Diamond Education | Primo Diamonds

The colour of a diamond refers to how white/colourless a diamond is and the colour scale starts at D and goes alphabetically down to Z.

D is completely colourless and as the scale drops a diamond will find a presence of yellow/brown hues, which is where we would find ourselves when we get to the final grade of Z.

At Primo Diamonds we believe only grades D to J are suitable for diamond jewellery as anything lower in the scale will not maximise the natural beauty of these magnificent gemstones.

For colours with a little more warmth such as I and J, yellow or rose gold bands are a great choice as the warmer tones bring out the white of the diamond.

The clarity of a diamond refers to the natural occurring blemishes and inclusions within the diamond. These can appear like small cracks inside the stone, or black or white dots or marks. The important thing when choosing a diamond clarity is to ensure it's what the industry refers to as "eye-clean". This means that to the naked eye there are no visible inclusions.

Whilst a flawless diamond is the rarest, it also demands a pricing premium and when compared to most other clarity grades, it is unrecognisable without being observed under magnification. Diamonds that are VS2 and above are guaranteed to have no visible inclusions. Diamonds that are grade I - Included are not really recommended for diamond jewellery.

A diamond's cut is responsible for a diamond’s sparkle. There are three factors that determine a diamond’s cut:

Proportion: the size and ratio of the stone’s depth, width and table.

Symmetry: the precision with which facets align and intersect.

Polish: the smoothness and condition of the stone’s surface.

These factors influence how a diamond interacts with light to create desirable visual effects such as, brilliance, fire and scintillation.

Cut grades are fairly simple to follow and are graded

Excellent
Very Good
Good
Fair
Poor

Diamonds that are Excellent and Very Good are optimum for the right levels of light movement.

If a diamond is too shallow or too deep the light will not disperse correctly and achieve the same amount of sparkle.

Carat weight takes its name from the carob seed from where the weight of a diamond was originally measured against. 1 carat is the equivalent to 0.20 grams and whilst the weight of a diamond is important and the factor that mainly affects the pricing of each diamond, you should always look at the measurements of a diamond to maximise the value.

For example, two diamonds can have the same carat weight but have different measurements because of the depth or shape of the stone. Another important factor is diamonds that are similar in measurement may be different carat weights which offers better value for money - 0.90ct vs 1.00ct for examples.

When buying a diamond, it's imperative that the diamond is certificated - this means that the qualities that we have mentioned above have been independently verified by a diamond certification board.

Whilst there are many certifications to choose from, the most internationally trusted is GIA - the Gemological Institute of America.

GIA set the standard when it comes to diamond grading and should be trusted above other certification boards and in-house certificates.

They even laser inscribe their diamonds so you can verify the diamond matches the certificate that you'll receive with your purchase.

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DIAMOND COLOUR

DIAMOND CLARITY

DIAMOND CUT

CARAT WEIGHT

DIAMOND CERTIFICATION

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