Only the finest quality stones make it to the Diamond World superior collection. The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) developed an international grading system known as the four Cs—cut, colour, carat, and clarity. This system is used around the world to grade the quality of a gemstone, and every Diamond World stone comes with a GIA assessment and grading report so you can be sure of your stone’s superior elegance.
Selecting your diamond cut
Cut refers to the precise positioning, shape and angle of a diamond’s facets. It is the cut that enables a diamond to make the best use of light, and the precision and delicacy with which your diamond is cut will dramatically influence its brilliance, fire and sparkle. When a diamond is cut to good proportions, light is reflected from one facet to another and then dispersed through the crown or the top of the stone.
Colour
Most diamonds appear colourless, but small impurities within the stone create subtle tints of colour.
Yellow or brown tinted stones are referred to as champagne diamonds. Each stone is colour-graded to a precise scale from “D” (colourless) to “Z” (saturated). Rare stones of exceptional colour, such as pink, red, blue, green or amber, are known as fancies.
Carat
Diamonds were traditionally weighed against the seeds of the carob tree—the carat—until the system was standardised and one carat was fixed at 0.2 grams (one-fifth of a gram). One carat is divided into 100; so a diamond of 25 points is described as a quarter of a carat. Carat weight alone does not determine a diamond’s value, as two diamonds of equal weight can vary widely in price due to their other attributes. A Diamond World Jewellers stone is always cut to maximise brilliance oversize.
Clarity
Almost all diamonds contain inclusions—tiny traces of non-crystallized carbon or small non-diamond crystals. Most are not discernible to the naked eye and require magnification to become apparent; however the less inclusions, the rarer the stone. A stone is graded as flawless if, under 10-power magnification, no internal flaws (clouds, feathers, pinpoints) and no external imperfections are visible. Absolutely flawless diamonds are extremely rare, and priced accordingly.