The most important things to note in a Diamond are Cut, Clarity, Colour, Carat Weight and Certificate.  These are known as the 4 c's are universally used to grade Diamonds. 

Diamond Cut
The brilliance of a diamond depends heavily on its cut as it is the diamond's reflective qualities.  The grading of the cut are Ideal, Premium, Very Good, Good and Fair & Poor, we don't sell good or fair & poor diamonds as we believe that a diamond ring without  sparkle is a diamond with little beauty, your engagement ring is forever and buying from us allows you the biggest and the best for your budget.

Ideal Cut is intended to maximize brilliance and applies only to round Diamonds.

1. Premium cut is intended to provide maximum brilliance and fire.
2. Very Good cut reflect most of the light that enters them to create their brilliance. 
3. Good cut  reflect much of the light that enters them.
4. Fair & Poor cut reflects only a small proportion of the light that enters it and often for maximizing carat weight.

Diamond Clarity
All Diamonds contain inner flaws (inclusions) that naturally occur.  The visibility, number and size contribute to the clarity.  Therefore the fewer the greater the Clarity.  Flaws are known as inclusions which are air bubbles, cracks, other minerals, scratches, pits, and chips in the Diamond.  Grade list: 

1. F = Flawless,
2. IF = Internally Flawless,
3. VVS1 and VVS2 = Very Very Slightly Included very difficult to see with 10x magnification,
4. VS1and VS2 = Very Slightly Included seen only with 10x magnification,
5. SI1 SI2and SI3 = Slightly Included easily seen with 10x magnification,
6. I1and I2 and I3 = Included and visible to the naked eye.

Diamond Colour
Colourless diamonds are the most expensive and sought after, as they tend to sparkle more.  The more the colour the less sparkle and therefore less desirable.  Whiteness is graded with a colour scale that begins at D for colourless and ends with Z for a brownish-yellow

• Colourless = DEF,
• Near Colourless = GHIJ,
• Faint Yellow = KLM,
• Very Light Yellow = NOPQR,
• Light Yellow = STUVWX and on…

Diamond Carat Weight
This is a unit of weight of a diamond.  Prices rise greatly with its size. See our diamond size guide for mm per carat sizing.

Diamond Certificate
The certificate or grading report is a professional evaluation of a diamond and as such is just as valuable as the Diamond itself to a buyer or seller, and even the owner as it describes the Diamond in such great detail that it’s fingerprint.

Certificates also serve as proof of the diamond's identity and value, but a certificate is not a valuation, it only documents the quality but all our diamond engagement rings come with a full appraisal that out lines the recommended retail price which is needed for insurance purposes.

General guide for buying Diamonds.

Size is not everything and remember that slender fingers tend to make smaller Diamonds look bigger we always advise you to go for the biggest diamond you can afford in your budget with out scrimping on quality.

No two Diamonds are exactly the same.
  
When a diamond crystal is assessed for cutting, it's shape is usually the deciding factor which is the most econmic cut. The cut of a diamond in an engagement ring is effective in the intensity and return of light.
Fluorescence ( coloured luminosity ) is a quality diamonds possess.  This is caused by elements in the diamond which re-act to ultra violet light .  The colour is usually blue and comes in various grades depending on how much fluorescence the diamond contains.  Whilst one customer might prefer a coulouless stone in their engagement ring, another might prefer a grade of blue white diamond, it is purely a matter of personal choice,  What you find pleasing to the eye.   Colour in a diamond is graded      . 

'D' which is colourless,  E,F,G,H,I,J, etc. D, E, F & G are usually very rare and valuable diamonds.    Some diamonds 
graded higher than ' H '  have a slight yellow tint and a blue fluoescence in the stone can make it a very attractive buy.

We are always at the end of the phone                0845 2...        and all we need from you is your entended budget and we'll supply you with the best possible diamond ring for your budget.

New for March 2009 our Micro Pave` Engagement Rings...... see our Diamond Fashion News   for more information

When you look at your Diamond Engagement Ring, it is hard to

believe that hundreds of millions of years ago the stone began its life

Deep below the earths crust. The unimaginable temperatures burnt

away its impurities leaving a pocket of almost pure carbon.  At

pressures that could crush mountains, this liquid carbon was forced

to the surface in a larval flow of magma, funnelling from the depths

of the earth.  Cooling, just below the surface, it was subjected to

even more pressure as it contracted, it formed an almost symmetrical

crystal, harder and more dense than any other material on earth.

 After sleeping in total darkness for millions of years, your Diamond

Was cut and polished by expert hands, it becomes radiantly alive,

Its facets reflecting light in all directions.  

So beautiful but what a journey!