Reading a Diamond: The Four Cs Without the Jargon

Diamond reports are designed for gemologists, not for people choosing a ring. The four Cs still matter — but not equally. Here is how our jewelers read them when a stone is destined for a piece of fine jewelry.

Cut comes first

A well-cut diamond returns light through its table: bright, even, alive. A poorly cut stone of the same colour and clarity will simply look quieter. Cut is the one grade you should never compromise on, because nothing else can rescue it.

Colour, in plain terms

The scale runs from D (colourless) to Z (warm). In white gold or platinum, colours from D to G face up perfectly white; set in yellow gold, an I or J can look just as bright to the eye. Fancy-coloured stones — champagne, cognac, yellow — follow entirely different rules and are chosen for character, not absence.

Clarity: aim for eye-clean

Inclusions are nature's fingerprints, and most are invisible without a loupe. An SI stone that is clean to the unaided eye, set well and viewed in daylight, performs like a flawless one at a fraction of the price. We examine every stone in person rather than trusting a grade on paper.

Carat is weight, not size

A carat measures mass. Two one-carat diamonds can look different sizes depending on cut and depth. Choose the proportions that please your eye — and remember that a beautifully cut smaller stone will always outshine a large, sleepy one.

If you would like help reading a certificate or choosing a stone for a commission, our designers are glad to talk it through.