BEYOND THE 4CS
The Finer Points
The 4Cs are the start. These guides cover the rest of the report, and the questions people ask once they have read the basics.
BEYOND THE 4CS
Diamond Fluorescence
The glow under UV light. When it helps, when it hurts, and how to judge it.
BEYOND THE 4CS
Polish and Symmetry
How carefully the stone was finished, and what triple excellent means.
BEYOND THE 4CS
Diamond Inclusions
Crystals, feathers, clouds and pinpoints. Which ones matter and why.
BEYOND THE 4CS
Hearts and Arrows
The pattern that shows exceptional precision in a round brilliant.
KNOW THE DIFFERENCE
Moissanite vs Diamond
Two different materials. Hardness, sparkle and how to tell them apart.
KNOW THE DIFFERENCE
How to Tell If a Diamond Is Real
What home tests can and cannot show, and how jewellers really check.
ANTIQUE CUTS
Old Mine Cut Diamonds
The hand-cut ancestor of the cushion, and how to choose one.
LAB-GROWN, IN DETAIL
Lab-Grown Diamond Treatments
What post-growth treatment and as grown mean on a lab report.
BEYOND THE 4CS
The Anatomy of a Diamond
Table, crown, girdle, pavilion and culet, and what each one does.
THE PAPERWORK
GIA vs IGI
The two big laboratories, and what matters more than the name.
BUYING GUIDE
The One Carat Diamond
How big it really looks, and how to buy one well.
BUYING GUIDE
Common Diamond Buying Mistakes
Ten mistakes we see most often, and how to avoid them.
COLOUR
Warm and Champagne Diamonds
From a hint of warmth to champagne and cognac.
LAB-GROWN, IN DETAIL
HPHT vs CVD: How Lab Diamonds Are Grown
The two ways diamonds are grown, and whether it matters.