Before you begin to look at diamond engagement rings, it's worth while familiarising yourself with the "Four C's" - cut, colour, clarity and carat. All must be considered when comparing diamonds, but more than any other factor, it is how the diamond is cut that will determine its defining characteristic. The expert staff in our store will offer a wealth of advice as you begin the selection process.
CUT
As the only characteristic of a diamond not influenced by nature, the cut is open to mistakes and bad practices. Cut a diamond incorrectly and the defining sparkle will be compromised. It is how the 57 or 58 facets (the tiny planes cut on the diamonds surface) are angled and sized that dictate how light reflects and exits the gem, an effect know as ‘fire’. Make the cuts too shallow or too deep and the diamond will refract less light and be less ‘brilliant’. The cut will also determine the shape of the diamond. The most popular shape is the round or ‘brilliant’ cut, but others include the emerald, the pear, the marquise, the princess, the oval and the heart shape.
COLOUR
In the diamond trade, the most valuable and rare colour is white, that is to say colourless. Jewellers grade absolutely colourless diamonds with a “D”. The scale moves up to “Z” and, between these two extremes, diamonds will display subtle coloured tones. Diamonds with a very strong distinct colour – such as blue, pink or canary yellow diamonds – are extremely rare and are called fancies. These have seen resurgence in popularity lately, thanks to the ‘bling generation’ of celebrities who show them off.
CLARITY
Look into most diamonds with a jewellers loupe (magnifying eyeglass) and you will see small ‘inclusions’ also known as ‘nature’s fingerprints’. They look like small clouds or feathers but are usually invisible to the naked eye. Inclusions can affect the diamond’s sparkle, but they also make your diamond unique and shouldn’t always be seen as a fault. As long as the stone is graded SI1 (slightly included 1) or better (best and most expensive is IF, or Internally Flawless; worst is I3, or imperfect 3), your diamond will look beautiful to the naked eye.
CARAT
The weight, and thus the size, of a diamond is measured by carat. A carat is equal to 0.2 grammes, or 200 milligrammes. A carat is divided into 100 smaller units called points. For example, three-quarters of a carat is 75 points.
A FIFTH C
CONFLICT FREE – ETHICAL GEMS
At Ronan Campbell Jewellers, we go the extra mile for a fifth ‘C’. We believe you should always insist that the diamonds you are buying – a symbol of your love for another person – is a legitimate, conflict free gem. We guarantee that our diamonds are conflict free by purchasing from legitimate sources not involved in funding conflict, in compliance with United Nations resolution, based on personal knowledge and/or written guarantees provided by our diamond suppliers.
