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Diamond Education
There’s more to a diamond than meets the eye, two diamonds that look alike at first may, in fact, be very different. Two diamonds of equal size can have very unequal values. The differences between them are subtle indeed. To understand these differences is to understand the 4C’s: Carat-weight, Clarity, Colour and Cut. It is these characteristics that determine the value of a diamond.
When buying a diamond ring you want to ensure its quality and integrity. Design Centre’s diamonds are certified by laboratories recognised worldwide, including GIA (Gemological Institute of America) probably the most respected in the world and IGI (International Gemological Institute). This ensures the quality of the diamonds we sell are premium stones.
The Diamond Cut
The ‘cut’ of the diamond determines how bright it will look on your finger . Poor, good, very good or excellent are the grades used to measure the cut. A poor grade diamond will not allow a lot of light to pass through compared to an Excellent cut diamond that will give you maximum sparkle. All of our certified diamonds carry a minimum good cut grade to ensure good life and lustre in all of our stones.
There are a variety of shapes to chose from allowing you to pick the perfect diamond that is right for you. These include: Round Brilliant cut, Princess cut, Emerald cut, Radiant cut, Pear shape,Marquis and others.
The Diamond Clarity
The clarity of the diamond is the measure of its imperfections (inclusions). These are known as ‘feathers, cavity and bubbles’ depending on the shape of the inclusion. These are graded from I1/I2/I3 (included), SI1/SI2 (slightly included), VS1/VS2 (very slightly included), VVS1/VVS2 (very very slightly included) and FL/IF (flawless/internally flawless)
Generally diamonds graded Si1 or above in clarity are completely clean to the naked eye.We only sell Si clarity diamonds and upwards once again to ensure all of our diamonds sparkle.
The Diamond Colour
The colour of the diamond is measured from Z to D (Z being light yellow and D being colourless) Z is the low end of the scale and D is the top. The colour determines the price of the diamond, category D being most expensive.
All of our certified diamonds are a minimum of I colour with plenty of colourless D E F diamonds to choose from in our showroom.
The Diamond Carat Weight
Diamonds are weighed in metric carats and the weight of the stone does not govern its size. When a diamond is weighed it is done to the hundredth thousand, this also determines the price of the diamond. One carat is equivalent to 0.2gms therefore 5cts equals one gram.