The 4 c's - Cut, Colour, Clarity, and Carat
When choosing your diamond it is important to remember that bigger does not necessarily mean better. You need to consider all 4 c's to arrive at a diamond that is right for you and your budget. The following explanations and tables will help you to decide. To re-assure you that the diamond we supply to you is the diamond you chose we engrave all our rings on the inside of the shank with the colour, clarity and carat weight. All diamonds 0.50ct and over also come with an independent diamond certificate.
Cut
This is the only one of the 4c's that is within our control. The cut is the result of a craftsmen's skill in transforming a rough diamond into a dazzling gem. A diamond has facets that allow light to enter it, become refracted, and exit in a rainbow of colours. A diamond with correct proportions does a more effective job of refracting light out through the top of the stone. A diamond with poor proportions will allow some of the light to be lost through the bottom of the stone and so reducing some of that dazzle. All diamonds supplied by us are of good proportions.
Colour
Diamonds are graded using a colour scale (see table below) that ranges from 'D' (colourless - and the most expensive) to 'Z' (tinted yellow - and the cheapest). The first three colours 'D' 'E' and 'F' are deemed 'colourless', whilst colours 'G' 'H' and 'I' are near colourless. Colours 'G' and 'H' are a good quality white diamond, and these are the colours I use as standard. If you would like a better grade colour I would be happy to give you a quote.
| Grade | Under 0.47cts | 0.47cts and over |
| D | Exceptional White | Exceptional White (+) |
| E | Exceptional White | |
| F | Rare White | Rare White (+) |
| G | Rare White | |
| H | White | White |
| I | Slightly Tinted White | Slightly Tinted White |
| J | Slightly Tinted White | |
| K | Tinted White | Tinted White |
| L | Tinted White | |
| M | Tinted Colour | Tinted Colour |
| Z | Tinted Colour |
Clarity
Most diamonds have imperfections which are called inclusions. 'Clarity' is a measure of how many and how pronounced these inclusions show themselves to be. The table below will explain the terms used in the trade. The fewer inclusions the more expensive the diamond (with everything else being equal). As you can see from the table, the grading is done with 10x magnification, which means you are unlikely to see any difference between a flawless and a 'VS' diamonds with the naked eye. This is why I have chosen 'VS' and 'SI' stones which are good quality, high to mid-range stones that I feel offer the best value for money. There is not much difference between 'VS' and 'SI' diamonds in grading but the price difference can be considerable even though the inclusions are only found are with 10x magnification. Again, if you would like a better grade stone I would be happy to give you a quote.
| Under 0.47cts | 0.47cts and over | Description |
| Flawless | Flawless | A diamond is called flawless if under these conditions it has been found absolutely transparent and free from inclusions. |
| VVS | VVS1 / VVS2 | Very very small inclusion(s) very hard to find with 10x magnification. |
| VS | VS1 / VS2 | Very small inclusion(s) which can hardly be found with 10x magnification. |
| SI | SI 1 / SI 2 | Small inclusion(s) easy to find with 10x magnification. Not seen with the naked eye through the crown side. |
| Pique 1 | Pique 1 | Inclusion(s) immediately evident with 10x magnification, difficult to find with the naked eye through the crown side. |
| Pique 11 | Pique 11 | Large and/or numerous inclusion(s) easily visible to the naked eye through the crown side and which reduces the brilliancy of the diamond. |
| Pique 111 | Pique 111 | Large and/or numerous inclusion(s) very easily visible to the naked eye through the crown side and which reduces the brilliancy of the diamond |
Carat (weight)
The weight of the diamond is measured in carats: one carat equals 1/5th of a gram. A carat is divided into 100 points, so a 50-point diamond equals half a carat. The larger diamonds are rarer so their value increases more, such that, for example, a 1ct diamond would be more than double that of a 0.50 carat diamond.
Alan Marshall Jewellery, Barnstaple, Devon EX31 1HP UK Telephone: 01271 371200
VAT No. 795 0742 01