The diamond guide

Choosing a diamond should feel exciting, not overwhelming. Here’s everything you need to know about shape, carat, cut, clarity and setting, explained simply, so you can choose with confidence.

01 · Shape

Shape

Shape is the outline of a diamond seen from above, and it sets the personality of the whole piece. It’s the first thing people notice, and the most personal choice you’ll make.

Round brilliant ~ the classic diamond shape, cut to return the most sparkle.
Oval & pear ~ elongated shapes that look larger for their weight and lengthen the finger.
Emerald & Asscher ~ step cuts with long, clean facets and a softer, hall-of-mirrors glow.
Cushion, radiant & princess ~ softly square or rectangular, full of fire.
Marquise ~ long and pointed, with a vintage feel, and a little unexpected.

02 · Carat weight

Carat weight

Carat measures a diamond’s weight, not its size. One carat is 0.2 grams, divided into 100 points, so a 0.75 ct diamond is 75 points.

Two diamonds of the same weight can look fairly different: a well-cut stone, or an elongated shape like an oval, can face up larger than a deeper one.

Prices step up at popular weights like 0.50 ct and 1.00 ct. A stone just under, say 0.90 ct, can look almost identical for noticeably less.
The setting of the stone plays a part too. A halo or a fine band makes a centre stone look bigger.

03 · Cut

Cut

Not to be confused with shape, cut describes how well a diamond’s facets are angled, proportioned and polished. It’s what turns light into sparkle, and it does more for a diamond’s beauty than anything else.

Brilliance ~ the bright, white light reflected back to you.
Fire ~ the flashes of rainbow colour.
Scintillation ~ the play of light and dark as the diamond moves.

Round brilliants are graded from Excellent to Poor. We always recommend putting cut first: a beautifully cut diamond looks brighter and more alive than a heavier stone that’s poorly cut.

04 · Clarity

Clarity

Most diamonds hold tiny natural traces of how they formed: inclusions inside the stone and blemishes on the surface. Clarity grades how many there are, how large they are and how easily they can be seen.

FL / IF ~ flawless or internally flawless. These diamonds are extremely rare.
VVS1 – VVS2 ~ very, very slightly included. Hard to see even under 10× magnification.
VS1 – VS2 ~ very slightly included. Usually invisible to the naked eye.
SI1 – SI2 ~ slightly included. Often still eye-clean, so worth judging stone by stone.
I1 – I3 ~ included. Visible to the eye.

Brilliant shapes like round and oval hide inclusions well. Step cuts like emerald or asscher cuts show more, so they suit a higher clarity.

05 · Settings

Settings

The setting holds your diamond and shapes how it’s worn every day.

Claw ~ four or six claws lift the stone towards the light. Classic and minimal.
Bezel ~ a slim rim of metal wraps the stone. Sleek, modern and secure.
Halo ~ a circle of small diamonds frames the centre stone for extra size and sparkle.
Pavé ~ tiny diamonds set along the band for continuous shine.
Three-stone & cluster ~ side stones for more presence, and more meaning.
Solitaire ~ one diamond, with nothing to distract from it.

Pair it with your metal of choice, and we’ll help you find the combination that suits your hand and the way you live.

Explore the bespoke process

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Tell us what you love and we’ll guide you through every choice.

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