Unveiling the Secrets of Diamonds: A Comprehensive Guide

Diamonds are globally graded based on standard parameters known as the 4 C’s: Carat, Cut, Color, and Clarity. At our service, we aim to demystify these essential details and assist you in selecting the perfect solitaire that meets your preferences and specifications.

Diamond Cut

The cut of a diamond holds immense significance in defining its beauty. It encompasses proportions, polish, and symmetry, all of which directly impact the diamond's brilliance, fire, and scintillation. A well-cut diamond boasts precisely angled facets and impeccable finish, allowing light to reflect optimally and creating a mesmerizing sparkle. Conversely, a poorly cut diamond may appear dark, lackluster, and devoid of life, underscoring the paramount importance of cut in determining a diamond's overall beauty.

In accordance with GIA standards, a round diamond undergoes separate grading for its Cut (shape), Polish (surface area), and Symmetry (balance in facets). However, for fancy shapes, only Symmetry and Polish Features are graded, with Cut not being assessed.

During the cutting process, diamond artisans face the challenge of balancing the pursuit of optimal cut for maximum scintillation with the desire to maximize yield for size and weight. This delicate balance often leads to pressure on cutters to prioritize carat weight over cut quality. Hence, the Cut grade assumes pivotal importance, enabling buyers to discern diamonds that were cut with fair to poor precision in favor of achieving greater carat weight.

The Diamond Cut Scale Ranges

Excellent : Highly reflective and proportionately cut.
Very Good : Very reflective with well-cut facets.
Good : Most of the light that passes through is reflected back. The proportions are likely to be less ideal than higher-rated diamonds.
Fair : Light will start to reflect out of the bottom or sides. These diamonds tend to be small so that their lower shine is not as noticeable.
Poor : Noticeably dull to the naked eye. These diamonds are less proportionate, resulting in a less reflective stone.

Diamond Color

The evaluation of diamond color is intriguingly centered on the lack of color. When discussing color, we are essentially assessing the degree of colorlessness within a diamond. Many of these subtle color distinctions are imperceptible to the naked eye; nevertheless, they hold significant sway over a diamond's price and quality. While the majority of diamonds appear white, not all are truly colorless; some possess subtle color tints. In white diamonds, the presence of any tint is generally deemed undesirable. Diamonds are typically assessed on a scale of whiteness or absence of color. Essentially, the whiter or clearer a diamond's color, the more brilliant it appears and consequently, the higher its value.

The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) has established a comprehensive set of guidelines for grading diamond colors, ranging from D to Z. D color diamonds are exceedingly rare, completely colorless, and therefore, the most valuable. Each letter within the grading scale represents a distinct range of colors based on a diamond's degree of whiteness.

Color	Description
D	Absolutely colourless. The highest colour grade is extremely rare.
E	Colourless. Very negligible traces of colour can be noticed by an expert gemologist. A rare diamond.
F	Colourless. Very negligible colour traces can be seen by an expert gemologist, but are still considered a "colourless" grade. A high-quality diamond.
G-H	Near-colourless. Colour is noticeable when compared to diamonds of better grades, but these grades offer excellent value.
I-J-K-L	Colour is detectable. An excellent value, especially if the diamond is to be set in yellow-gold jewelry.
M-N	Noticeable pale yellow colour.
O-Z	Noticeable yellow colour.

WHICH COLOUR TO CHOOSE?

The difference in appearance between colourless diamonds and near-colourless diamonds may not be detectable, but the price difference from one colour grade to another can be significant.
The purists at heart will always want diamonds in the D-F range. By selecting diamonds in the G-I range, however, you can find great value while still achieving a "colourless" look.
J-K-L colour diamonds can be chosen if you want to buy a larger-sized diamond or a higher clarity diamond within your budget.
Diamonds with pointed ends, specifically marquise, radiants, pear, and sometimes even princess-shaped diamonds tend to focus the colour on these points. So, you should select diamonds with better colours for these shapes.

Diamond Clarity

Clarity is a crucial aspect that reflects the purity of a diamond, encompassing both its internal inclusions and external blemishes. These natural features, known as inclusions and blemishes, can affect how a diamond interacts with light, ultimately influencing its brilliance. Inclusions refer to interior irregularities, while blemishes are irregularities found on the diamond's surface. While they may seem like flaws, they are actually the unique identifiers of each diamond, akin to a natural fingerprint. Typically, these imperfections are only visible under high magnification, such as with a powerful microscope or a jeweler’s loupe, and do not visibly detract from the diamond's appearance or beauty. However, larger inclusions, particularly those with color, such as the common "Nats" black inclusion, can significantly impact a diamond's scintillation and value, especially if they are easily visible to the naked eye.

Internationally, diamonds undergo grading by reputable laboratories based on a standardized system:

FL (Flawless): These diamonds are exceptionally rare and valuable, with no inclusions or blemishes visible under 10x magnification.
IF (Internally Flawless): While these diamonds may have surface blemishes, they have no detectable inclusions under 10x magnification, making them highly sought after.
VVS1/VVS2 (Very Very Slightly Included): Inclusions are extremely difficult to detect even for skilled gemologists, typically only visible under a powerful microscope.
VS1/VS2 (Very Slightly Included): Inclusions are minor and do not affect the diamond's beauty, only visible under 10x magnification.
SI1/SI2 (Slightly Included): Inclusions are noticeable under 10x magnification and may sometimes be visible to the naked eye.
I1, I2, I3 (Included): These diamonds have obvious inclusions and blemishes, impacting transparency and brilliance, often visible to the naked eye.

WHAT CLARITY GRADE TO CHOOSE?

Diamonds with the highest clarity grading have the least amount of flaws. When choosing a clarity grade, it's important to consider both budget and preferences. For those seeking flawless diamonds, options like VVS1/VVS2 are suitable. If a diamond that appears clean to the naked eye is desired, VS1 or VS2 may be preferable. However, for those prioritizing size or color within a budget, SI1 or SI2 could be chosen. An "eye-clean" diamond, devoid of visible imperfections, offers excellent value. Diamonds graded SI1 and VS2 are often considered valuable due to their minor inclusions that are undetectable without aid. As diamond size increases, so does the visibility of inclusions. Therefore, when selecting a diamond, it's essential to consider this factor. In a 2.00Ct SI2 diamond, inclusions may be more noticeable compared to a 0.30Ct SI2 diamond.

Diamond Carat

Diamonds are traded by carat (ct.), a unit of weight, even though it's commonly associated with size. One carat is precisely 0.2 grams, approximately the weight of a paper clip. It's crucial to differentiate carat weight from the similar-sounding "karat," which pertains to gold purity.

It's noteworthy that two diamonds of identical carat weight can have distinct costs due to other influencing factors like cut, color, and clarity. Carat weight primarily signifies a diamond's size; for instance, a 1-carat round brilliant cut diamond is typically 6.4 mm in diameter. While women often relate carat weight to size, mentioning 1, 2, or 5-carat stones, the size can vary with different shapes.

The cost of a diamond escalates at an increasing rate as its carat size increases. This is because larger diamonds become progressively rarer. Price doesn't directly correlate with size; hence, a 2-carat diamond of a certain quality will be priced at more than twice that of a 1-carat diamond with similar quality.

The size (in mm) of a diamond for a specific shape is directly proportional to its carat weight. Refer to the chart below for the Round Cut as an illustrative example: