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Combine your selected ring design and diamond to create a unique and exclusive engagement ring, just for you.
DIAMONDS
Shapes Carat Colour Clarity Cut Report Symmetry
Polish Depth Table Girdle Culet Fluorescence Measurements
ROUND (also known as "Round Brilliant")
The classic and most popular of all the diamond shapes. Cut with 58 facets, they display fantastic sparkle and brilliance.
TIP: As a general rule, round brilliant cut diamonds command a price premium of 8-10% over all other diamond shapes, when comparing similar sizes and qualities.
Square in shape with right angled corners, princess diamonds have 76 facets which offer superb sparkle. They are second in popularity to round brilliant diamonds.
TIP: Look for princess cut diamonds with a length to width ratio as close to 1.00:1.00 as possible - this represents a perfect square shape.
Rectangular in shape with diagonal corners, emerald diamonds have 48 facets in a step-cut arrangement making them beautifully clear and offering flashes of brilliance rather than being cut purely for sparkle and scintillation.
TIP: Emerald cut diamonds have fewer facets than other shapes and so it is important to look for a clarity grade of at least VS2 to ensure that you don't see inclusions in the diamond with the naked eye.
Also often called the teardrop shape, pear diamonds have one rounded end and one pointed end. They have 58 facets and so excellent sparkle is displayed.
TIP: Look for a well proportioned pear cut diamond which, in turn, will minimise the presence of the 'bow-tie' effect. This is a naturally occurring phenomenon where a dark shape resembling a bow tie appears when viewing the diamond from above, usually signifying a poorly cut diamond.
Elongated in shape with rounded sides and pointed ends, marquise diamonds have 56 facets which produce gorgeous sparkle, with the natural shape of the diamond also providing a slimming effect on the finger.
TIP: Ensure that the physical shape of the diamond is appealing and it has good symmetry and balance. Ideally, it should have a length to width ratio of anywhere between 1.75:1.00 and 2.10:1.00.
With 56 facets, oval diamonds are very similar to round diamonds, projecting fantastic sparkle, and are often up to 10% cheaper than round diamonds of equivalent size and quality.
TIP: The shape of the diamond is all important here. One carat GIA graded diamonds and above will show an illustration on the grading report which can be very useful.
Radiant cut diamonds can be either squareish or rectangular in shape with diagonal corners. With 70 facets, radiant diamonds combine the elegance of the emerald shape with all the brilliance and fire of round diamonds.
TIP: Radiant cut diamonds can vary in actual shape quite substantially. Decide on what you are looking for, then look on the GIA report for the actual physical measurements of the diamond. Why not sketch it out on a piece of paper to ensure it is what you want or, better still, one carat radiant cut diamonds that are GIA graded will have a schematic of the diamond on the GIA report.
Square with diagonal corners in shape, asscher diamonds have 57 facets in a step-cut arrangement similar to that of emerald cut diamonds, and so a timeless and classical finish is guaranteed.
TIP: The facets of asscher cut diamonds are very similar to emerald cut diamonds and so the same rule applies - ensure that you buy a clarity grade of at least VS2 to ensure the inclusions in the diamond are not visible to the naked eye.
Cushion diamonds have an almost rectangular shape but with soft, rounded edges and corners. Their 58-60 facets resemble a cushion or pillow, hence the name.
TIP: The number and arrangement of facets in cushion cut diamonds means that an SI1 clarity grade is usually fine, allowing you to increase the quality of the other characteristics of the diamond.
Seen by many as the ultimate symbol of love and with 59 facets, heart diamonds are perhaps the fewest in number when it comes to global diamond supply but despite this, can offer excellent value for money.
TIP: Again, look to determine the actual physical shape of the diamond by means of digital photo, the GIA grading report illustration or simply be sketching out the diamond on a piece of paper. Make sure the diamond has good symmetry as this will ultimately go a long way in determining its overall sparkle and brilliance.
Click here for more info and tips on diamond shapes.
CARAT
The weight of a diamond, not simply the size.
Carat (not to be confused with 'karat' which relates to the purity of precious metals) refers to the weight of a diamond, not simply its size. Yes, of course, there is a strong correlation between size and weight and so typically, a diamond that appears larger will usually weigh more, but this is not always the case. Carat weight takes into account not only the top surface of a diamond but also its depth.
Typically, the greater the diamond carat weight, the more expensive it is.
For more detailed information on diamond carat, click here.
COLOUR
The extent to which a diamond is colourless.
Typically, the more colourless the diamond, the more valuable it is.
The best colour grade is D.
Quantum only offers diamonds with colour grades of H and above to ensure you receive a beautiful diamond.
The full GIA colour scale is;
Many of Quantum diamond jewellery pieces have a diamond quality of H/SI and G/VS. This relates to the colour and clarity of the diamonds in the jewellery. You can see colour grades H and G in the above illustration.
Click here for more info on diamond colour.
CLARITY
The extent to which a diamond has imperfections, known as ‘inclusions’.
Inclusions are naturally occurring phenomena in a diamond, and can take the form of tiny black pinpoints, crystals or feathers.
Typically, the fewer inclusions in the diamond, the more valuable it is.
The best clarity grade is flawless.
Quantum only offers diamonds with clarity grades of SI2 and above to ensure you receive a beautiful diamond.
The full GIA clarity scale is;
IF / FL Flawless or Internally Flawless – Inclusions are not present. Perfect.
VVS1 Very, very small inclusions 1 – Inclusions towards the edges visible under 30x magnification.
VVS2 Very, very small inclusions 2 – Inclusions towards the centre visible under 30x magnification.
VS1 Very small inclusions 1 – Inclusions towards the edges visible under 10x magnification.
VS2 Very small inclusions 2 – Inclusions towards the centre visible under 10x magnification.
SI1 Small inclusions 1 – Inclusions not visible with the naked eye, so is classed as “eye-clean”.
SI2 Small inclusions 2 – Inclusions may be visible with the naked eye upon close inspection.
I1-I3 Inclusions 1, 2 & 3 – Inclusions are visible with the naked eye.
Many of Quantum diamond jewellery pieces have a diamond quality of H/SI and G/VS. This relates to the colour and clarity of the diamonds in the jewellery. You can see clarity grades SI and VS in the above illustration.
Click here for more info on diamond clarity.
CUT
The quality of the cut of the polished diamond from its rough form.
Diamonds start life as rough diamonds, which resemble the fragments of a shattered windscreen. Skilled professionals take these rough diamonds and cut them into beautiful, polished diamonds, ready to be set into jewellery. The quality of this cut is extremely important to the natural beauty, appearance and natural beauty that the diamond exhibits and, therefore, its final value. For example, if a diamond is cut too deep or too shallow, then the internal light refraction inside the diamond will not be optimal which will negatively affect the sparkle of the diamond.
It is important to understand that not all certified diamonds have a cut grade. The GIA started to include a cut grade on its reports in 2006, for round diamonds only. Any other diamond shapes do not usually have a cut grade assigned to them by the GIA. The quality of the cut of these other diamond shapes is predominantly determined by analysing the symmetry, depth and table proportions of the diamonds.
Typically, the better the cut of the diamond, the more valuable it is.
The GIA grade diamond cut as ‘Poor’, ‘Fair’, ‘Good’, ‘Very Good’ and ‘Excellent’.
Quantum only offers diamonds with cut grades of ‘Good’ and above to ensure you receive a beautiful diamond.
Click here for more info on diamond cut.
REPORT
A certificate produced by an independent laboratory to verify the size, quality and characteristics of a diamond.
All diamonds of size 0.33ct and upwards from Quantum Diamonds are accompanied by a GIA diamond grading report.
The GIA – Gemological Institute of America – is the world’s foremost authority and most trusted diamond grading laboratory. Whilst there are other diamond laboratories around the world, none have the reputation that the GIA commands across the whole diamond industry.
The GIA provide two types of reports – the GIA Diamond Dossier for diamonds sized up to 0.99ct, and the GIA Diamond Grading Report for diamonds of size 1.00ct and over.
Items of diamond jewellery from Quantum that contain more than a single diamond such as earrings, pendants and bracelets, for example, are accompanied by a a Quantium jewellery authentication report to verify the overall carat weight and quality of your diamonds.
Click here for more info on diamond grading reports.
SYMMETRY
The exactness of a diamond's outline, and the shape, placement and alignment of its facets.
Typically, the better the symmetry of the diamond, the more valuable it is.
The GIA refer to symmetry as ‘Excellent’, ‘Very Good’, ‘Good’, ‘Fair’ and ‘Poor’.
The best symmetry grade is ‘Excellent’.
Common abbreviations for symmetry grading are;
Good = ‘GD’
Very Good = ‘VG’
Excellent = ‘EX’
Quantum only offers diamonds with symmetry grades of ‘Good’ and above to ensure that you receive a beautiful sparkling diamond.
POLISH
The extent to which the facets of a diamond have been polished and how defined the edges of each facet are.
It is almost impossible to see the differences in polish with the naked eye, but they do have a small effect on the overall brilliance of a diamond.
Typically, the better the polish of the diamond, the more valuable it is.
The GIA refer to polish as ‘Excellent’, ‘Very Good’, ‘Good’, ‘Fair’ and ‘Poor’.
The best polish grade is ‘Excellent’.
Common abbreviations for polish grading are;
Good = ‘GD’
Very Good = ‘VG’
Excellent = ‘EX’
Quantum only offers diamonds with polish grades of ‘Good’ and above to ensure that you receive a beautiful sparkling diamond.
DEPTH
The depth of a diamond expressed as a percentage of its total diameter.
If a diamond is too deep or too shallow, light will escape from parts of the diamond other than the top, and so some brilliance will be lost.
These are the ideal depth percentages for our 10 diamond shapes (for guideline purposes only);
Round Brilliant Cut: 58-63%
Princess Cut: 60-75%
Emerald Cut: 60-69%
Pear Cut: 58-65%
Marquise Cut: 59-65%
Oval Cut: 58-65%
Radiant Cut: 60-69%
Asscher Cut: 60-70%
Cushion Cut: 65-75%
Heart Cut: 58-65%
TABLE
The very top surface of a diamond expressed as a percentage of its total diameter.
If a diamond table is too small or too large, light will escape from parts of the diamond other than the top, and so some brilliance will be lost.
These are the ideal table percentages for our 10 diamond shapes (for guideline purposes only);
Round Brilliant Cut: 53-60%
Princess Cut: 60-75%
Emerald Cut: 60-75%
Pear Cut: 52-64%
Marquise Cut: 52-64%
Oval Cut: 54-64%
Radiant Cut: 60-69%
Asscher Cut: 60-70%
Cushion Cut:65-75%
Heart Cut: 55-60%
FLUORESCENCE
The extent to which a diamond turns blue when exposed to ultra-violet light under laboratory conditions.
Typically, the less fluorescence in the diamond, the more valuable it is.
The GIA refer to fluorescence as being ‘None’, ‘Faint’, ‘Medium’, ‘Strong’ and ‘Very Strong’.
The best fluorescence grade is ‘None’.
Common abbreviations for fluorescence grading are;
None = ‘N’
Faint = ‘FNT’
Medium = ‘MED’
Strong = ‘S’
Very Strong = ‘VS’
Click here for more info on diamond fluorescence.
GIRDLE
The outer perimeter facet of a diamond.
The GIA refer to the girdle as ‘Extremely Thin’, ‘Very Thin’, ‘Thin’, ‘Medium’, ‘Slightly Thick’, ‘Thick’, ‘Very Thick’ and ‘Extremely Thick’.
The best girdles are ‘Thin to Medium’, ‘Medium’ and ‘Medium to Slightly Thick’.
If a diamond has a girdle which is consistent in width all the way around, it will be assigned a single girdle grade. If there are fluctuations in width, it will be assigned a ‘from’ and ‘to’ grade. It is advisable to avoid wide fluctuations in girdle size as this indicates a poor cut.
CULET
The bottom point of a diamond.
If a diamond has a culet (pronounced ‘queue-lay’), it means that the diamond does not reach a perfect point at its base, and therefore signifies a poor cut or possible damage.
The GIA refer to the culet as ‘None’, ‘Small’, ‘Medium’ and ‘Large’.
The best culet is ‘None’.
The vast majority of diamonds have no culet, which means that they reach a perfect point at the base.
MEASUREMENTS
The physical dimensions of a diamond.
With the exception of round diamonds, the measurements of a diamond are displayed in millimetres to 2 decimal places as;
LENGTH x WIDTH x DEPTH
You can gauge the physical shape of a diamond by looking at its ‘Length to Width’ ratio by simply taking the length measurement and dividing by the width. For instance, if an emerald cut diamond has a length of 6mm and a width of 4mm, then it has a Length to Width ratio of 1.50:1.00, which is the ideal shape for a rectangular, emerald cut diamond. In other words, the diamond is twice as long as it is wide.
These are the ideal Length to Width ratios for our 10 diamond shapes;
Round Brilliant Cut: See below
Princess Cut: 1.00-1.05:1.00
Emerald Cut: 1.30-1.60:1.00
Pear Cut: 1.45-1.75:1.00
Marquise Cut: 1.80-2.05:1.00
Oval Cut: 1.30-1.60:1.00
Radiant Cut: 1.00-1.10:1.00
Asscher Cut: 1.00-1.05:1.00
Cushion Cut: 1.00-1.10:1.00
Heart Cut: 0.90-1.10:1.00
Round diamonds, however, are also referred to in three figures, but these are;
DIAMETER 1 – DIAMETER 2 x DEPTH
This is because round diamonds are almost never perfectly round in every direction as they are cut by humans, and so there are usually small deviations which are perfectly normal and acceptable.
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