About diamonds

Cut - Colour - Clarity - Carat Weight

Many people are confused about how diamonds are priced. The best explanation is that asking for the price of a diamond is like asking for the price of a house. A real estate agent can’t quote you a price for a house without knowing its size, condition, location, etc. This process is the same one used when buying a diamond. A diamond’s beauty, rarity, and price depend on the interplay of all the 4Cs—cut, colour, clarity, and carat weight.

The 4Cs are used throughout the world to classify the rarity of diamonds. Diamonds with the combination of the highest 4C ratings are more rare and, consequently, more expensive. No one C is more important than another in terms of beauty and it is important to note that each of the 4Cs will not diminish in value over time.

Once you have established those 4C characteristics that are most important to you, we can then begin to show you various options and prices.

CUT
Refers to the angles and proportions of a diamond.

Based on scientific formulas, a well-cut diamond will internally reflect light from one mirror-like facet to another and disperse and reflect it through the top of the stone. This results in a display of brilliance and fire, thereby placing well-cut diamonds higher on the Diamond Quality Pyramid than deep or shallow-cut diamonds. Diamonds that are cut too deep or too shallow lose or leak light through the side or bottom, resulting in less brilliance and ultimately, value.

	The old-mine cut. Your great-grand mother may have had this diamond. Developed in the 1700,s, this brilliant cut has a 'lumpy' appearance with a squarish shaped outline.
	The European Cut. Your grandmother may have had this diamond. An improvement over the Old-Mine cut, this diamond was designed with a circular shape.
	The round brilliant 58 facet cut. Your mother probably had this diamond. This style of diamond cutting was standardised in the early 1900,s after the invention of the diamond cutting saw. It produced a pleasing appearance and saved excessive weight loss when cutting rough diamond crystals.
	The Bluefire 144 facet cut. You should have this diamond. This is the latest improvement in diamond cutting today. Modern technology has proven that diamonds cut with this pattern exhibit 32% greater brilliance than the former round brilliant cut. This was confirmed by the world renowned Zeiss Optical Laboratories. Not only are they more brilliant, but they are more beautiful as well!

Colour
Refers to the degree to which a diamond is colourless.

Diamonds range in colour from icy winter whites to warm summer whites. Diamonds are graded on a colour scale established by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) which ranges from D (colourless) to Z.

Warmer coloured diamonds (K–Z) are particularly desirable when set in yellow gold. Icy winter whites (D–J) look stunning set in white gold or platinum.

colour differences are very subtle and it is very difficult to see the difference between, say, an E and an F. Therefore, colours are graded under controlled lighting conditions and are compared to a master set for accuracy.

Truly colourless stones, graded D, treasured for their rarity, are highest on the Diamond Quality Pyramid. colour, however, ultimately comes down to personal taste. We can show you a variety of colour grades next to one another to help you determine your colour preference.

CLARITY
Refers to the presence of inclusions in a diamond.

Inclusions are natural identifying characteristics such as minerals or fractures, appearing while diamonds are formed in the earth. They may look like tiny crystals, clouds or feathers.

To view inclusions, jewellers use a magnifying loupe. This tool allows jewellers to see a diamond at 10 times its actual size so that inclusions are easier to see. The position of inclusions can affect the value of a diamond. There are very few flawless diamonds found in nature, thus these diamonds are much more valuable.

Inclusions are ranked on a scale of perfection, known as clarity, which was established by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). The clarity scale, ranging from F (Flawless) to Included (I), is based on the visibility of inclusions at a magnification of 10x.

Some inclusions can be hidden by a mounting, thus having little effect on the beauty of a diamond. An inclusion in the middle or top of a diamond could impact the dispersion of light, sometimes making the diamond less brilliant.

The greater a diamond's clarity, the more brilliant, valuable and rare it is—and the higher it is on the Diamond Quality Pyramid.

For more technical information on clarity see the diamond grading chart.

CARAT
Refers to the weight of a diamond.

Carat is often confused with size even though it is actually a measure of weight. One carat is equivalent to 200 milligrams. One carat can also be divided into 100 “points.” A .75 carat diamond is the same as a 75-points or 3/4 carat diamond.

A 1-carat diamond costs exactly twice the price of a half-carat diamond, right? Wrong. Since larger diamonds are found less frequently in nature, which places them at the rarest level of the Diamond Quality Pyramid, a 1-carat diamond will cost more than twice a 1/2-carat diamond (assuming colour, clarity and cut remain constant).

Make sure your next diamond purchase is made with an educated decision. Let our experts help you select a diamond that you'll cherish forever.