// INTELLIGENCE
Colour, Carat, Clarity, Cut Before you start out on your all-important search, it’s imperative you familiarise yourself with the four C’s of diamond dealing.
The quality over quantity principal also applies when putting a ring on it. For example, you could risk buying an enormous rock that may not have half the quality of a smaller diamond at the same price. So let’s cut to it!
Jewellery // Ian Sharp
COLOUR
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When it comes to colour, less is more and the whiter the diamond, the better. Most diamonds within a reasonable price will range from white to yellow. Determined through a range of alphabets D, E and F refer to colourless (white) diamonds, while G, H, I and J are nearly colourless according to the GIA colour grades. A perfect white diamond should be crystal clear – the less yellow or brown streaks visible the more rare and valuable a diamond is.
CARAT A diamond’s weight is measured in carats (not to be confused with karat, which indicates gold’s purity). A carat is equivalent to a fifth of a gram and exactly 200 milligrams. They are weighed using a precision scale, as mere fractions of a carat can mean the difference between hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
CLARITY Clarity is the measure of the number of blemishes (external defects) and inclusions (internal defects) of a stone. An S11 or S12 diamond has inclusions or blemishes larger than a grain of salt when viewed under 10-power magnification. Whilst nearly all diamonds contain flaws, it’s important to determine there aren’t enough flaws to seriously lessen its value. Though on the positive, diamond flaws are as unique as a fingerprint and can be used as identifiers.
CUT The cut refers to the workmanship of a diamond and the manner in which it’s polished and shaped to give it its brilliance and fire. Not to be confused with a diamond’s shape, a stone’s cut or make refers to the number, placement and shape of the facets that create a finished diamond. A gem cutter sculpts the diamond’s many facets with geometric precision; symmetrically arranging them to affect the way light travels through the stone. A poorly cut diamond will ‘leak’ light out the back and some cutting faults can even make a diamond prone to breaking.