This Diamond Education defines the most essential characteristics of a diamond along with tips for its care. By understanding these characteristics, you will be able to shop with confidence.
At Melisende Diamonds Ltd., we apply the same high quality standards to all of our diamond shapes. We have an exceptional collection of traditional round diamonds and we also offer the finest non-round or fancy-shaped diamonds available. All of our certified diamonds are graded by the GIA or AGSL to have FL–SI2 clarity, D–J colour, and Ideal, Very Good, or Good cut.
Our Signature Diamonds are the finest quality diamonds available on the market, and we offer them in round, princess-cut, Asscher-cut, and emerald-cut shapes. Choose your diamond shape since all diamond shapes are very different — unique characteristics determine quality for each shape. Select your shape below to learn how to recognise the most beautiful diamond. If you have additional questions, feel free to contact us.
The most important — determines a diamond's ability to handle light, and therefore its brilliance.
A truly colorless diamond is extremely rare. It allows most light to pass through and create the most brilliance.
The absence or presence of flaws inside or on the surface — the diamond's clearness or purity.
A measure of weight. Considered alongside cut grade and the diameter in millimeters.
Diamond cut is perhaps the most important of the 4C's, so it is important to understand how this quality affects the properties and values of a diamond. A good cut gives a diamond its brilliance, which is that brightness that seems to come from the very heart of a diamond. The angles and finish of any diamond are what determine its ability to handle light, which leads to brilliance.
When a diamond is well-cut, light enters through the table and travels to the pavilion where it reflects from one side to the other before reflecting back out of the diamond through the table and to the observer's eye.
In a poorly cut diamond, the light that enters through the table reaches the facets and then 'leaks' out from the sides or bottom of the diamond rather than reflecting back to the eye. Less light reflected back to the eye means less brilliance.
Because cut is so important, several grading methods have been developed to help consumers determine the cut of a particular diamond. In general, these grades are:
Diamonds are found in all colors of the rainbow, from colorless and transparent stones to ink black ones. Varying degrees of yellow or brown color is common in most diamonds, and slight difference in color can make a substantial difference in value.
A truly colorless diamond is extremely rare and considered the most valuable. It allows most light to pass through the stone and create the most brilliance. Most diamonds appear white to the naked eye, but they all include trace amounts of yellow or brown color. The best way to see the true color of a diamond is by looking at it against a white surface.
Although the majority of diamonds come in shades of white, there are also Fancy natural intensely colored diamonds available in colors like yellow, pink, greens, brown, red, orange, blue and more. These intensely colored diamonds are very rare, attractive and desirable.
Clarity is a term used to describe the absence or presence of flaws inside or on the surface of a diamond. In other words, the clarity of a diamond refers to its clearness or purity.
When these flaws/marks occur internally, they are called inclusions and the most common types include crystals, tiny bubbles representing small minerals absorbed into the diamond while growing, internal graining, needles, knots, chips, cavities, cleavage, feathers, and clouds. When these flaws/marks occur on the surface, they are known as blemishes — polish lines, naturals, scratches, nicks, pits, surface graining and extra facets.
Most diamonds have these imperfections. Although many are not visible to the naked eye, under magnification, tiny featherlike shapes, crystals, bubbles and dark flecks become noticeable. These slight flaws make every diamond quite unique — but they also affect the beauty and value.
Carat is specifically a measure of a diamond's weight, and by itself may not accurately reflect a diamond's size. We tend to evaluate diamond size by viewing it from the top because that is how diamonds are presented to us when set into a ring.
To gain a precise understanding of diamond size, Melisende Diamonds recommends considering carat weight with two other characteristics:
When a diamond is cut with the proper proportions, the maximum amount of light is returned out of the top of the diamond. Thus, when a diamond is well cut, the light reflected out of the top makes it appear larger. In addition, much of the weight of a poorly cut diamond, for example, may be hidden in the base of the diamond, making it appear smaller than its carat weight would imply.
It is therefore possible to have a diamond of a lower carat weight, but higher cut grade, that appears larger than a diamond with a larger carat weight, but poor cut.
Much as there are 100 pennies in a dollar, a one-carat diamond is comprised of 100 points. Hence, 50 points is equal to 1/2-carat, and so on. Note that a 2-carat diamond does not appear to be twice the size of a 1-carat diamond when viewed from the top.
All diamond shapes are very different — unique characteristics determine quality for each shape. Select your shape below to learn how to recognise the most beautiful diamond.
The round brilliant cut diamond is by far the most popular and most researched diamond shape available today. For almost 100 years, diamond cutters have been using advanced theories of light behaviour and precise mathematical calculations to optimise the fire and brilliance in a round diamond. A round diamond will typically give you more flexibility in terms of balancing cut, colour, and clarity grades while still getting the fire and brilliance you want. To maximise brilliance, select one in the two highest cut grades, ideal or very good, with ideal, excellent, or very good polish and symmetry grades.
The princess cut is the most popular non-round diamond. Its beautiful brilliance and unique cut make it a favourite for engagement rings. The princess has pointed corners and is traditionally square in shape. For a princess diamond shape that is square, look for length-to-width ratios between 1 and 1.05. If you prefer more of a rectangular shape, look for length-to-width ratios greater than 1.10.
What makes the emerald cut different is its pavilion, which is cut with rectangular facets to create a unique optical appearance. Due to its larger, open table, this shape highlights the clarity of a diamond. If you choose an emerald-cut with a lower clarity grade such as SI, be sure to review the clarity plot on the certificate. For the classic emerald-cut shape, look for a length-to-width ratio between 1.30 and 1.40.
This beautifully unique shape is nearly identical to the emerald-cut, except that it is square. The pavilion is cut with rectangular facets in the same style as the emerald. All Asscher-cut diamonds from Melisende Diamonds will appear square, because each one is guaranteed to have a length-to-width ratio between 1.00 and 1.05.
The shape of a marquise diamond can maximise carat weight, giving you a much larger-looking diamond. This brilliant-cut diamond looks beautiful set with round or pear-shaped side stones, and the length of the marquise makes fingers appear long and slender. For the most traditional marquise-cut diamonds, look for length-to-width ratios between 1.75 and 2.25.
An oval diamond has beautiful brilliance similar to a round diamond. Oval diamonds are popular as their length can accentuate long, slender fingers. For the most traditional oval diamonds, look for length-to-width ratios between 1.33 and 1.66.
Trimmed corners are the signature of this diamond, helping make the radiant-cut a popular and versatile choice. A radiant-cut looks equally beautiful set with either baguette or round side-diamonds. For a square radiant, look for length-to-width ratios between 1 and 1.05; for a rectangular shape, look for ratios greater than 1.10.
This brilliant-cut diamond is also called a teardrop for its single point and rounded end. The unique look of the pear shape helps make it a popular choice for a variety of diamond jewellery. If you choose an elongated pear shape, the length of the diamond creates a subtle slimming effect on the fingers. For the most traditional pear-shaped diamond, look for a length-to-width ratio between 1.45 and 1.75.
The heart is the ultimate symbol of love. The unique look of the heart-shaped diamond helps make it a distinctive choice for diamond jewellery. For a more traditional heart-shaped diamond, look for length-to-width ratios between 0.90 and 1.10.
This unique shape has been popular for more than a century. Cushion-cut diamonds (also known as pillow-cut diamonds) have rounded corners and larger facets to increase their brilliance. For a cushion-cut that is square, look for length-to-width ratios between 1 and 1.05; for rectangular, greater than 1.15.
A diamond certificate — also called a diamond grading report, diamond dossier, or diamond quality document — is a report created by a team of gemologists. The diamond is evaluated, measured, and scrutinized using trained eyes, a jeweler's loupe, a microscope, and other industry tools.
A completed certificate includes an analysis of the diamond's dimensions, clarity, color, polish, symmetry, and other characteristics. Many round diamonds will also include a cut grade on the report.
If you are interested in a specific certified diamond at Melisende Diamonds, you can view its certificate on our site before purchase. We offer a variety of grading reports and documentation:
If you are interested in a diamond and a certificate is not available for viewing, simply contact a diamond and jewelry consultant at info@melisendediamonds.com or via our contact page.
