There are four Cs to that are used as a measure of quality in diamonds and to a lesser degree other brilliant gemstones like sapphires, rubies, and emeralds. They are Cut, Colour, Clarity, and Carat. In this blog post we’re going to discuss cut, and in a few minutes you should have found out a little of what you need to know about choosing the right diamond cut for gold wedding rings or any other piece of jewellery.

Cut is what it says on the box – the way the stones are cut. It isn’t just about the shape – round, teardrop, square, and oval are the most common for diamonds – but a matter of symmetry and getting the optimal angle between facets. The facets are the individual flat faces on the stone, and the way they are arranged makes a huge difference in the amount of light gathered into the interior of the stone and refracted around. That’s what makes a precious gem sparkle, and a medium quality stone with a skilfully designed and executed cut will shine brighter than a better stone poorly cut.

Once upon a time, the only tool for cutting a diamond was another diamond, which restricted the complexity of the cut. However, we can now cut even diamonds with a laser, and computers can be used to guide that laser with very high precision. Mathematical analysis has been used to devise and test new and more elaborate cuts than ever before, so today’s diamonds sparkle more than ever before.

As the saying goes, ‘diamonds are forever’. For many people buying a diamond engagement and wedding ring is a big investment. When starting to shop for a diamond ring, earrings or bracelet you will be confronted with a huge variety in shape, colour and price. The price is often the biggest deciding factor for consumers when they purchase diamonds, so it is a good idea to know what you are getting for the money you are spending.

A diamond, is not just a diamond

You need to understand why you may see two similar pieces of diamond jewellery, yet they can be hugely different in price. a price of a diamond is determined by the carat value of the gem. Other factors such as the clarity, the colour and the cut also contributed to the overall price of the gem. The most important thing though is how many carats the stone weighs.

The rarity of the specific diamond will influence the price per carat as well. For example, the majority of diamonds will fall into the half carat or lesser category. One carat stones will therefore not be double the price of a half carat gem.

The rarity factor comes into play and pushes up the price per carat. It must be remembered that diamonds cannot be carat valued in a generic way. Each gem must be appraised individually as to carat weight, flawlessness and rarity. This is the true carat value and the price will be accordingly. Understanding these principles will make it easier to purchase that beautiful diamond with ease.