Bespoke Jewellery
DIAMOND EDUCATION
UNDERSTANDING DIAMONDS: THE 4CS
Cut, colour, clarity, and carat — what they actually mean, why certification matters, and how to choose the right balance for your own piece.
Cut
Cut refers to a diamond's proportions, angles, and finish — not its shape (round, emerald, pear, and so on are shapes; cut is a separate grading of how well those proportions were executed). A well-cut diamond reflects light with maximum brilliance regardless of carat weight. A poorly cut larger stone can look duller and less lively than a smaller, better-cut one — cut is the single factor that most affects how much a diamond actually sparkles.
Colour
Diamond colour is graded on a scale from D to Z. D is completely colourless; further down the scale, a faint yellow tint becomes gradually more visible. D colour — the grade we set across our own diamonds — is the rarest and most sought-after grade, producing a completely colourless, ice-white stone with nothing to distract from its brilliance.
Clarity
Clarity measures internal inclusions and external blemishes, graded from Flawless down to Included. VVS — Very, Very Slightly Included — means any inclusions present are so minute they're invisible to the naked eye and only detectable under 10x magnification. It's the clarity grade we use across our diamonds: essentially flawless to the eye, at a more attainable price point than a true Flawless grade.
Carat
Carat is simply a unit of weight, not a direct measure of visual size. Two diamonds of identical carat weight can appear different sizes depending on how they're cut — a well-proportioned stone can look larger face-up than a poorly cut stone of the same weight.
Lab-Grown vs. Mined
Lab-grown diamonds are chemically, physically, and optically identical to mined diamonds — the same crystal structure, the same fire and brilliance. The only difference is origin: one is grown in a controlled environment over a period of weeks, the other formed underground over billions of years. Lab-grown diamonds typically cost a fraction of a mined stone at the same grade, with origin that's fully traceable from the start.
Why IGI Certification Matters
IGI (International Gemological Institute) is one of the world's most widely recognized independent diamond grading laboratories. An IGI certificate verifies a diamond's exact cut, colour, clarity, and carat from an independent third party — so you're relying on a documented, third-party grading, not a seller's word alone.
Choosing The Right Balance For Your Piece
- ► For maximum size on a budget — prioritize carat, and accept a slightly lower colour or clarity grade that's invisible to the naked eye anyway
- ► For maximum sparkle — prioritize cut above all else; it affects brilliance more than any other factor
- ► For a flawless white stone — prioritize colour and clarity over raw carat weight
- ► There's no universally "best" combination — it depends on what you actually notice when you look at the stone, not what looks best on a spec sheet
READY TO CHOOSE YOUR STONE?
BUILD YOUR BESPOKE PIECE
Tell us the balance of cut, colour, clarity, and carat you want, and we'll help you find or set the right stone for it.