The Laings Journal
Diamonds are beautiful and sparkling, but they’re also complex and before you start diamond shopping it’s a good idea to get yourself acquainted with the 5C’s.
No two diamonds are the same and they truly are unique stones. Each of their qualities are determined by a grading scale, which helps you to know exactly what you’ll be purchasing. The 5C’s are the different factors that describe the quality of the diamond and are the standard within the industry for talking about the characteristics of the gemstone.
Let’s get to know the 5C’s…
CUT
The cut doesn’t just refer to the shape of the diamond, it also refers to how diamonds have been cut from the rough into the sparkling gems that are found in jewellery. This is without a doubt the most important factor in releasing the beauty of a diamond and creating that sought-after fire and brilliance.
The grading scale for Cut works from Excellent to Poor. In an Excellent Cut you’ll be able to see 8 perfectly formed hearts through a proportion scope when it’s viewed from the bottom. It’s important to take note of their shape, consistency, brightness and the distance between them. You’ll also see 8 perfectly formed arrows when viewed from the top. These help to enhance the light return of the cut and improve the performance of the diamond.
CLARITY
The clarity of a diamond refers to any inclusions or blemishes that appear on a diamond. It’s important to remember that the majority of diamonds do have minor inclusions, except the very rare ‘flawless’ diamonds. Inclusions don’t take away from the beauty of the diamond and more often than not they’re very difficult to see with the naked eye! It’s all about the type of inclusion, its size and where it is in the diamond.
In terms of grading a VVS1 and VVS2 are very, very slightly included, working down the scale to an SI2 which is slightly included to an I3 which is included. At Laings we only accept diamonds of SI2 and above.
COLOUR
When we talk about colour in a diamond it really means lack of colour and a ‘colourless’ diamond is the best white diamond you can buy. GIA note that a chemically pure and structurally perfect diamond has no hue, like a drop of pure water. However, a touch of colour in a diamond is usually subtle and really difficult to detect.
Colour grading begins at D for a colourless diamond, moving down the alphabet Laings stock diamonds from an I (nearly colourless) and upwards.
CARAT
The carat of the diamond refers to the weight of the diamond, not the size and a ‘carat’ is a measurement of how much a diamond weighs. A metric ‘carat’ is defined as 200 milligrams.
(not to scale)The price of diamonds increases with the carat weight as larger diamonds are more rare. However, it’s important to remember that the carat weight alone doesn’t determine the value of a diamond and the other qualities are just as important. Two diamonds with the same carat weight can have very different values and prices.
CERTIFICATION
The final 5C is the diamond Certificate. This is a way to ensure the quality of the diamond and the certificate breakdowns all of the different characteristics of the stone. Ultimately it’s a way to give you peace of mind as it acts an assurance of the diamonds condition and means you know exactly what you’re getting.
We use the three main laboratories in the diamond industry to independently verify each stone – IGI (International Gemological Institute), GIA (Gemological Institute of America) and HRD (Hoge Raad voor Diamant).
If you would like to learn more about diamonds we will be hosting a Diamond Masterclasses in Glasgow and Southampton on Sunday 28th April - for more information or to book your spot please email [email protected]
Thank you for taking the time to read our guide to the 5C's before you buy your diamond! Follow our latest news on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest, or if you have any questions please pop us an email at [email protected].
Laings xXx