Diamond 4 C's

Firstly, to get it out of the way - price - what is your budget? Not alway important, but it will help us get the best diamond for your money, without compromising on quality.

 

We source our diamonds from reputable suppliers within New Zealand who in turn have the contact to source from overseas. We feel our suppliers have the integrity and quality of material that we demand and expect for our clients. The diamonds we source have been quality checked and graded. We personally demand the best and only deal with people we trust.  We know that what we ask for, we will get. Even if it means getting our supplier to source a specific stone from overseas, we will do that.

 

We know that there are a number of pitfalls and that there is a lot of information out there. It's not always the best and or even important.We can and we will get in for you a selection of stones for you to look at, to compare and choose the one that you will like the most.

 

Even with all the information in the world, in the end, choosing the perfect stone for you comes down to what you like the look of.

 

That aside there is the diamond grading system called the 4 c's, cut, colour, clarity and carat. You have probably heard of this before. This system works best on round brilliant cuts but does also apply to what are called fancy cut diamonds, ie anything other than round brilliant.

Cut

This is, as it suggests, the way the diamond is cut. Basically it means the better the cut the better the light will reflect or refract, and the sparklier the stone will look. This is called scintillation or fire.

 

With a diamond the light only and always comes in through the top of the stone and bounces of the inner angles and should bounce back out the top. Not all stones are cut for this but to get the most out of the raw material. You should alway look for a very good cut.

Colour

Colour is graded by an alphabetical system. Starting with a D which is colourless to a Z which is yellow. We like to work in the F-G colour range, which is in the colourless to near colourless.  Colour is the most visibly noticeable, so we consider this to be most important and generally what we go by first.

Clarity

This is the natural flaws or inclusions that are found in all natural diamonds.  It is the size and location of these inclusions that affect the clarity. Very rarely do diamonds not have inclusions, and if they are too perfect in clarity you would need to question that the diamond is natural. A good diamond should have inclusions but not visible to the naked eye.  Don't go for anything less than an SI2 (slightly included) especially in larger diamonds.

Carat

A carat is a measure referring to the size of the diamond, or the number of points. 100 points is equal to 1 carat and 1 point is equal to .01 of a carat. Remember though bigger is not always better and in a bigger stones, the more the inclusions can stand out.  Not to put you off at all.

 

Each part of the 4 c's can vary the price of the diamond considerably and you will have to weigh up what is important to you. Let us help you choose which diamond is best for you and allow us to get in a selection for you to look at.

 

As we have said before, in the end, regardless of what you have learnt, I bet you will look at the stones and you will know which one you like. Often one will stand out from the others.

Fancy cut Diamonds

The 4 c's don't quite work the same as with round brilliant stones. Colour and clarity are still important and is generally what will give you the best idea. In this instance the cut is the shape you choose and the carat is the size of course. The best way to choose a fancy cut is to have the 4 c's in mind but to go on the look of it.

Coloured stones

Such as emeralds, rubies and sapphires etc. Colour is what you are after ie the colour itself and the shade or brightness etc. Clarity with coloured stones is the same as with diamonds, but don't choose a stone with inclusions that will distract your eye, as that will be all you will end up by seeing. The cut will vary as the gem cutter will cut the stone to get the best out of each piece. And carat is again the size.

REMEMBER if you like the look of a stone, buy it, as two stones are never the same. In the end the look is what is important and what you want. There is no point in having the best, perhaps most expensive stone if you don't like to look of it. Like wise having a big stone of a lesser quality when you could have a slightly smaller stone and better quality.