Diamond Rings

What Are Diamonds?

There are basically two types of diamond that you are likely to come across in engagement rings and other diamond jewellery i.e. natural and synthetic diamonds. The Beautiful Company only sell natural diamonds in our diamond rings and engagement rings that have been formed deep below the earths crust and have lain there for millions of years.  A natural diamond is basically a crystal of pure highly compressed carbon. Diamonds are found and mined in several parts of the world but predominantly in South Africa. Diamonds are the hardest natural substance known to man and when found they are far from the cut and polished gemstones you will see in our diamond rings and are known as "rough diamonds".

The diamonds used in our diamond rings, engagement rings and diamond jewellery have been sourced from specialist cutting and polishing centres all over the world, and we warrant that no diamonds known as "conflict diamonds" are knowingly sold and to the best of our ability we have undertaken measures to prevent their sale including obtaining written assurances from all our suppliers that all the diamonds in the jewellery we sell are "conflict" free.

What are "Conflict Diamonds"?

Conflict diamonds is a term used to define diamonds sold by countries or groups to fund armed conflict, For example in 1998 it was discovered that UNITA, a rebel group in Angola was funding its war against a legitimate government by the control and sale of rough diamonds, rebel groups in Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of Congo also funded conflicts in this way.

At its peak the trade in conflict diamonds was estimated to be less than 4% of annual rough diamond production and is now estimated to be less than 1%. But we believe that one diamond traded in this way is one too many, hence our efforts to get written assurances from all our suppliers that all our jewellery including our diamond solitaire and diamond eternity rings is conflict free.

Buying Guide for Diamond Rings, Diamond Pendants and Diamond Earrings

Whenever you purchase a diamond in a piece of jewellery you have to consider the "4Cs" of a diamond which areare Cut, Clarity, Carat, and Colour.

When buying engagement rings, diamond rings, diamond pendants or diamond earrings from The Beautiful Company the price we charge for that particular item depends on the interplay of all the 4Cs, Cut, Clarity, Carat, and Colour of the diamond and the amount and type of metal used in the setting. During the buying process especially for diamond rings you will be asked to choose from the elements of the 4C's and your choices will determine the price you will be asked to pay. Usually the Cut (i.e. shape) of the diamond and the Carat  (i.e. weight) of the diamond will be given in the product description so they will be obvious, the colour and clarity will be a matter of choice and what the different options mean are given below.

These 4Cs are used throughout the world to classify the rarity of diamonds. Diamonds with the combination of the highest 4C ratings are more rare and, consequently, more expensive. No one C is more important than another in terms of beauty and it is important to note that each of the 4Cs will not diminish in value over time.

Carat

Carat is a measure of the weight of a diamond or with diamond rings, diamond pendants or diamond earrings it's also used to describe the total weight of diamonds the item has.

Carat is often confused with size even though it is actually a measure of weight. One carat is equivalent to 200 milligrams. One carat can also be divided into 100 "points." A .75 carat diamond is the same as a 75-points or 3/4 carat diamond.

Whilst you would expect a 1-carat diamond to cost exactly twice the price of a half-carat diamond, in fact since larger diamonds are harder to find under the laws of supply and demand a 1-carat diamond will cost more than twice a 1/2-carat diamond (assuming colour, clarity and cut remain constant).

This also means a 1 carat diamond solitaire in an engagement ring will be more expensive than a 1 carat diamond eternity ring, diamond trilogy ring or a diamond eternity ring that contains more than one diamond, providing the clarity of the diamond solitaire ring is equivalent to that of the others.

Clarity

Clarity Refers to the presence of imperfections in a diamond. These imperfections are called inclusions in the jewellery industry. Each and very diamond, and therefore every diamond ring, is unique. Nature ensures that each diamond is as individual as the person who wears it. Naturally-occurring features known as inclusions provide a special fingerprint within the stone. Inclusions are natural identifying characteristics such as minerals or fractures, appearing while diamonds are formed in the earth. They may look like tiny crystals, clouds or feathers or tiny specks.

To view small inclusions, jewellers use a magnifying loupe. This tool allows jewellers to see a diamond at 10x its actual size so that inclusions are easier to see. The position of inclusions can affect the value of a diamond. There are very few flawless diamonds found in nature, thus these diamonds are much more valuable.

Inclusions are ranked on a scale of perfection, known as clarity, which was established by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). The clarity scale, ranging from F (Flawless) to Included (I), is based on the visibility of inclusions at a magnification of 10x.

Some inclusions can be hidden by a mounting, thus having little effect on the beauty of a diamond. An inclusion in the middle or top of a diamond could impact the dispersion of light, sometimes making the diamond less brilliant.
The greater a diamond's clarity, the more brilliant, valuable and rare it is and the higher it is on the Diamond Quality Pyramid. For diamond rings in particular we at The Beautiful Company recommend that with any diamond over 0.5ct the higher the clarity you can afford the better to avoid inclusions that are visible to the naked eye, though you can be lucky. Up to half a carat it is possible to get a really nice diamond ring with the basic levels of clarity. Upgrades are always available for customers who want to try lower levels of clarity to save money but then find they would like to improve on the clarity of the diamond.

Clarity Description

• FL - IF Flawless/internally flawless
• VVS1 - VVS2 Very, very small inclusions, very hard to locate under a 10x, unable to see with the unaided eye
• VS1- VS2 Very small inclusions, hard to locate under a 10x, unable to see with the unaided eye
• SI1 - SI2 Slight inclusions, easy to locate under a 10x, but unable to see with the unaided eye
• SI3 - Slight inclusions in the non prominent areas of the diamond
• I1 I2 I3 Inclusions - which can be visible to the unaided eye - collectively known as P Clarity

The Beautiful Company offers with just about all its diamond solitaire rings, diamond engagement rings and some of its diamond eternity rings grades of clarity from P clarity to VS1 though we can get IF as well that would be a special quotation.

For diamond solitaire rings with diamonds of 0.5 carat weight or below generally P clarity is fine as the size of the diamond means that any inclusions would be very difficult to see. For solitaires of 0.5 carat or higher we would recommend moving up to at least SI clarity so that there is no chance of seeing anything with the naked eye.

For diamond eternity rings and diamond trilogy rings of 1 carat or less as each individual diamond is less than 0.5 carat then P clarity is generally fine. Any grade of diamond is available on request please "Contact Us" for a quotation.

Colour

Colour Refers to the degree to which a diamond is colourless.

Diamonds are actually found in almost every colour of the rainbow, but white-coloured diamonds remain most popular.

Diamonds are graded on a colour scale established by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) which ranges from D (colourless) to Z. Warmer coloured diamonds (K-Z) are particularly desirable when set in yellow gold. Icy winter whites (D-J) look stunning set in white gold or platinum.

Colour differences are very subtle and it is very difficult to see the difference between, say, an E and an F. Therefore, colours are graded under controlled lighting conditions and are compared to a master set for accuracy.

Truly colourless stones, graded D, treasured for their rarity, are highest on the Diamond Quality Pyramid. Colour, however, ultimately comes down to personal taste.

Nature has also created diamonds in intense shades of blue, green, yellow, orange, pink or - rarest of all - red. These diamonds are called coloured fancies and are extremely rare and highly treasured.

Here's a grid that will help you understand the colour grades of diamonds:

All the Beautiful Company diamond solitaire rings and diamond eternity rings are of at least colour H unless otherwise stated as this colour represents the best value for money, giving a diamond ring with a nice colour for and affordable price and for many of the diamond rings you can choose up to the best colour of D.

Cut

Cut refers to the shape of the diamond and the how the facets of the diamond are proportioned.

Nature determines so much about a diamond, but it takes a master cutter to reveal the stone's true brilliance, fire and ultimate beauty. For engagement rings we would recommend brilliant cut diamonds as this cut has the sparkle young ladies generally want.

Based on scientific formulas, a well-cut diamond will internally reflect light from one mirror-like facet to another and disperse and reflect it through the top of the stone. This results in a display of brilliance and fire, thereby placing well-cut diamonds higher on the Diamond Quality Pyramid than deep or shallow-cut diamonds. Diamonds that are cut too deep or too shallow lose or leak light through the side or bottom, resulting in less brilliance and ultimately, value.
Cut options include round, square, pear, or heart for example. Since a round diamond is symmetrical and capable of reflecting nearly all the light that enters, it is the most brilliant of all diamond shapes and follows specific proportional guidelines. Non-round shapes, also known as "fancy shapes", will have their own guidelines to be considered well-cut.

The Beautiful Company offers a full range of diamond rings and engagement rings with Brilliant (round) cut, Princess (square) cut, Marquise cut, oval cut, heart cut and pear cut diamonds all available. Diamond eternity and diamond side stone rings with a variety of cuts are also available some also have a mixture of cuts within the same ring!

Certification

We provide either certification by the manufacturer or an independent  certificate provided by one of the world's leading diamond laboratories.  These include GIA, IGI, HRD, ANCHORCERT by Birmingham Assay Office & other leading laboratories.