Picking your Perfect Diamond

We are proud to have been helping clients select the perfect piece of diamond jewellery for their loved ones for over 40 years, and during this time we have learned that, while each and every one of us is unique, we all want the very best for those we love.

In the same way that each of our clients is individual, so are the diamonds we offer through our Tailor Made service. Every single one has been hand picked to meet our exacting standards.

The perfect diamond for one client may not be perfect for another. We have put together a basic guide as to the most popular qualities of diamond that we sell in-store, for use as a benchmark by you when making your own selection.

Carat
The heavier a diamond the more expensive it becomes and the larger it appears. Slightly lighter stones, however, will often appear to be a very similar spread or size to a more expensive alternative, and may allow you to select different qualities in the other categories.

Colour
For most, it is very difficult to distinguish diamonds of top colours from D to G without seeing them next to each other out of their settings. Each colour grade has a significant effect on the cost of a diamond, and bearing this in mind, we have generally found that, for those who do not desire a specific colour, the best option is an F or G colour grade. If you want a slightly larger diamond, however, you may decide a colour grade of H or I will give you more options.

Clarity
Judging the clarity of a diamond with the naked eye is very difficult unless you are viewing a stone containing a significant inclusion. Our selection of diamonds does not include any with imperfections visible to the naked eye, and as such, the most popular choice in store tends to be VS2 or SI1 clarities, though SI2 is also very popular. These clarity grades offer excellent value for money while maintaining a beautiful appearance of stone.

Cut
Cut is the most important of all the “four Cs” as far as we are concerned, as it has the most impact on the brilliance and appearance of a diamond and can make any grade look beautiful. To this extent, we have selected only diamonds with a cut grade of ‘Good’ or above, with an emphasis on ‘Very Good’ and ‘Excellent’. This is not an area on which you want to compromise too much, as a poorly cut diamond can appear black and dull.