Diamond
Education
We understand buying stunning pieces of jewellery can be complicated without being familiar with all of the acronyms and jargon. We hope this guide helps you make your perfect choice, and if you have any questions at all, just pop in-store and we’d be happy to help.
Colour
Colour is a decisive aspect when judging the beauty of a diamond. The whiter and more colourless the diamond, the greater its rarity and value, and the more brilliantly it will sparkle.
Diamonds are graded on a colour scale that was set up by the Gemmological Institute of America (GIA).
Cut
It is the cut of the diamond, above all other properties that will determine the stone’s fire and brilliance. As well as referring to the quality of craftsmanship of a diamond, cut also refers to a diamond’s shape.
Diamonds can be cut in many different shapes and will all handle the light differently. The round brilliant excellent cut will provide the maximum fire and brilliance.
Carat
The weight of a diamond is expressed in carats. One carat is equivalent to 0.2 grams. Within the trade, one carat is divided into one hundred units, called points.
Clarity
Clarity refers to the relative purity of a diamond. Almost all diamonds will contain an amount of impurities, either internally in the form of inclusions, or on the surface of the stone in the form of blemishes, ie. small scratches or nicks.
Inclusions can be helpful by providing a unique ‘fingerprint’, allowing anyone who is familiar with a particular stone to immediately distinguish it from any other.
Grades are viewed under 10x magnification by an experienced grader.