Diamonds Are Forever

Alongside the house and car for many, a diamond ring will be the next single biggest purchase. Traditionally a diamond ring signifies: friendship, loyalty & hope and is a symbol of fidelity in a committed relationship. In this 1st part of our article on diamonds we will summarise the 4 common measures of: Carat, Colour, Cut & Clarity and help you make some informed decisions on that big purchase.

Carat

Size matters…

Carat (ct) is the standard unit of weight for diamonds & is commonly confused with size. One carat is equivalent to 0.20 grams and can also be divided into 100 points. A 0.50ct or ½ carat diamond is the same as a 50-points. All things being equal a 1ct diamond will cost more than twice that of a ½ carat diamond because larger diamonds are rarer. As such, price increases exponentially as the carat weight increases. Below is a rough guide on what a gem of each carat may look like.

Colour

It’s not all black & white…

Diamonds can come in every colour & shade of the rainbow, whilst recent celebs have given champagne, canary & pink diamonds much exposure, the traditionalists are still favouring white diamonds. Diamonds are graded on the GIA (Gemological Institute of America) colour scale. The scale ranges from D (colourless meaning rare & pricey) to Z (Yellow, more common & less pricey). Refer below to a copy of the GIA Colour scale for their description.

Cut

A cut above...

The cut of a diamond can be the most important characteristic of a diamond. Nature may have provided us with the most perfect gem of carat, colour & clarity. But if the stone was not cut to perfection, then the true fire, brilliance & beauty may never be revealed. It takes a master cutter to reveal a diamond’s true qualities & beauty though perfect angles & proportions. A well-cut diamond will internally reflect light from one facet to another and disperse and reflect it through the top of the diamond. This results in a display of brilliance and fire. 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.

Diamonds can be cut into different shapes, the most popular cuts used for engagement rings are the Round Brilliant cut & the Princess cut. Below are some of the shapes that are popular in the international diamond market.

Clarity

It’s all clear…

As diamonds are natural products they too will have blemishes or inclusions. Inclusions can be seen as a special fingerprint within the diamond and may look like tiny crystals, clouds, or feathers, making each diamond unique. Clarity is the measure of inclusions or impurities in a diamond. Diamonds are ranked on the GIA clarity scale ranging from F (Flawless- very rare) to I (Included- more common), under a magnification of 10x. Every diamond is unique. Nature ensures that each diamond is as individual as the person who wears it.