Carat

Size matters. Of course it does. From a tiny gem to give subtle sparkle in a delicate setting to a huge single stone with "WOW" factor you can choose the diamond which is exactly right for you.

Diamond weight is stated in carats, a measurement derived from the more romantic, (but less accurate) original scale of comparison using the seed of the carob tree. Precision balances are now used and a carat has been standardized as equivalent to one fifth of a gram.

One carat equals 100 points so for example; a half carat diamond equals 50 points.

Diamonds over one carat are particularly rare. Less than 5% of gem quality diamonds achieve this magic weight once they are cut and polished, making them particularly desirable and, inevitably, more expensive.

Cut

Bring on the brilliance. This is the only characteristic of your diamond where man has more influence than nature.

A rough diamond looks like a dull pebble. It takes hours of expert skill to reveal its beauty by cutting and polishing it to perfection.

The precision of the cut determines the brilliance and fire of your diamond. Facets must be cut so that they maximize the total amount of reflected and refracted light, giving the diamond the stunning sparkle that is so attractive This is a skillful art learned over centuries and passed down through generations.

Traditionally a round brilliant diamond has 58 facets. The shape of the finished gemstone will vary according to the natural characteristics of the stone and the skill of the cutter. The quality of the cut will significantly affect the look and therefore the value of your diamond.

Color

The rarest diamonds are either totally colorless, or “Fancy Colored” including blues, pinks, oranges, greens, yellow and browns. Inevitably the rarest are the most valuable.

White diamonds vary in color enormously with most of them carrying subtle tones of yellow, brown and grey. Very few are truly colorless.

An international color grading scale is used in the jewelry trade, defining every nuance in shade. An unskilled eye would struggle to tell the difference between two adjacent grades but a qualified and experienced gemologist, assisted by a pure white light and master “comparison” stones can accurately classify diamonds according to the color grading scale shown below.

As with size and cut there is no such thing as the “correct” color – it is just one of the factors which makes your diamond unique. Use it as a guide not a rule and choose what is right for you.

Clarity

As humans we know that nature creates few things which are absolutely perfect! It is rare indeed to find a perfectly clear diamond. All diamonds contain tiny imperfections, called inclusions, which are nature’s fingerprint, making every diamond unique. Many inclusions are invisible to the naked eye and can only be assessed by a gemologist using magnification.

As with color, clarity affects value and a scale has been established by which diamonds can be graded. This broadly divides into five sectors, ranging from the extremely rare flawless stones through to those which have inclusions which can just be seen by the naked eye, as long as you know what you are looking for.

The difference between the grades is shown on the clarity scale below.