Cut

What sets the diamond aside from any other gemstone is its fire or its brilliance.

The cut of a diamond is what determines how bright the diamond will be. Gemologists recognize brilliance as the diamond's most spectacular feature.

The main shapes in which a diamond is cut are princess, marquise, emerald, pear, oval, heart. The most popular shape remains the round diamond and is considered the ideal shape of a diamond because it highlights the most important quality of the diamond, namely the brilliance.

A diamond that is superficially cut in relation to its width, known as an open cut, will allow too much light to pass through and it will reflect too little. Such a diamond will appear dull and without brightness.

A diamond cut too deep will allow light to escape through the sides and will look just as dull.

An ideal cut will influence the brightness of the stone through the refraction and dispersion of light.

Carat (weight)

For diamonds or other precious stones, weight is measured in Carat.

A Carat has 0.2 grams and is divided into 100 points.

For example, a 1.50 carat diamond has 1 Carat and 50 Points.

If we refer only to the size of the stone expressed in millimeters, or to the weight expressed in Carats, without taking into account the brightness of the diamond, we would buy a large stone but lacking the brilliance that differentiates the diamond from the synthetic stones, so elegantly called by some, crystals.

Color

There are people who prefer very bright and colorless diamonds and people who appreciate a hint of color in the shine of the diamond, a fact that clearly differentiates it from synthetic, worthless crystals.

The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) classifies the color of diamonds as follows:

Clarity

Clarity represents diamond's degree of purity or clearness.

Because natural diamonds are formed in the depths of the earth over millions of years, it is normal for some of them to have small inclusions inside.

When assessing the quality of a diamond, the position where possible inclusions are located is of particular importance.

Only if the inclusion is located in the most unfavorable angle of the stone, could it reflect in all facets of the diamond and thus affecting the clarity.

Most inclusions are too small to affect the beauty and brilliance of a well-cut diamond.

Using special equipment, gemologists have made the following classification of diamonds' clarity: