Diamonds are a classic stone that adorn many types of jewellery, from pendants to the all-important engagement ring. Buying a diamond can be intimidating, so it helps to arm yourself with some basic knowledge before you shop.

"Diamonds are judged based on five characteristics, commonly known as the 4 Cs: Cut, Colour, Clarity, Carat and our 5th, the Certificate. If you follow this 5 Cs when shopping for a diamond, you can’t go wrong".

1

CUT OF THE STONE

Cut is the only characteristic of a diamond not influenced by nature. As such, the cut can feature the mistakes caused by incorrect practices, so it’s important to understand this aspect more than anything.

"If a diamond is cut incorrectly, the defining sparkle will be compromised."

The cut will also determine the shape of the diamond. The most common shape is the round cut, but others include the emerald, the pear, the marquise, the princess, the oval and the heart shape. Each shape creates a different feeling. For example, a heart shaped diamond is very romantic and feminine, while a princess cut is very sleek and modern. Ask to see all of these shapes, if only in a picture, to make sure you have covered all your options.

  
2

COLOUR OF THE STONE

The most valuable and rare colour is white, that is to say, colourless. Jewellers grade absolutely colourless diamonds with a "D". The scale moves down from “D” to "Z" and, between these two extremes, diamonds will display subtle coloured tones. Diamonds with a very strong and distinct colour, or “fancies”, are extremely rare, like pink and blue diamonds.

D, E, F are all colourless diamonds.
G, H, I, J are called nearly colourless, and display a slightly yellow tone
K, L, M are faint colour 
N through R are very light colour
S through Z are light colour

The further down the scale you go, the more common, and thus the more affordable, a diamond is. If you are after a good quality diamond keep to colourless or nearly colourless grades.

Tip 2: A stone between an E-H will look great.
 

3

CLARITY OF THE STONE

Many people get unnecessarily hung up over the clarity of a diamond. Look into most diamonds with a magnifying eyeglass and you will see small "inclusions", also known as "nature's fingerprints". They look like small clouds or feathers, but are usually invisible to the naked eye.

"Inclusions can affect the diamond's fire, but they also make your diamond unique and shouldn't always be seen as a fault." 

Just like colour, clarity has a measuring scale. As long as the stone is graded SI1, Slightly Included 1, or better, your stone will look perfect to the naked eye. The scale starts at the high end with IF, or Internally Flawlessly; VVSI1 and VVSI1 for Very Very Slightly Included; VSI1 and VSI1 for Very Slightly Included; SI1 and SI2 or Slight Included; I1 and goes to I3, for Included.

Tip 3: Go for SI or VS to keep the budget healthy.

4

CARAT OF THE STONE 

The weight, and thus the size, of a diamond is measured by carat. A carat is equal to 0.2 grams. A carat is divided into 100 smaller units called points. For example, three-quarters of a carat is 75 points. The average size of most engagement ring diamonds is somewhere between 0.3 and one carat. Do not confuse carats with karats, the unit of purity for gold (although these days is normal practice to use the term ct as well for metal).

Tip 4: Bigger is not always better!

5

CERTIFICATE OF THE STONE  

The Certificate will tell you which laboratory has certified the 4C's of the diamond and in some cases it will also tell you the provenance of it. For example if your diamond comes from Canada, the certificate will probably feature a Canada Mark: a little maple leaf and an identification number inscribed on the stone to ensure your stone is fully traceable. The most recognised laboratory in the jewellery world is the Gemological institute of America (GIA) and HRC in Europe.

Tip 5: Keep to a recognised lab.
 

OUR PERFECT COMBINATION

With these 5 Cs, you’ll be able to pick out a great diamond that is perfect for the occasion:

Carat: 0.3ct-1ct 

Cut: Triple Excellent, or EX EX EX or VG (very good) 

Clarity: SI1, or better (VS1-VS2) 

Colour:  E,  F and G 

Certificate: GIA & Canada Mark

Most of our Engagement Rings come with a Canada Mark certified diamond, so if you want a fully traceable and ethical diamond to celebrate your love, click here to see our beautiful designs.