The Diamond 4C’s

So much more than just a shape, the cut of a diamond ultimately leaves the sparkle which we know and love.

It is from the quality of the cut that we judge the brilliance of a diamond. The brilliance refers to that famed sparkle that we see from the stone, created by the play of light as it interacts with the diamond. Facets are cut on the stone to create surfaces from which light reflects. Expert cutters are used to ensure that these facets are perfectly symmetrical, giving the stone the ideal proportions required to guarantee this sparkle.

Like us, many diamonds have birthmarks and characteristics which are part of their make-up, this dictates their clarity.

When we discuss the clarity of a diamond, we refer to the natural inclusions and blemishes which may be found on a stone. As naturally created gemstones, almost all diamonds contain imperfections due to the intense conditions under which they are created. The less of these natural characteristics a diamond has, the higher their clarity. We grade clarity on a scale ranging from flawless stones to I, indicating a number of inclusions.

Often visible to the naked eye, the colour of a diamond is a characteristic on which stones are typically graded.

Based on ancient methods of weighing stones, Carat Weight refers to the weight of an individual stone.

Borne out of the ancient use of carob seeds to discuss the weight of diamonds, we find the modern word ‘Carat’, the universally accepted manner with which we measure stones. With a metric ‘carat’ equalling 200 milligrams, carat weight is measured to the hundredth decimal place to ensure accuracy.