Guide to Choosing You Diamond

There are four characteristics that determine the quality of a diamond.

Cut

Many people confuse cut with the shape of a diamond. Most diamonds are cut with a full 58 facets and a good cut or make has more brilliance, fire and ultimate beauty. However, the shape you select is a matter of individual taste and today your choice is limited only by the skill and imagination of the craftsman.

Colour

The most sought-after colour for a diamond is one where no colour is evident. It is the totally colourless diamond that acts as a prism, allowing light to pass effortlessly through to be transformed into a rainbow of colours. While the majority of gem diamonds appear to be colourless, others can contain increasing shades of yellow to brown, some of which are referred to as champagne diamonds. Other diamonds of exceptional colour, red, blue, pink and amber are known as "Fancies".

Clarity

Diamonds, more than any other gemstone, have the capability to produce the maximum amount of brilliance. While almost all diamonds contain minute traces of non-crystallized carbon or small non-diamond crystals, one that is virtually free of interior and exterior inclusions (commonly called flaws) will be of the highest quality. In such a diamond nothing interferes with the passage of light through it; thus its clarity serves only to intensify its beauty and fire.

Carat-Weight

As with all precious stones, the weight, and therefore the size, of a diamond is expressed in carats.