The Beautiful Company – Diamond Information sheet
What Are Diamonds
Natural diamonds are pure carbon, formed into crystals deep below the earths crust millions of years ago. Diamonds are found and mined in several parts of the world but predominantly in South Africa. Diamonds are the hardest natural substance known to man and when found they are far from the cut and polished gemstones you will see in our diamond rings and are known as “rough diamonds”. The diamonds used in our diamond jewellery have been sourced from specialist cutting and polishing centres all over the world, and we warrant that no diamonds known as “conflict diamonds” are knowingly sold and to the best of our ability we have undertaken measures to prevent their sale including obtaining written assurances from all our suppliers that all our diamond jewellery is conflict free.
What are “Conflict Diamonds”
In 1998 it was discovered that UNITA, a rebel group in Angola was funding its war against a legitimate government by the control and sale of rough diamonds, these have since been known as “conflict diamonds” and rebel groups in Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of Congo also funded conflicts in this way. At its peak the trade in conflict diamonds was estimated to be less than 4% of annual rough diamond production and is now estimated to be less than 1%. But we believe that one diamond traded in this way is one too many, hence our efforts to get written assurances from all our suppliers that all our jewellery including our diamond solitaire and diamond eternity rings is conflict free.
BUYING GUIDE – Diamond Rings, Diamond Pendants, Diamond Earrings
4Cs of Diamonds are Cut, Clarity, Carat, and Colour
When buying a diamond ring, diamond pendant or diamond earrings from The Beautiful Company the prices we charge for a particular ring depends on the interplay of all the 4Cs, Cut, Clarity, Carat, and Colour of the diamond and the amount and type of metal used in the setting.
The 4Cs are used throughout the world to classify the rarity of diamonds. Diamonds with the combination of the highest 4C ratings are more rare and, consequently, more expensive. No one C is more important than another in terms of beauty and it is important to note that each of the 4Cs will not diminish in value over time.
Once you have established those 4C characteristics that are most important to you then look on the site and find the diamond solitaire ring or diamond eternity ring that best meets your desires in terms of price and quality. The 4C’s are explained below.
CARAT
Carat is a measure of the weight of a diamond or with diamond rings, diamond pendants or diamond earrings it’s also used to describe the total weight of diamonds the item has.
Carat is often confused with size even though it is actually a measure of weight. One carat is equivalent to 200 milligrams. One carat can also be divided into 100 "points." A .75 carat diamond is the same as a 75-points or 3/4 carat diamond.
A 1-carat diamond costs exactly twice the price of a half-carat diamond, right? Wrong. Since larger diamonds are found less frequently in nature, which places them at the rarest level of the Diamond Quality Pyramid, a 1-carat diamond will cost more than twice a 1/2-carat diamond (assuming colour, clarity and cut remain constant). This also means a 1 carat diamond solitaire ring will be more expensive than a 1 carat diamond eternity ring, diamond trilogy ring or a diamond eternity ring that contains more than one diamond, providing the clarity of the diamond solitaire ring is equivalent to that of the others.
CLARITY
Clarity Refers to the presence of inclusions or imperfections in a diamond.
Every diamond and therefore every diamond ring is unique. Nature ensures that each diamond is as individual as the person who wears it. Naturally-occurring features known as inclusions provide a special fingerprint within the stone. Inclusions are natural identifying characteristics such as minerals or fractures, appearing while diamonds are formed in the earth. They may look like tiny crystals, clouds or feathers.
To view inclusions, jewellers use a magnifying loupe. This tool allows jewellers to see a diamond at 10x its actual size so that inclusions are easier to see. The position of inclusions can affect the value of a diamond. There are very few flawless diamonds found in nature, thus these diamonds are much more valuable.
Inclusions are ranked on a scale of perfection, known as clarity, which was established by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). The clarity scale, ranging from F (Flawless) to Included (I), is based on the visibility of inclusions at a magnification of 10x.
Some inclusions can be hidden by a mounting, thus having little effect on the beauty of a diamond. An inclusion in the middle or top of a diamond could impact the dispersion of light, sometimes making the diamond less brilliant.
The greater a diamond's clarity, the more brilliant, valuable and rare it is and the higher it is on the Diamond Quality Pyramid.
|
| Clarity | Description |
FL - IF | Flawless/internally flawless |
VVS1 - VVS2 | Very, very small inclusions, very hard to locate under a 10x, unable to see with the unaided eye |
VS1- VS2 | Very small inclusions, hard to locate under a 10x, unable to see with the unaided eye |
SI1 - SI2 | Slight inclusions, easy to locate under a 10x, but unable to see with the unaided eye |
I1 I2 I3 | Inclusions – which can be visible to the unaided eye – collectively known as P Clarity |
COLOUR
Colour Refers to the degree to which a diamond is colourless.
Diamonds are found in almost every colour of the rainbow, but white-coloured diamonds remain most popular.
Diamonds are graded on a colour scale established by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) which ranges from D (colourless) to Z. Warmer coloured diamonds (KZ) are particularly desirable when set in yellow gold. Icy winter whites (DJ) look stunning set in white gold or platinum.
Colour differences are very subtle and it is very difficult to see the difference between, say, an E and an F. Therefore, colours are graded under controlled lighting conditions and are compared to a master set for accuracy.
Truly colourless stones, graded D, treasured for their rarity, are highest on the Diamond Quality Pyramid. Colour, however, ultimately comes down to personal taste. Ask a jeweller to show you a variety of colour grades next to one another to help you determine your colour preference.
Nature has also created diamonds in intense shades of blue, green, yellow, orange, pink or rarest of all red. These diamonds are called coloured fancies and are extremely rare and highly treasured.
Here's a grid that will help you understand the colour grades of diamonds:
|
| Colour of Stone | Description of Colour code |
D | EXCEPTIONAL WHITE | 
|
E |
F | RARE WHITE | 
|
G |
H | WHITE | 
|
I | SLIGHTLY TINTED WHITE | 
|
J |
CUT
Cut Refers to the angles and proportions of a diamond.
Nature determines so much about a diamond, but it takes a master cutter to reveal the stone¹s true brilliance, fire and ultimate beauty.
Based on scientific formulas, a well-cut diamond will internally reflect light from one mirror-like facet to another and disperse and reflect it through the top of the stone. This results in a display of brilliance and fire, thereby placing well-cut diamonds higher on the Diamond Quality Pyramid than deep or shallow-cut diamonds. Diamonds that are cut too deep or too shallow lose or leak light through the side or bottom, resulting in less brilliance and ultimately, value.
Cut also refers to shape round, square, pear, or heart for example. Since a round diamond is symmetrical and capable of reflecting nearly all the light that enters, it is the most brilliant of all diamond shapes and follows specific proportional guidelines.
Non-round shapes, also known as "fancy shapes", will have their own guidelines to be considered well-cut
