Diamond Education
Know what you’re buying.
The more you understand a diamond, the better the decision you’ll make. Here’s everything you need to know before you commission a piece.
The most important C
Cut
Cut is the only C that is entirely within human control — and it has the greatest impact on how a diamond looks. A well-cut stone returns light beautifully; a poorly cut stone looks dull regardless of its colour or clarity.
Cut is graded: Excellent · Very Good · Good · Fair · Poor. We source Excellent cut grades only.
The cut grade measures three things: brilliance (white light return), fire (coloured light dispersion), and scintillation (the sparkle pattern as the stone moves). All three are maximised in an Excellent cut.
Cut is what makes a diamond alive.
The second C
Colour
Diamond colour is graded on a scale from D (completely colourless) to Z (noticeable yellow or brown tint). The scale measures the absence of colour — a D grade is the most pure.
In practice: D–F are colourless and command a premium. G–H are near-colourless and virtually indistinguishable from D–F to the naked eye — excellent value. I–J show a faint warmth that some people prefer.
We source D–H depending on your brief and budget. We'll always tell you honestly what you'll see in the stone at each grade.
D–H. Everything else is a compromise you can see.
The third C
Clarity
Clarity measures the presence of inclusions (internal) and blemishes (surface). The scale runs from FL (flawless) to I3 (heavily included).
FL and IF (internally flawless) are exceptionally rare and command significant premiums — but are visually identical to a VS stone to the naked eye. VVS1–VVS2 are very slightly included, visible only under 10x magnification. VS1–VS2 are very slightly included — eye-clean in almost all cases and excellent value.
We typically source VS1–VVS2. We'll tell you if a specific stone has any inclusions worth knowing about.
Eye-clean is what matters. Flawless is for gemologists.
The fourth C
Carat
Carat is the weight of the stone, not its size — though the two are related. One carat equals 0.2 grams.
The relationship between carat and appearance depends heavily on cut and shape. A well-cut 1.0ct round brilliant will appear larger than a poorly-cut 1.2ct stone. Certain shapes — oval, marquise, pear — tend to appear larger per carat than round brilliants.
Price increases disproportionately at certain thresholds (0.5ct, 1.0ct, 1.5ct, 2.0ct). A 0.95ct stone is visually identical to a 1.0ct stone and significantly cheaper — we'll always point this out.
A 0.95ct stone looks identical to 1.0ct. The price doesn't.
Independent verification
What IGI certification means.
The International Gemological Institute independently grades every diamond we source. The certificate states the exact cut, colour, clarity and carat — verified by their laboratory, not us.
When you commission a piece with The Diamant Reserve, you receive the IGI certificate with your stone. You know exactly what you bought.
IGI Laboratory Grown Diamond
LG-574839201
Laboratory Grown Diamond
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