Diamond Grading

Diamond Grading

When buying a diamond it is always nice to know as much information as possible as it is a truly beautiful item to have and admire. Wether you're looking for diamond jewellery in the form of an engagement ring, wedding band or just a treat we have provided the information below so you can see exactly what you're getting for your money.

There are 4 vital points to remember when looking for your perfect diamond and they are known as the 4C's

Cut        Colour   Clarity    Carat    

Pictured below are some of the most popular cuts

Heart Shape

                                                      This modified brilliant cut is in the shape of a heart, and is perfect for special, romantic occasions which is making it more popular for engagement rings.

 Emerald Cut

The emerald cut was originally designed over 500 years ago for emeralds.This cut is a rectangular or square step cut, with diagonally cut corners and two, three or four rows of facets parallel to the girdle on the crown and pavilion.

Marquise Cut

A very elegant cut, this style is another variation of the brilliant cut. It is a boat-shaped cut, with curved sides and pointed ends, and is also known as a navette. The marquise cut was developed in France in the 1740s, and it is believed that it was named after the Marquise de Pompadour, a mistress of King Louis XV.

Pear Shaped

Another popular cut. Pear cuts are also modified versions of the brilliant cut, so have a high degree of fire and brilliance. Pears have more varieties of length-to-width ratios than other cuts, giving more choices of shape according to personal choice. Some are long and slender and others may be wider.

Princess Cut

A very popular cut - this style is a modified version of the brilliant cut, but in the shape of a square or a rectangle with sharp, uncut corners. It is becoming increasingly popular today being classed as a very modern cut. 

Brilliant Cut

The most popular and widely used cut for diamond. Not only does this style of cut make the most economic use of rough diamond crystals, it is the most versatile for use in jewellery design. Modern round brilliant cuts are designed to return the maximum amount of light through the crown facets.

Oval Cut

This is a brilliant cut with an oval, rather than round, girdle outline. It was invented in the 1960s and is increasingly popular for engagement rings, either as a solitaire stone or as a centre gem for three-stone styles.

Colour

 Colour is another important factor when buying a diamond or more correctly absence of colour. A diamond is graded on a whiteness scale or absence of colour scale, it is graded on an alphabetical scale from D-Z, with D being absolutely colorless and Z being light yellow. Beyond "Z", a diamond is considered to be an exotic or "Fancy" color.

Clarity

 Carat

Diamonds are weighed in carats. A carat is equal to 0.2 grams, and is divided into 100 points, therefore a 25 point diamond = ¼ or 0.25 carat.