Diamond Guide
This guide is your sparkling companion, ready to help you on your journey to finding the perfect diamond, all the way from the Earth's heart to your fingertip.
Understanding Diamonds
At Ethical Adorn, we simply can't get enough of diamonds. Their breathtaking brilliance and captivating allure never fail to bring joy both to our customers and to us. Their remarkable spark and irresistible twinkle have a way of lighting up any piece of jewelry. But have you ever wondered how these tiny treasures are formed?
Millions of years in the making, deep within the Earth, carbon atoms forged an extraordinary journey. Under immense heat and pressure over billions of years, they metamorphosed into the exquisite gem we know today as diamond. However, it wasn't until the volcanic eruptions that ascended diamonds and carried them upward through molten rock that they finally sparkled upon the Earth's surface. From the moment the first one was discovered, thousands of years ago in ancient India, diamonds have remained treasures beyond compare.
To help you find the perfect diamond that reflects your style, budget and preferences, we’ve created a comprehensive diamond guide. This guide will walk you through all the important aspects to consider before choosing and buying your sparkling companion.
The 4C’s of Diamond
Choosing a diamond is an exciting step, and we understand you want to feel confident about your selection. But understanding and navigating the realm of diamonds can be daunting without proper guidance. That's where the 4C’s come in handy. The 4C’s – cut, color, clarity and carat, are your key to understanding a diamond’s beauty, quality and value. Considering these factors will help you find a diamond that sparkles brilliantly and fits your budget and taste perfectly.
The 4C’s of Diamonds is an industry standard, fundamental framework put forward by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) in the 1940s. It stands for cut, color, clarity and carat weight of a diamond. Each of these characteristics are graded and documented by professionals. As a universal scale to assess and determine the quality of diamonds, this framework allows enthusiasts and buyers alike to define, assess and appreciate diamonds with confidence and consciousness.
Cut
A diamond's cut is the artistry behind the stone’s proportions, facet arrangement and overall symmetry. These elements work together to influence how the stone interacts with light. The cut is one of the most important factors determining a diamond's brilliance, fire and sparkle. The quality of a diamond’s cut is graded on a scale from Excellent to Poor. So, the better the cut, the more valuable your diamond will be and the more beautifully it will dance with light.
Color
Diamond color is about the absence of color and how close a diamond is to be colorless. The diamond color scale goes from D to Z, with D representing completely colorless stones and Z indicating a faint yellow or brown tint. The closer a diamond gets to D on the scale, the rarer and more valuable it becomes.
Clarity
Diamond clarity refers to its purity and how clear it naturally is. This implies the absence of tiny flaws known as inclusions within the stone and imperfections on its surface which are called blemishes. Clarity is graded on a scale ranging from Internally Flawless to Included, and it impacts a diamond's beauty and rarity.
Carat
Carat is a universal measurement unit of a diamond’s weight. One carat is approximately equivalent to the weight of a paperclip. Carat is the most important element affecting the price of a diamond as it has to do with its mass and size.
Diamond Shapes
Diamonds sparkle in more ways than one. They come in a variety of geometric forms, referred to as shape and with each adding a distinct personality to the stone. Each diamond shape has its own unique set of requirements and technical considerations. The shape you choose can therefore dramatically affect the overall look and feel of your stone.
It’s important to note that the shape and cut are two different aspects. Cut describes how the facets are arranged on the inside of the diamond, which impacts its brilliance greatly. Shape, on the other hand, refers simply to its outline. The most popular choice is the round brilliant diamond that is known for its classic fire and sparkle. But there's a whole world of fancy shapes to explore, like emerald, oval, radiant or marquise. You can learn more about each shape and how it can influence the overall design of your ring in our comprehensive engagement ring guide.
Diamond Hardness and Durability
Diamonds rank a perfect 10 on the Mohs scale which is a recognized system for measuring mineral scratch resistance. This means no other natural material can scratch a diamond and only another diamond can match its brilliance and toughness. But hardness isn't the whole story, and the concept of durability goes beyond mere surface hardness. These gems have a specific internal structure that makes them somewhat susceptible to chipping. This is why proper care is still essential for maintaining their beauty.
Diamond Guide FAQs
How to tell if a diamond is real?
You can get an idea of whether a diamond is real with a few tests you can try at home. One of them is the dot test. Place a dot on a piece of paper and put the pointed end of the diamond face down right on the dot. If you can see the dot clearly through the diamond, it's likely a fake. As real diamonds bend light, you shouldn’t be able to see the dot directly. The water test may also work. A real diamond will sink quickly due to its high density. A fake diamond may float or bob around. But for the most accurate answer, visit a jeweler. They have specialized tools to measure a diamond's thermal conductivity and refractive index, which is the most reliable way to identify the real ones.
How to identify a raw diamond?
When inspected from outside, raw diamonds don’t have the sparkle of a cut and polished ones. They'll have a rough, unpolished surface and may have a natural crystal shape. When examined closer with a magnifying tool, real diamonds often have tiny, indented triangles on their rounded edges, which only a trained eye can see. Thus, the most definitive way is to have a professional jeweler examine it for accurate results.
What color is a diamond?
Apart from fancy-colored ones like red, blue or pink, diamonds are usually colorless or near colorless. Colorless diamonds are the most desired and typically the most expensive ones as they exhibit minimal to no color. Some diamonds fall between colorless and fancy colored. They might have a faint yellow or brown tint, which affects their value compared to completely colorless diamonds.
What is a lab grown diamond?
Lab grown diamond is a diamond created in a controlled laboratory environment and not mined from the earth. Lab diamonds are essentially the same as mined diamonds in terms of their physical and chemical makeup. The only difference between them is their origin and how they are formed. Since they can be made in a controlled setting, lab-grown diamonds are generally more affordable than mined ones of similar quality. For more details, check out our Lab-Grown vs. Natural Diamonds guide.