The Four C's of Diamonds

Diamonds continue to be a very popular choice of stone when it comes to jewellery, partly due to thier amazing sparkle and fire but also unlike many other gems they are well suited to every day wear.

This is down to the fact that diamonds are resisitant to scratching and chipping which helps the beauty of a diamond last a lifetime.

The characteristics of diamonds are graded by:-

• Cut
• Colour
• Clarity
• Carat weight

A diamonds value is determined by a combination of the four C's and also the look of the diamond.  Although understanding the four C's is important when choosing a diamond, you must also fall in love with it.

For those people that like something really unusual diamonds can also be found in a variety of colours (for example yellow, blue or pink).  These colours naturally occur when different elements and gases are present whilest the stone is forming deep underground.

Cut

The cut of a diamond determines the shape and also how the light will refelect from it.  This is the only characteristic that is manmade and is not influenced by nature.  The diamond must be cut correctly and with good proportions to allow the best sparkle and look.

Diamonds can be cut in many different ways including princess, oval, pear, marquise, or even heart shaped.

Colour

The colour of a diamond is graded on a scale from D to Z with D being the colourless and most prized.  At Pebbles we only use diamonds between G and H all of which are visibly white.  This is to ensure an impact and sparkle to every diamond we sell, anything below H you will be able to pick out a grey/brown colour.

Clarity

The clarity of a diamond is determined by the number of natural inclusions it has.  These inclusions are normally only visible through a loupe (a jewellers eye glass).  Each daimond is different and these inclusion give it its own fingerprint.

At Pebbles we only use diamonds witha clarity of SI which stands for slight inclusions, this is to again ensure your diamond is beautiful and sparkley.

Carat

A diamonds weight is measured in carats, which dictates the size.  One carat is 0.2grams.   As many diamonds are smaller than one carart this is divided into 100 parts.

This means that a quarter carat diamond would be written as 0.25ct, a half carat diamond would be written as 0.5ct and so on.

If you would like any further information on diamonds please contact one of our friendly staff in Bo'ness or Edinburgh who will be very happy to help.