About
Diamonds
Everything you need to know regarding grades of quality, types, & cheaper alternatives.
Evalutating Quality
The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) is the de facto global gemstone authority. They verify the authenticity and quality of gemstones sold by retailers worldwide and have developed a standardized system known as the 4 Cs, Colour, Clarity, Cut, and Carat, for grading diamonds. Using this system to grade diamonds gives us an objective and quantifiable method of assigning value to diamonds despite the subjective nature of their beauty.
The Chart
As you can see, diamonds are assigned separate grades for their four key attributes. Not only does this help justify their valuation, but it also allows us to quickly sort a large collection of diamonds and find one to suit your use case and budget. Let's say you need a 5-carat diamond to replace one that just fell out of your ring. You know that weight and cut will be crucial to fitting it in your ring so you are uncompromising on 5 carat and an excellent cut respectively. However, you find you have a hard time noticing differences in colour and clarity, so they are of secondary concern to you. You may be able to accept any colour better than N and a clarity of at least VS1. Knowing these requirements and informing your jeweller will allow them to show you all the diamonds that fit your criteria, and then you can make an informed decision based on your budget.
Natural Diamonds vs. Man-Made Diamonds vs. Fake Diamonds
Contrary to what you may believe, synthetic, laboratory-grown, or man-made diamonds are not "fake". They contain the same chemical composition as natural diamonds and will be correctly identified as diamonds by the standard gemological tools and techniques, let alone fool the naked eye. They are simply grown in a laboratory environment which imitates the conditions under which natural diamonds are formed. The maturation of diamond synthesis techniques has allowed the industry to increase the overall supply of diamonds on the market, thus lowering overall costs for the consumer, with man-made diamonds serving as the cost-effective entry point into the "real" diamond market. Laboratory-grown diamonds also have the advantage of there being no ethical questions about where or how they were sourced.
On the other hand, diamond simulants like cubic zirconia, colourless quartz, or silicon carbide do not share any chemical composition or crystal structure with diamonds. They can be identified as "fake" by machines or any competent jeweller. While their affordability might make them an attractive option, it is essential to note that they are not in fact diamonds and don't have the same rarity or resale value.
The Science
