Diamond Information
Cut, Color, Clarity, Carat weight and CostA basic understanding of each classification is important for making an informed buying decision. When looking to purchase a diamond, strive for a stone that offers a combination of the five C’s which best suit your personality. Also, since beauty is in the eye of the beholder, don’t be afraid to use your eyes and trust your heart in seeing the diamond that speaks most to you and your future fiancé.CutCut is the only diamond characteristic directly influenced by man. In order to maximize a diamonds beauty, the diamond cutter must strategically place each of the stone’s facets and angles, to act as light-reflecting mirrors. Diamonds that are not cut to proper proportion (too deep or too shallow) lose light that spills through the side or bottom
An ideally cut diamond releases the fire and brilliancy through its 57-58 facets. Facets are cuts in the stone that create angles for the maximum amount of light to bounce off of.Therefore, Cut gives the diamond it’s sparkle and is the most important characteristic.ColourIronically, the most sought after diamond colour has no colour at all! While the majority of diamonds appear to be colourless, others can contain increasing shades of yellow to brown. The colour grading scale varies from virtually colourless to very light yellow. The degree of colourlessness is not easily discernible to the untrained eye.Gemologists and jewellers describe the color of a diamond on a letter scale beginning with D (colourless) and moving through the alphabet to Z.
Colour Grading Chart
D Colourless E F G Near Colourless H I J K Faint Yellow L M N Very Light Yellow O P Q R S - Z Yellow T U V
Coloured diamonds are very rare and equally beautiful. Brilliant shades of red, blue, pink, amber and champagne are known as “Fancies”ClarityWhile almost all diamonds contain minute traces of non-crystallized carbon, commonly called flaws, one that is virtually free of non-diamond crystals will be of the highest quality. These inclusions are permanent and inherent to the stone.In order to grade a diamond’s clarity it is viewed with a jeweller’s loupe (10x the magnification of the naked eye). Clarity Grading Chart
VVS1 - VVS2
Flawless / Internally flawless-minor
surface blemishes, very, very small inclusions 
VS1 -- VS2
Very small inclusions 
SI1 - SI2
Small inclusions 
I1 - I2
Inclusions visible to the naked eye 
I3 - P1
Inclusions visible to the naked eye 
P2 - P3
Inclusions visible to the naked eye
Carat WeightThe weight, and therefore the size of a diamond, is measured in “carats”. Carats use a scale divided into a hundred points. For example, a diamond of 50 points is described as half a carat, or .50 carats.(Picture)*Examples of diamond sizes are approximateCostThe five C’s are the characteristics that determine a diamonds rarity, value and as a result, price. The five C’s, and the many ways in which they can be combined, are the key to understanding why diamonds of equal size may not be of equal cost. It is this interplay which determines a stone’s unique beauty.
Diamond Information
Cut, Color, Clarity, Carat weight and Cost
A basic understanding of each classification is important for making an informed buying decision. When looking to purchase a diamond, strive for a stone that offers a combination of the five C’s which best suit your personality. Also, since beauty is in the eye of the beholder, don’t be afraid to use your eyes and trust your heart in seeing the diamond that speaks most to you and your future fiancé.
Cut
Cut is the only diamond characteristic directly influenced by man. In order to maximize a diamonds beauty, the diamond cutter must strategically place each of the stone’s facets and angles, to act as light-reflecting mirrors. Diamonds that are not cut to proper proportion (too deep or too shallow) lose light that spills through the side or bottom
An ideally cut diamond releases the fire and brilliancy through its 57-58 facets. Facets are cuts in the stone that create angles for the maximum amount of light to bounce off of.
Therefore, Cut gives the diamond it’s sparkle and is the most important characteristic.
Colour
Ironically, the most sought after diamond colour has no colour at all! While the majority of diamonds appear to be colourless, others can contain increasing shades of yellow to brown. The colour grading scale varies from virtually colourless to very light yellow. The degree of colourlessness is not easily discernible to the untrained eye.
Gemologists and jewellers describe the color of a diamond on a letter scale beginning with D (colourless) and moving through the alphabet to Z.
Colour Grading Chart
| D | Colourless |
| E | |
| F | |
| G | Near Colourless |
| H | |
| I | |
| J | |
| K | Faint Yellow |
| L | |
| M | |
| N | Very Light Yellow |
| O | |
| P | |
| Q | |
| R | |
| S - Z | Yellow |
| T | |
| U | |
| V |
Coloured diamonds are very rare and equally beautiful. Brilliant shades of red, blue, pink, amber and champagne are known as “Fancies”
Clarity
While almost all diamonds contain minute traces of non-crystallized carbon, commonly called flaws, one that is virtually free of non-diamond crystals will be of the highest quality. These inclusions are permanent and inherent to the stone.
In order to grade a diamond’s clarity it is viewed with a jeweller’s loupe (10x the magnification of the naked eye).
Clarity Grading Chart
| | VVS1 - VVS2 Flawless / Internally flawless-minor surface blemishes, very, very small inclusions |
| | VS1 -- VS2 Very small inclusions |
| | SI1 - SI2 Small inclusions |
| | I1 - I2 Inclusions visible to the naked eye |
| | I3 - P1 Inclusions visible to the naked eye |
| | P2 - P3 Inclusions visible to the naked eye |
Carat Weight
The weight, and therefore the size of a diamond, is measured in “carats”. Carats use a scale divided into a hundred points. For example, a diamond of 50 points is described as half a carat, or .50 carats.
(Picture)
*Examples of diamond sizes are approximate
Cost
The five C’s are the characteristics that determine a diamonds rarity, value and as a result, price. The five C’s, and the many ways in which they can be combined, are the key to understanding why diamonds of equal size may not be of equal cost. It is this interplay which determines a stone’s unique beauty.
