Choosing a diamond

Most people assume carat weight is the size of a diamond. As the name suggests, it is a measurement of weight, not size, so no two 1.00 carat diamonds are exactly the same size. When you compare two stones, look at the measurements of each: that tells you which will look bigger to the naked eye.

Cut is the most crucial piece of the puzzle and the most complex, and it drives both quality and price. It breaks into two parts: the shape, and how well the stone is cut.

The shape of your diamond is an aesthetic choice, and yours alone. These are the ones you will see most often.

Whatever shape you choose, how well it is cut decides how much sparkle, brilliance and fire come back to your eye. This is where your advisor earns their keep: we will tell you exactly what the cut of each stone you are considering is, and what it does to the price.

Below are several depths of a traditional round brilliant and what each does to the light moving through it. A well-cut diamond sends the most light back to you.

Diamonds come out of the earth in every colour, including vivid pinks, warm chocolates and crisp blues. The most common run from clear, or white, to yellow, and those are graded on an alphabetical scale from D to Z, where D has no tint at all. The clearest stone carries the most value, and the highest price.

Clarity is about the flaws, also called inclusions, inside a diamond. They are graded on size, number, type and relief, which is how visible they are, and those factors move both the grade and the price a long way. This is the chart an experienced grader uses.

All diamonds are different, like snowflakes or fingerprints. Each one holds its own characteristics, and the part that matters is which of them matter to you. We will take the time to help you decide, and explain the things that give you peace of mind on a purchase this size: GIA certification, laser inscriptions, and what each one is actually worth.