How To Buy A Diamond

Cut

The cut of a diamond is the most important quality characteristic. The cut drives 45% of the stones value and 90% of the beauty. The cut maximizes the optical properties within a diamond and its ability to reflect light in and allowing the diamond to be brilliant.  Cut is not to be confused with the shape of the diamond; cut refers to the arrangement and placement of the facets and their ability to return the light entering the diamond back to your eyes.

Color

Color refers to how colorless a diamond is, or to how much body color it possesses.  In fact, diamonds range from perfectly colorless to yellowish, with many gradations in between. Colorless diamonds are the rarest of all and the most beautiful. Subtle color variations dramatically affect the value and the beauty of a diamond.  When a diamond has more body color, it appears darker and less brilliant to the eye.

Visual Brilliance

It has been known for decades that two diamonds of ideal proportions, with the same color and clarity grade, can have significantly different Light Performance or beauty.  The Beauty is dependent upon a number of factors such as brilliance, scintillation, fire, brightness, and sparkle. All of these factors can be summarized as Light Performance.  The GemEx Light Performance Analysis is the only certificate to quantify and qualify your diamond’s beauty.

All of Arthur’s diamonds are conflict free   Arthur’s guarantees all of our diamonds are conflict free and we abide by the Kimberley Process and the System of Warranties.      Learn more about conflict free diamonds.

Clarity

The clarity of a diamond was determined millions of years ago, when the diamond formed through heat and pressure.  The parts of the diamond which did not crystallize when it came to the earth's surface are called blemishes or inclusions.  Clarity refers to grading the number, size and location of the inclusions the diamond possesses. 

Carat

The Carat is the actual weight of the diamond. Diamonds, however, will not always look larger because they are heavier in weight. Most diamonds cut today are cut too deeply and look smaller for the same given weight when compared to a properly proportioned stone.