Buying a diamond, whether it be for an engagement ring or a piece of jewellery, can be a serious financial and emotional decision. It’s important you get it right.
Diamonds come in all shapes and sizes and selecting the perfect one means understanding the 4Cs of a diamond: cut, colour, clarity, and carat.
These 4Cs impact the quality, beauty and overall look and feel of the diamond. Knowing what to look for can help you make an educated choice when it comes to your own symbol of eternal love.
Diamond Cut
The cut of a diamond refers to its light performance. How the light travels through the ring determines how brightly the diamond sparkles.
A well-cut diamond has balanced proportions and precise symmetry so light can enter the stone and reflect off the carefully crafted facets and crown.
Round brilliant cut diamonds have the highest sparkle factor with 58 facets, meaning light can bounce off every facet to create a stunning scene. While beautiful in their own right, emerald and asscher cut diamonds are the least sparkly of all the cuts. It all depends on your personal preference.
Diamond Colour
As the name suggests, diamond colour refers to the natural colouring the diamond adopts via trace elements during its formation.
The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) grades diamond colour on a scale from D (colourless) to Z (light yellow or brown). The less colour a diamond has, the higher its value.
If you’re budget-conscious, depending on the shape of the diamond, compromising on the colour could be a good option as you can find many lower graded diamonds, like a H colour, that still delivers the desired impact.
Diamond Clarity
The best thing about natural diamonds is their unique characteristics that tell a story.
Clarity refers to the presence of internal or external characteristics, known as inclusions. GIA’s clarity grading system ranges from Flawless (no inclusions visible under 10x magnification) to Included (inclusions visible to the naked eye).
Diamond Carat
Carat refers to the weight (not size) of the diamond and is often synonymous with its perceived value.
It’s important to note that carat weight alone does not determine a diamond’s overall worth. The magic lies in finding the perfect balance between carat weight and the other 3Cs.
The diamond’s weight shows itself differently across different diamond shapes. Although a round brilliant cut diamond and an emerald cut may measure differently in size, for example, they could both be 1.00 carat.
Finding the right balance of the 4Cs of a diamond ring
Now armed with a deeper understanding of the 4Cs of diamond rings, you are ready to embark on your journey to find the perfect symbol of love and commitment.
A diamond ring is not merely a piece of jewellery; it encapsulates emotions, memories, and milestones. At Max Diamonds, we specialise in crafting exquisite diamond rings that are a testament to our commitment to quality, craftsmanship, and beauty.
Lean on our expert team of jewellers, designers and gemmologists to find your perfect diamond.
See us at our Sydney store for a hands-on experience, call us on (02) 9158 0997 or email us at enquiries@maxdiamonds.com.au.