Diamonds are assessed and graded on their cut, colour, clarity, and carat weight, and when selecting your own diamond, these are the factors that you must consider to create your ideal results. Depending on your budget and desired outcome, it may be more important to favour one of the 4 C's over the others. A balanced combination of all four factors will lead to a stunning diamond that is a treasure in its own right. For detailed information on the diamond grading process, and the diamond laboratories we work with, click here.
Cut
Cut not only refers to the shape of the gemstone, but also the proportions and facets that give it its life and brightness. A poor cut results in a gemstone that is dull, whereas an excellent cut will give a diamond stunning fire and brilliance. As a rule, we only use diamonds and gemstones with good quality cuts, whether they are round brilliant cut, princess cut, emerald cut, cushion cut, pear cut, marquise cut, baguette cut, or fancy cut gemstones. This way, you are guaranteed to receive something beautiful. Find out more on diamond cuts here.
Colour
Diamonds are graded on their colour from a scale of D to Z, with D being colourless and Z being tinted. Fancy diamonds have definite colours such as yellow, pink, champagne, and chocolate. Each colour grade represents a range of colour, rather than a specific shade, and these grades are determined by the appearance of the diamond both face down and face up. The categories D-F are classed as colourless, and the categories G-J are classed as near colourless. Our standard diamonds are a minimum of G-H colour, and we can supply diamonds of different colour grades depending on your preferences. Find out more about diamond colour here.
Clarity
The clarity of a diamond is graded from Flawless to Imperfect, depending on its internal and external inclusions. Inclusions are 'imperfections' that occur naturally when a diamond forms, whilst external imperfections can occur during the cutting process. A diamond's clarity is based on the number of imperfections as well as their visual impact, which can vary depending on the size, shape, and location of the inclusion within the diamond. Find out more about diamond clarity here.
Carat Weight
Carat weight refers to the weight of a diamond, and therefore its size. Provided that cut, colour, and clarity are equal, a diamond with a larger carat weight is more valuable, however, larger diamonds with exquisite cut, colour and clarity are rare and highly priced. For this reason, many prefer to opt for a smaller carat weight in order to keep the most desirable cut, colour, and clarity grades. Find out more about diamond carat weight here.
For any further information on diamond grading, the 4 C's, or how to select the perfect diamond, contact our team of diamond specialists today by calling 01335 453 453 or email us at sales@britishdiamondcompany.com.