About The Four C’s

About the Color

Studdedbay has diamonds with grades D to K, where D represents ‘colorless’ and K represents ‘slightly or faintly colored.’ Studdedbay doesn’t sell diamonds of grades L to Z because they have a noticeable yellow tint that doesn’t meet the quality standards at Studdedbay.

D-F Color Diamonds: These diamonds are of the highest quality, extremely rare, and have a pure ice look with high precision, with no color.

G-H Color Diamonds: look almost colorless, with no warm hues of color, and are a great pick within your budget.

I-J Color Diamonds: Just like G-H, these have almost no color and are a great pick within your budget.

K Color Diamonds: are faintly colored and go well with yellow gold. They are also budget-friendly.

About the Cut

Excellent: The diamonds in this particular category have the best sparkle. As light enters the diamond, it is reflected internally from different mirror-like facets and dispersed evenly. This balances the white light and flashes of fire, providing the diamond its shine.

Very Good:The Cut might not be perfect, but the light entering almost gets reflected through the crown. It is priced lower than the excellent Cut and represents the top 15% of the cut quality of a diamond.

Good: Diamonds in this grade reflect most of the light that enters, but not as Excellent and Very Good grade. They appear darker with a lack of contrast.

Fair: These diamonds are slightly dull and don't have perfect cuts which result in light leakage. Diamonds with poorly cut pavilion facets are prone to light leakage, resulting in dull, lifeless diamonds.

About the Clarity

I1, I2, I3: these have noticeable inclusions, they impact the diamond looks. Studdedbay does not sell I1 diamonds for engagement rings.

SI1, SI2 (Slightly Included): minor inclusions visible under 10X magnification. 3. VS1, VS2 (Very Slightly Included): has minor inclusions when seen under 10X

VVS1 VVS2 (Very, Very Slightly Included): these contain tiny inclusions, even the trained eyes fail to see flaws under 10X magnification.

There are a lot of factors that affect Diamond Clarity. Let’s dive deep into these factors:

1. Inclusions or characteristics can turn into reflectors depending on their Position, which further impacts the clarity grade.
2. The number of characteristics that can be easily spotted. Fewer characteristics imply a higher clarity grade.
3. The Nature of characteristics defines the type of inclusion and its impact on the toughness of the diamond.
4. Color and relief play an essential role in the visibility of a characteristic.

Tips on Diamond Clarity

When it comes to the Clarity of the diamond, there are a lot of misconceptions and wrong beliefs. The first one being that the highest clarity grade ensures that there aren’t any visible imperfections. Another misconception is that a diamond sparkles more when it has a higher clarity grade.

Let’s get into some meaningful tips that will help you in selecting high-quality diamonds:

1. “Eye clean” means that the inclusions and blemishes are microscopic and can’t be seen without magnification. Clarity can have an impact on the price of the diamond. Higher the clarity grade, the higher the price.
2. SI (Slightly Included) and VS (Very Slightly Included) should be your first choice because the characteristics will not be visible without some sort of magnification.
3. The shape and size of the diamond have an impact on its Clarity. Clarity is said to be less important than color or cut, but if you wish to buy a fancy diamond, like an emerald, the flaws will be more visible, and you might want to spend more for getting a diamond with higher clarity grade.

About the Carat

The term carat refers to the weight of a diamond. Before the 20th century, diamonds were measured with the help of ‘carob seeds.’ Carob seeds were tiny and of uniform size. The word carat originated from the word carob. Carat refers to the weight and not length. People often think that a larger carat weight is better than a smaller carat weight, it isn’t always true. Carat weight is not associated with the sparkle of a diamond, a diamond with high carat weight but poor cut may look dull and small. Instead of contemplating a lot on carat weight, make sure to focus on all the 4Cs and make an informed decision.

1. Pick a carat weight between whole and half-carat. For instance, instead of buying a 1.00-carat diamond, buy a diamond slightly less than 1.00 carat, and you’ll definitely save some money there without compromising on quality.

2. The cut is significant. It makes the diamond sparkle. Even a diamond with high carat weight with glorious color and clarity can appear dull and small if it isn’t well-cut.

Diamond Shape, Size, and Clarity Plot

Shapes like Asscher and Emerald need a higher clarity because the flaws can be more visible in these. Clarity grade of VS1 or higher needs to be considered in such shapes. So, the flaws aren’t visible. Unlike these, round, oval, pear, heart-shaped diamonds do not require a high clarity grade because they naturally hide inclusions and blemishes.

With the increasing size of the diamond, facets also increase. You have to ensure a higher clarity grade with increasing size because the characteristics will be more visible. Clarity plots are referred to diagrams that map the blemishes and inclusions of the diamond. These inclusions are determined by a certified grader with the help of a device with 10X magnification.

What do you mean by Cut Of a Diamond?

The Cut of a diamond refers to the well-constructed dimensions, the perfect facets or surfaces that are placed in such a way to emanate shine and sparkle. Cuts are an essential factor that determines the price and brilliance of the diamond.

Difference between Cut and Shape

A diamond's shape corresponds to the outline or external figure of the diamond. Cut and shape, even though used interchangeably, aren't the same. An assessment of a diamond's Cut is based on several factors, including symmetry, proportion, and polish.

Wondering which Cut is the best? It all depends on your budget.

Cut has the most significant impact on the beauty of the diamond and its sparkle. Diamonds with perfect clarity with zero blemishes can look dull if the Cut is not perfect. Whether you want a 1-carat diamond or a 4-carat diamond, budget is of paramount importance. So, when buying a diamond, go for the one with the highest cut grade that fits in your budget.

A Well-Cut Diamond and its Characteristics - Brilliance, Fire, and Scintillation.
Brilliance is associated with the reflection of white light.
Fire is the dispersion of white light into the seven colors of the rainbow.
Scintillation is the pattern of light and dark parts and the sparkle or flashes of light you see when a diamond is moved.

What is the color of the diamond?

It is extremely rare to find a diamond with no color, i.e., colorless. Diamonds are found naturally in various colors like green, pink, brown, white, gray, etc. Color must be taken into consideration before buying a diamond.

Color is an important price factor and must be taken into consideration before buying a diamond. It is worth noticing that certified grading professionals should only determine a diamond's color grade.

The GIA Color Grade Scale

GIA color scale is the industry standard for diamond color grading. The color grades range from D to Z, where D stands for colorless and Z for slightly yellow or brown.

Diamond Grades at Studdedbay

Studdedbay has diamonds with grades D to K, where D represents ‘colorless’ and K represents ‘slightly or faintly colored.’ Studdedbay doesn’t sell diamonds of grades L to Z because they have a noticeable yellow tint that doesn’t meet the quality standards at Studdedbay.

D-F Color Diamonds: These diamonds are of the highest quality, extremely rare, and have a pure ice look with high precision, with no color.
G-H Color Diamonds look almost colorless, with no warm hues of color, and are a great pick within your budget.
I-J Color Diamonds: Just like G-H, these have almost no color and are a great pick within your budget.
K Color Diamonds are faintly colored and go well with yellow gold. They are also budget-friendly.

Wondering which is the best diamond color?
Finding perfectly colorless diamonds is extremely rare. Therefore, they are costly. D and E grades are a common choice of our customers; people also opt for colorless and near-colorless if they have the budget for the same. Consider buying a diamond of I, J, or K color if you purchase a diamond under 1 carat. For diamonds over 1 carat, you should go with a color grade over H.

Why are metals important?