Diamonds are a truly special way to honour yourself, a loved one or mark a moment in your life. The precious gemstone will be one of the most memorable fine jewellery investments you make. No two diamonds are the same so read our diamond guide to find out all you need to know when buying, caring and wearing them.
Colour, clarity, carat, cut.
It's often thought it's actually the gemstones that find you, so tune in to the process and take note of which diamonds you find yourself drawn to. To guide your way, keep in mind the shape and the "4 C's" (colour, clarity, carat, cut), an international grading system that is used to evaluate the quality.
Shape
Colour
Diamonds are graded according to their colour based on a letter system starting with D (colourless) to Z (saturated). Whilst colourless diamonds are the most popular, intensely coloured diamonds such as yellow, red, green, blue or black are termed "fancy" colour diamonds.
Clarity
The amount, size and placement of imperfections or blemishes also known as "inclusions" are measured when speaking about a diamonds clarity. Clarity is referred to on a scale starting with IF (internally flawless) through to I3 which is the most included. It is important to remember inclusions occur in both natural and lab diamonds.
Diamond clarity refers to the extent to which internal and external imperfections, known as inclusions and blemishes, are present within a diamond.
Inclusions are tiny internal flaws that may include minerals, fractures, or other imperfections formed during the diamond's growth process. Blemishes, on the other hand, are surface imperfections or irregularities, such as scratches or chips.
Clarity affects a diamond's appearance. Diamonds with higher clarity grades display more brilliance. Diamonds are graded for clarity on a scale that ranges from "Flawless" to "Included" In between these extremes, there are various grades as showcased below.
Cut
The cut of a diamond is what will give the gemstone its sparkle. When referring to the cut of the diamond, we're not referring to the shape, but instead speaking to the precision, symmetry, polish and arrangement of facets cut into the stone. The cut is the true mark of quality craftsmanship and delivers the brilliance and sparkle to a diamond. Every style of cut achieves a different aesthetic and reflective effect, so it is entirely a matter of taste so explore different cuts to find your favourite.
Carat
The carat speaks to the weight of the diamond, not necessarily the size. This is because diamonds may appear smaller, or larger but due to their cut may weigh more or less. It is also a common misconception that higher carat weight means a more expensive stone, which is not always the case as diamonds are priced based on a combination of weight, quality and a combination of Carat weight, Colour, Cut and shape as some stones are harder to cut than others.
What is a lab diamond?
Unlike natural diamonds, laboratory-grown diamonds are man made stones developed over a very short period of time (usually a few weeks to a few months) in a controlled environment, rather than being formed over billions of years deep within the Earth's mantle.
Lab diamonds are indeed real diamonds and are identical to naturally occurring diamonds. The main differences between the two are: rarity, formation time, origin, environmental impact and cost. This is why lab diamonds are often considered to be a greener, more cost effective option.
Lab diamonds are considered an ethical option as they are devoid of mining practices that are associated with detrimental environmental impacts such as soil erosion, deforestation, and ecosystem destruction. Given the method used to create lab diamonds and the traceability, you can be certain they are also not included in the conflict diamond trade.
Conflict Free Natural Diamonds
For those drawn to the allure and rarity of natural diamonds, we are proud to offer certified conflict-free diamonds. We only source natural diamonds that are accredited with the Kimberley Process (KPCS), a certification set up by the United Nations General Assembly Resolution to ensure transparency in the diamond trade and that all diamonds sourced are conflict-free.
