Diamond Grading

Diamonds are assessed according to the four Cs: Carat weight, Cut, Colour, and Clarity.

Carat Weight - 1 carat is equal to 0.2 grams. The weight of a diamond has no bearing on its quality. A diamond's weight is measured in Carats and subdivided into Points. There are 100 Points in a Carat. So a half carat weight diamond can be referred to at 0.5cts or 50 points.

Cut - The quality of a cut is assessed in terms of its proportions, symmetry and polish. The quality of the cut is often ignored by many, but it is vitally important as it has such a direct effect on the brilliance of the diamond.

Colour - Unless regarded as a 'fancy' coloured diamond, all diamonds are graded on their lack of colour. For example, a E is Exception White, whereas J is a Slighted Tinted White. From colour "I" downwards, the diamonds are increasingly visibly tinted and appear darker the further down the scale you go.

Clarity - This refers to the inclusions in a stone and blemishes found on the surface of the stone. A flawless diamond will show no inclusions or blemishes at 10x magnification. Slight Inclusions (SI) will contain inclusions that are easily visible with 10x magnification. There are five clarity grades, which are then subdivided.