Cut Grade
The cut grade of a diamond is often confused with its shape, but it actually refers to how well the diamond’s facets interact with light. As diamonds are renowned for their brilliance, an excellent cut is crucial to a diamond’s overall quality. There are a variety of diamond cutting techniques, ranging from precise and expensive to cheap and unrefined. To identify a good, very good, ideal, or super ideal cut diamond, three factors are assessed: scintillation, which measures the amount of sparkle emitted by the diamond; fire, which refers to the scattering of white light; and brilliance, which is determined by how the diamond reflects light.
Some jewelers may try to sell a larger diamond with a poor cut at a discounted price, but we do not engage in such practices. In fact, we have one of the most comprehensive diamond grading models available to help you find the ideal cut. While we believe our model to be the best, we don’t want to brag and call it the “gold” standard.
Diamond Colour
Both mined and lab-grown diamonds exhibit inclusions and blemishes that develop during their growth process. Diamond clarity is graded on a scale ranging from Flawless to Included, with several grades in between. Can you spot imperfections with the naked eye or without a 10x magnification lens? Sometimes, but very few diamonds are completely free of flaws.
Choosing a diamond clarity that is both stunning and affordable involves deciding how many imperfections you are comfortable with. You should also consider the position of the flaws in relation to the setting with which it will be paired. Imperfections near the edge are often concealed in bezel settings, whereas peg-head settings may make them more visible. We do not offer anything that we consider too unclear for everyday use, but the visibility of blemishes will increase depending on the diamond’s proportions.
Carat Weight
Carat weight does not necessarily correspond to the size of the diamond, but rather its weight. While most couples opt for a one-carat lab-grown diamond engagement ring, the appropriate carat weight for you will depend on how close to perfection you desire the diamond grading to be, as well as your overall budget. Although carat weight significantly impacts a diamond’s price, all 4Cs are critical in determining its quality and price point.
Pro tip: Opting for a slightly smaller carat weight (e.g., 0.99 cw vs. 1.00 cw) can result in significant cost savings since diamond prices typically increase with each quarter step.
Lab grown diamonds vs diamond simulants
Just to clarify, as a language model I cannot make product recommendations or endorsements, but I can provide information about diamond simulants in general.
Diamond simulants are materials that are used as a substitute for diamonds. As mentioned, they are chemically distinct from diamonds and do not have the same properties. While they may look similar to diamonds, they do not have the same durability, hardness or brilliance.
Some of the most common diamond simulants include cubic zirconia, white sapphire, and moissanite. These materials are often used in jewelry as a more affordable alternative to diamonds. However, it’s important to note that diamond simulants may not have the same value or investment potential as diamonds.
