/ Cut
A diamond's beauty is determined by nature and enhance by its cut. The superlative optical properties of a polished diamond are maximised by the exact positions and angles of the facets in relation to each other.
The diamond cutter's skill lies in maximising each stone's life and brilliance, essentially releasing its inner fire.
Technically speaking, the diamond must be cut to proportions that allow light to refract and reflect from one facet to another so that it disperses through the crown in a glorious burst. Emotionally speaking the cut should make your diamond sparkle.
The diamond's Cut is not the same as its "shape". Shape refers to its outline or form, not to its reflective qualities. Its shape might be round, square, oval or many other forms but it is its Cut that will govern its ultimate vivacity.
/ Clarity
The formation of diamonds, deep within the Earth's interior occurs under extreme and variable pressures, temperatures and cooling conditions. Fracture marks, tension cracks, clouds and even the presence of enclosed minerals are the fingerprints of these conditions. We refer to them as inclusions and they are the identifying characteristics used to grade the Clarity of a diamond.
To be assessed a stone is examined under X10 magnification. The fewer the inclusions, the higher the Clarity grading and the more rare and perfect the stone. At Hamilton and Inches, the diamonds featured in our engagement rings are always VS2 Clarity or above.
| Clarity | Inclusions are natural flaws in a stone that may or may not be visible to the eye and may or may not impact on a diamond's sparkle. | |
| IF | Internally Flawless | No inclusion and only insignificant surface blemishes visible* |
| VVS1 - VVS2 | Very, Very Slightly Included | Minute inclusions that are incredibly difficult to see, generally only visible from the back of the stone and may be removed easily by repolishing* |
| VS1 - VS2 | Very Slightly Included | Minor inclusions that range from difficult (VS1) to slightly easier (VS2) to see* |
| SI1-2 | Slightly Included | Noticeable inclusions that are easy (SI1) or very easy (SI2) to see* |
| I1-3 | Obviously Included | Obvious inclusions that are easily visible under 10X magnification and in some cases may even be seen without magnification |
| * The classifications used result from analysing a gemstone under a x10 magnification | ||
/ Colour
The colour of gemstones is usually the first major characteristic to be recognised by the human eye. Colour is produced by the absorption of white light which is made up of the spectral/rainbow colours. The individual colour components are absorbed at different rates depending upon the chemical and atomic structure of the mineral.
At a glance, most diamonds appear white. However, on detailed inspection almost all display hints of colour. The closer a diamond is to colourless the more valuable it is - unless it is one of the rare, natural, so-called "fancy" colours: pinks, blues, greens, yellows. Pure diamonds appear colourless because almost all the wavelengths of the spectrum are equally strongly absorbed; trace elements and irregularities in molecular structure sometimes produce coloured diamonds.
Hamilton & Inches diamond engagement rings go from G colour (Rare White) upwards to D ("Exceptional white+").
We believe, in the nicest possible way, that the only colour our diamonds should produce is the green of envy!
/ Carat
Carat refers to the weight of a gemstone and comes from the word carob: the carob seed weighs almost exactly 0.2 grams and was used in ancient times to balance against diamonds in the weighing pan for trading purposes. A one carat, circular, brilliant-cut diamond of good proportions will measure approximately 6.5mm in diameter.
It is not the case that a diamond weighing two carats will be worth only twice as much as a one carat diamond of the same quality. This is because the larger the stone the rarer it is; and the higher qualities are rarer still in larger sizes. And it is certainly not the case that two diamonds of the same weight will be the same price: all the Four Cs - Cut, Clarity, Colour and Carat weight, contribute to the market value. Your range of choice is as infinite as nature.