Understand what actually decides a diamond’s beauty and its price. This guide walks through the four Cs, hardness, certification and shape, so you can buy with confidence rather than guesswork.
A diamond is a crystalline form of carbon, prized in jewellery for its brilliance, its clarity and above all its durability. Mined diamonds form deep underground over billions of years under enormous pressure and heat.
Lab-grown diamonds are produced in a controlled environment that reproduces those same conditions. They share the identical physical, chemical and optical properties as mined stones — they are diamond, not an imitation. They can be produced at lower cost and with far less environmental impact.
Carat, colour, clarity and cut decide what a diamond looks like and what it costs. Drag each slider to see how the grades compare.
The size of a diamond is proportional to its carat weight. When rough diamonds are cut and polished into finished stones, up to two thirds of the total carat weight can be lost — which is why larger stones of high quality are found far less often than smaller ones.
A noticeable step up in presence. Half a carat more than the classic, with a visibly wider spread across the finger.
Color refers to the natural tint of a diamond. The closer a stone is to colorless, the rarer it is. The industry grades color with a letter from D (colorless) through to Z (light yellow or brown).
Colorless. Only a trained grader can separate F from the grades above it.
Most diamonds carry imperfections: internal flaws called inclusions, and surface marks called blemishes. Clarity is graded from FL (flawless) down to I1–I3 (included). Flawless stones are the rarest and hardest to find.
Very slightly included, with minor inclusions that are difficult to see even at 10x.
A diamond’s cut measures its proportions and its ability to return light. Well cut stones show outstanding fire, brilliance and scintillation — cut does more for how a diamond looks than any other factor.
Superior proportions that maximise brilliance and fire. The grade most buyers should aim for.
The Mohs scale, 1 to 10. Diamond sits alone at the top.
Diamond sits at 10 on the Mohs scale, the system devised in 1822 to rank mineral hardness. Nothing else that occurs naturally can scratch it.
That hardness is why diamond suits pieces worn constantly — engagement rings, tennis chains and iced-out watches all take daily knocks without dulling.
A certificate is an independent laboratory’s assessment of a diamond. It records the four Cs and, for a lab-grown stone, confirms its origin and how it was produced.
Buying certified means you are paying for verified facts rather than a seller’s description. Ask for the report before you buy, and check that the details on it match the stone you are being shown.
Shape changes how a diamond catches light and how large it appears for its weight. Choose the one that matches the piece and the person.
The most popular shape, and the one engineered to return the most light. Fifty-seven facets working together.
Square with sharp corners and modern lines. Retains more of the rough stone, so it often costs less per carat.
Softened corners and larger facets that produce a warmer, more antique sparkle.
Step cuts create broad flashes rather than fire. Clarity matters most here, because the open table hides nothing.
Elongates the finger and looks larger than a round stone of the same weight.
A round brilliant tapered to a point. Distinctive, and flattering set with the point outward.
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Cut, without much argument. It governs how the stone actually returns light, so a well cut diamond of modest colour and clarity will out-sparkle a poorly cut stone with better paper grades. Spend on cut first.
Yes. They are carbon crystallised in the same structure, with the same hardness, refractive index and appearance. The difference is origin, not substance — and they cost substantially less for the same specification.
For most pieces, VS2 or SI1 is the practical sweet spot. Inclusions at those grades need magnification to find, so you are paying for what you can actually see rather than what a grader can find with a loupe.
Less than you would think. Warmer grades such as I or J look noticeably whiter against yellow or rose gold, so you can drop a grade or two and put the saving into cut or size.
For any significant purchase, yes. A report from an independent laboratory is the only way to confirm the grades you are paying for, and it makes two stones genuinely comparable.
Buy just under the round carat weights — a 0.90 ct looks almost identical to a 1.00 ct but costs meaningfully less. Choose an elongated shape such as oval or pear, which appear larger for their weight, and keep the cut grade high.
Tell us your budget and what the piece is for, and we will tell you honestly where to spend and where to save.
