03 / 09

Diamonds and the 4Cs

A diamond's price depends on four properties — carat (weight), cut, colour and clarity — but they do not matter equally. What the eye actually sees is cut: a well-cut smaller stone outshines a poorly cut large one. There is no sense paying for a clarity grade you can only tell apart under a strong loupe. Every stone we set above 0.3 carats carries a GIA or IGI certificate. Learn to read a certificate like a goldsmith, and you will know where to save and where never to.