Diamonds

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A diamond is a gemstone that is made of pure carbon and has been crystallised deep in the earth, over millions of years. The carbon crystallises due to intense pressure and heat.

Diamonds are the hardest, most imperishable, and most brilliant of all the gemstones. When buying and valuing a diamond there are 4 factors to take into consideration. Every Diamond is unique and has it's own footprint. These 4 factors are known as the 4 Cs. The 4Cs are Carat weight, Colour, Clarity and Cut of the Diamond.

Carat Weight

The weight of a diamond is measured in 'carats' (ct). It is an ancient measuring unit derived from the seeds of the carob tree. One carat is divided into 100 points. Diamonds of less than one carat in weight are known as 'pointers'.

CARAT WEIGHT (ct)	Points
1 carat	100
¾ carat	75
½ carat	50
¼ carat	25

Colour

A diamond's colour is one of the important factors in determining its value. The nearer a diamond is to being absolutely colourless, the more valuable it will be. Most diamonds used in jewellery will appear to be white or colourless but very few are totally colourless.

Whilst white diamonds are valued for their lack of colour, other diamonds are valued for their depth of colour. These diamonds will have a strong distinct colour such as yellow, brown, green, blue or pink. Coloured diamonds are known as 'fancies'.

On the colour chart, 'D' represents a diamond that is pure white. Obviously 'D' colour is very rare and most of the gems that are offered in the retail market range from 'H' to 'L' in colour. The colour grade scale goes all the way up to 'Z'.

Color

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

V

W

X

Y

Z

Fancy

Scale

Colourless

Near Colourless

Light Champagne

Champagne

Light Cognac

Cognac

Colour

Clarity

As we all know, nature is rarely perfect. As diamonds are formed in the earth over millions of years, there will inevitably be imperfections as carbon crystallises to become a diamond. These imperfections of crystallisation, which occur in the diamond, are known as 'inclusions'.

There are many types of inclusions that can occur within a diamond. A 'Feather' is an inclusion that gives the impression that part of the internal gem is 'chipped'. This is also known as a 'Beauty Spot'. There may also be black dots and lines throughout the diamond, which is simply uncrystallised carbon. These are known as 'Specks' and 'Hair Lines'.

The type, number, size and position of the inclusions determine the clarity of a diamond and as long as they do not affect the passage of light through the diamond, the inclusion will not detract from its beauty.

So, a 'flawless' diamond is not necessarily a perfect diamond. It only means that no imperfections or inclusions are visible to a trained eye, using a 10x magnification in good light. The chart below is used to grade a diamond based on its inclusions.



Cut

We now know that nature is responsible for a diamond's size, colour and clarity, yet the cut of a diamond is the work and artistry of an individual. When a diamond is cut precisely to the right proportion, light is reflected from facet to facet until it is bounced back outside the diamond through the top of the stone. For example, if two identical diamonds are placed side by side and one is less brilliant and fiery than the other, the fault lies in the cutting. A careful examination of that stone will show that its facet angles and proportions do not match those of the perfectly cut diamond and therefore cannot demand as high a price.

A well cut diamond

There are many different styles of cut available

Diamond Catalogue