We have created a simple guide to ensure you are fully informed of all the details for your special purchase to suit your budget. If you have any further questions we are always available to help, whether it's via a phone call, email or a visit to our store. Our experts would be happy to show you a range of options to help you make a considered decision.
You may have noticed not all diamonds are purely colourless, some have a tinge of yellow and the others come in a range of colours from bright fancy yellow to rare deep blue. Diamonds are valued by how closely the approach colourlessness - the less colour, the higher their value.
GIA's colour-grading scale for diamonds if the industry standard. The scale begins with D - representing colourless, and continues to letter Z which appears a light yellow or brown.
Although most of these colour differences are invisible to the unrestrained eye, each colour distinction makes a very big difference in diamond quality price.
Natural Diamonds are made of Carbon and are formed deep underground through immense pressure and heat. Therefore not all natural diamonds will be completely flawless and will have naturally occurring inclusions or marks making every diamond unique.
It is very rare to get a completely flawless stone, this means the less inclusions the more valuable the stone. Most diamonds with Very Slight Inclusions (VS) are invisible to the naked eye and would only be seen under 10x magnification.
The symmetry and proportions of the cut of a diamond can enhance its Fire, Brilliance and overall Scintillation. The shaped of diamonds can also have varying affects. The ever-popular round brilliant cut diamond is said to have the ideas proportions offering optimal sparkle and brilliance.
Similarly the princess cut offers a faceted brilliance with a modern angular appearance. Elegant Step cuts including emerald cut diamonds with long extended facets tend to shine rather than sparkle. Other cuts include pear, oval, marquise, trilliant and heart.
The carat size is the weight of a diamond. The word 'Cara't originated from the Carob Seed in which diamonds were weighed against. These days, the measurements are much more accurate and 1 carat is 0.3g. 1 carat is the sam eat 100pts, therefore 50pts is the same as half a carat or 0.50ct.
