JP Diamonds - The Four Cs
Diamond Information
We understand the significance of choosing diamond jewellery and our experienced team is here to help at every stage, from your initial enquiry, advising on the cut, the clarity, the colour, the carat and the shape to planning the design and delivering the perfect piece.
Certification
A diamond certificate is a guarantee of the quality and characteristics of the stone. All of our diamonds over 0.25ct are certified by independent grading entities, whose expert gemmologists evaluate each diamond's particular characteristics and attributes, including the clarity, cut, colour, carat weight and fluorescence. JP Diamonds use only the most respected grading houses for their diamonds, known for their consistency, stringency and impartiality when grading diamonds. JP Diamonds only recommends GIA and AGS, particularly when buying over the internet.
The diamond certificate is a gemmological grading report which provides a detailed account of the diamond's characteristics, including the cut, colour, carat, clarity, polish, symmetry, fluorescence and girdle. The importance of accurately certifying a diamond is taken very seriously. It is essential to have a grading report which details the exact qualities of the diamond, which can affect the perceived value.
The Cut
The angular proportions in every diamond are referred to as the cut. The cut of a diamond is considered to be its most important attribute; the better the cut of a diamond the more sparkle a diamond has. A diamond with equal proportions and a symmetrical cut bounces light around between its facets, similar to a prism and a mirror, before returning the light back through the top of the stone.
The cut grade is based on all of the proportions and angles of a diamond and placed in an optical measuring device called a Sarin machine. Depending on the results of these proportions and angles the diamond is given the appropriate cut grade.
Well cut
Light is reflected from one facet to another and dispersed through the top of the stone.
Deep Cut
Light escapes through the opposite side of the pavilion if the cut of a diamond is too deep.
Shallow Cut
Light escapes through the pavilion before it can be reflected if a diamond is cut too shallow.
The cut of a diamond is measured in percentages relative to the diameter of its girdle. The girdle diameter of every diamond is considered 100%. For example, if the girdle measures 10mm (100%), the table measures 5.6mm and the depth measurement is 6.1mm the diamond would be described as having a table of 56% and a depth of 61%. The table and depth percentages are the key to determining good proportions.
Very Good
This scope is balanced between precise proportions and price considerations and considered by many as the best overall value in beauty and price.
Excellent
Of great beauty yet slightly more flexible regarding percentage, many experts prefer the appearance of this range to Ideal.
Ideal
This scope is very strict and combines the best in brilliance and fire.
A Well Cut Diamond
A well cut diamond is the secret to a beautiful and brilliant diamond, although the true meaning of ‘well cut’ is often found in the eye of the beholder. When choosing a ring as special as an engagement ring, personal preference plays an important part.
Girdle
The outer edge of a diamond is referred to as the girdle. The thickness of the girdle is the rating used and is generally expressed as:
Extremely Thin, Very Thin, Thin, Medium, Slightly Thick, Thick, Very Thick, Extremely Thick
A girdle that is Extremely Thin or Extremely Thick is not advised.
Culet
The facet at the bottom of the diamond is referred to as the culet. A diamond culet is measured by whether it has one or not and relates to the size if it does, generally graded as:
None or Pointed, Very Small, Small, Medium, Slightly Large, Large, Very Large, Extremely Large
A smaller culet is more desirable.
Polish
A diamond is ground down and polished to achieve the smooth outer appearance. The diamond cutter carefully forms every facet to shine and be free from polishing imperfections. The polish of a diamond is generally defined as:
Poor, Fair, Good, Very Good, Excellent
Symmetry
The symmetry of a diamond should be sharp and precise. If the facets are not joined correctly the diamond can appear ‘off’. Symmetry is the characteristic that refers to the positioning of the facets and is generally defined as:
Poor, Fair, Good, Very Good, Excellent
A grade of Good or above is advisable.
Fluorescence
When a diamond is exposed to ultraviolet light (UV), it may show a blue colouration. There are various shades of fluorescence, however blue is the most common. The fluorescence of a diamond is defined by its intensity, including:
None, Faint, Medium, Strong, Very Strong
Symmetry & Polish
How well aligned the diamond facets are determines for symmetry grade as well as the ‘sparkle’. The options for the symmetry and polish grade from GIA are:
Poor, fair, good, very good, excellent.
The polish grade refers to how smooth the diamonds facets are. With a poor or fair grade of polish, the diamond may appear slightly blurred or dull.
The recommended polish grade is Very Good or Excellent.
The carat
The weight of a diamond is expressed in carats; the larger the diamond, the more it weighs. However, when choosing a diamond, equal consideration should be given to the colour, clarity and cut.
Size
The scarcity of larger diamonds greatly affects the price. The rarity of a one carat diamond is much greater than twice that of a 0.50 carat. Although it only weighs twice as much, the one carat is statistically much more rare to mine than the 0.50 carat.
The colour
Diamonds are often mistakenly considered to be clear, however colourless diamonds are very rare. Most diamonds have fine tints of yellow and brown. Diamonds are graded by their lack of colour, therefore a stone with little or no visible colouration will have the highest colour grade.
The colour grading of a diamond is expressed by letters of the alphabet, the finest or most absolute colourless stone carries a D evaluation, descending to the letter Z. JP Diamonds recommend selecting a diamond with a colour grade of I or better.
Fancy Colour
Fancy colours can be blue, green, amber, pink, or even red and are evaluated by a different set of colour standards. Fancy diamonds are rare and therefore the most expensive.
The Clarity
Diamonds are natural products and therefore most have some irregularities; blemishes which are external and inclusions which are internal. These two categories of imperfections make up the grading for clarity.
Rarer and more valuable diamonds have fewer imperfections. The better the clarity of a diamond does not always mean superior beauty. However, a better clarity does attract more demand and is therefore more valuable. As inclusions are not always apparent to the naked eye a better clarity does not improve the overall appearance of a diamond. JP Diamonds recommends clarity of no less than SI2.
Diamond Shapes
Brilliant and step cut are the two most well known types of diamonds.
Brilliant diamonds include:
Round, Princess, Oval, Marquise, Pear, Radiant, Cushion, Heart shape
Round
The round cut is the classic diamond and the most popular shape, particularly for engagement rings.
Princess
The princess cut is a relatively new cut with many sparkling facets. It is square shaped with a less common rectangular version. It is popular in solitaire engagement rings and earrings. It can be accompanied by triangular stones at its sides. The best princess cut diamond should be perfectly square.
Oval
The oval is a perfectly symmetrical shape which gives the illusion of a larger diamond, as the shapes has a larger surface area than a round diamond with similar weight.
Marquise
The marquise cut is an elongated shape with pointed ends, often a solitaire
Pear
The pear is sometimes referred to as a tear drop ad looks like a perfect drop of water. It is a brilliant cut, therefore it has exactly 58 facets. More unusual in engagement rings, it is often used in oendants or earrings.
Radiant
The radiant cut is a combination of the round cut, the emerald cut and the princess cut. This cut can be square or rectangular and includes 70 facets, maximizing the effect of its colour refraction.
Cushion
The cushion cut is also referred to as pillow cut and is available in a square or rectangular shape. It includes rounded corners and larger facets to increase its brilliance.
Heart
The heart shape is very rare and most sought after as a fancy pink diamond. The skill of the cutter determines the quality of this shape.
Step cut diamonds include:
Emerald, Asscher
Emerald
The emerald cut is rectangular with cut corners ad broad and flat planes. It is often used with fancy coloured diamonds. Ideally a stone of superior quality must be used.
Asscher
The asscher cut could be considered to be an almost square version of the Emerald cut. It includes a pavilion with rectangular facets in the same style as the emerald cut.
Ethics
JP Diamonds prides itself on sourcing ethically superior diamonds and are very careful in our choice of suppliers for diamonds and metals.
We can guarantee that our diamonds are conflict-free and purchased from legitimate sources. Our diamonds are natural, high quality stones from reliable sources produced under strict ethical and environmental standards.
The team at JP Diamonds hand select all our diamonds and metals from around the world, building important relationships with our suppliers.
