The Four Cs of Diamonds

Carat - the weight of a diamond is expressed in carats. Each carat is divided into 100 points.

Clarity - the purer a diamond, the better quality the diamond is. Diamond clarities range from 'flawless' ie. no inclusion will be seen under a 10X magnification, to pique.

Cut - a diamond should be cut to bring out its full brilliance. Diamonds are cut into all different shapes, the most common being round brilliant cut, oval, marquise, pearshape, heartshape, emerald cut, princess cut and radiant.

Colour - the whiter a diamond is, the more valuable it is. Diamonds range in colour from the whitest 'D' colour, down the spectrum to 'Z' tinted colour. After 'Z', diamonds go into fancy colours.

It is important, when buying a diamond, to make sure the above 4 points are checked by an expert. We pride ourselves that our gemmologist has thoroughly checked every stone before we stock it.

For further information about diamonds, email our gemologist at gemologist@idinternational.co.uk.