandez is married to Carlos Hernandez, one of two men in prison for the 2024 murder of Michigan jeweler Hussein Murray.
TrendsAug 14, 2026
Paul Morelli’s Latest ‘Wavey Vine’ Earrings Embrace ColorThe reimagined jewel, our Piece of the Week, trades the diamonds in the original 1998 design for blue, pink, yellow, and green sapphires.
Supplier BulletinAug 13, 2026
Your Piece Could Be the One Editors Talk AboutSponsored by American Gem Trade Association
FinancialsAug 13, 2026
Pandora’s ‘Talisman’ Collection Shines, Lab-Grown Diamond Sales FallIn the United States, second-quarter sales were flat amid soft consumer sentiment and lower in-store traffic.
AuctionsAug 13, 2026
This Gold Cadbury ‘Conundrum’ Egg Set a World Auction RecordThe 22-karat gold egg, sold at Batemans Auctioneers in the U.K., was part of a 1980s treasure hunt ad campaign for Cadbury Creme Eggs.
SourcingAug 13, 2026
2,488-Carat Diamond, Largest Found in Botswana, Has a New Owner Lucara Diamond Corp., which recovered the “Motswedi” diamond from the Karowe mine, sold the stone for an undisclosed amount.
CollectionsAug 13, 2026
John Hardy Infuses ‘Icon,’ ‘Heishi’ Collections with ColorThe expanded collections now feature hand-cut gemstones like topaz, tanzanite, chrysoprase, chalcedony, smoky quartz, and fire opal.
Lab-GrownAug 13, 2026
Jean Dousset Opens Third StoreThe lab-grown diamond jewelry brand’s newest boutique is in Westfield Valley Fair in Santa Clara, California.
