Diamond Decoding
When it comes to diamonds, it’s all about the C’s.
If you’re suddenly thinking ‘I know nothing about the 4 Cs of diamonds?!’ Don’t panic, that’s where I come in. The 4Cs are the global standard diamonds are graded by: Cut, Clarity, Colour, and Carat.
Picking a diamond on your own can be a scary concept but, with years of experience sourcing the best quality diamonds for the best value, I’m on hand to help you find your perfect stone.
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Excellent Cut Diamond
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Very Good Diamond
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Good Cut Diamond
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Fair/Poor Cut Diamond
Cut
The cut of the diamond is what gives the stone its distinctive sparkle. It all depends on the dimensions of the diamond. A stone that is too deep may look dark, or a stone that is too shallow may look too transparent, losing its visual brilliance and causing it dull and lifeless with zero fire or shine!
A diamond’s cut is graded from poor to excellent and, in my opinion, it’s the most important factor when choosing the perfect stone. A flawless diamond can still look dead, lifeless and dull if it is cut poorly.
Clarity
Diamonds are a natural stone. They go through a long and perilous process over billions of years to become the stunning centrepiece of your engagement ring or wedding band.
So it goes without saying that, along the way, they often pick up an imperfection or two, much like we may have a mole or a freckle. These are more commonly referred to as inclusions (internal imperfections) and blemishes (eternal imperfections).
GIA Clarity Scale
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Very Very Slightly Included
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Very Slightly Included
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Slightly Included
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It’s important to note that you can’t actually see most inclusions (FL-SI2) with the naked eye. Specialist equipment, such as a 10x loupe is needed to detect them.
I tend to recommend SI graded diamonds, as visually they are just as stunning as higher graded diamonds yet are much more reasonably priced.
Colour
The colour of your diamond is graded by measuring how white they are, or in other words, how colourless they are. The colour grade begins at D, meaning it is completely colourless, and goes all the way down to Z, being the least white.
The further towards Z a diamond sits, the more it tends to be tinted either brown or yellow in colour. Normally, I would recommend staying between D-I on the scale to make sure your stone is as pristine and dazzling as possible.
Carat
The carat of a diamond refers to how much it weighs. Different sizes, shapes, and measurements can mean that some smaller looking diamonds may actually weigh more, and vice versa.
If you’re struggling to decide on the best size of diamond, there are a few magic numbers to look out for, such as 0.5ct, 1.00ct, 1.50ct, 2.00ct. As each diamond jumps up the magic number scale, its price rises too.
You can often save a little money by choosing a diamond that sits just underneath the magic number limit.
