The 4Cs of the Diamond

The quality and therefore the value of a diamond is defined by four main criteria, known as the 4Cs:

• Carat (weight)
• Cut (cut quality)
• Color (color)
• Clarity (purity)

Carat

Rather than being measured in grams or kilograms, the weight of diamonds is expressed in carats (not to be confused with gold carats, which indicate metal purity). One carat corresponds to 0.2 grams (1/5 of a gram). Each carat is divided into 100 points.

As carat weight increases, the physical size of the diamond also increases. However, this relationship is not linear: a one-carat diamond does not appear twice as large as a 0.50-carat diamond.
On the contrary, the increase in value is exponential. A one-carat diamond will cost significantly more than two half-carat diamonds of the same quality, as larger diamonds are considerably rarer.

Cut

The characteristic appearance of a diamond is the result of the combined effects of its surface brilliance (known as adamantine luster), polish quality, brilliance, and fire. These properties are linked to the diamond’s extreme hardness, high refractive index, and strong dispersion. A well-executed cut allows white light to enter the top of the diamond, be reflected by the internal facets of the pavilion, and return through the crown, separated into the colors of the spectrum.

Cut quality does not refer to the diamond’s shape (round, oval, pear, etc.), but rather to its proportions, symmetry, and polish.

Cut grades are:

• Excellent
• Very Good
• Good
• Fair
• Poor

A diamond graded Excellent offers the highest performance in terms of brilliance, sparkle, and fire.

A diamond consists of two main sections: the crown and the pavilion.
To determine cut quality, several key parameters are analyzed in relation to the diamond’s diameter:

• Table: the largest top facet
• Crown: the upper part of the diamond between the girdle and the table
• Girdle: the narrow band separating crown and pavilion
• Pavilion: the lower part of the diamond between the girdle and the culet
• Culet: the small facet at the base of the pavilion (ideally not visible to the naked eye)
• Depth: the total height of the diamond from the table to the culet

Different Diamond shapes

Diamonds can be cut into many different shapes. The most well-known include:

• Round Brilliant – the most common, with 58 facets; considered the optimal cut for proportions, symmetry, brilliance, and fire

• Princess – square shape, similar in brilliance to the round cut

• Emerald – rectangular shape with step cut

• Marquise – elongated shape

• Pear – a combination of round and marquise cuts

• Radiant – rectangular shape

• Asscher – octagonal shape

• Cushion – square or rectangular with rounded corners; ideal for colored diamonds

• Heart – a variation of the round cut

• Oval – derived from the round brilliant cut

Color

Color evaluation in most gem-quality diamonds is based on the absence of color. Chemically pure diamonds composed solely of carbon and with a perfect crystal structure are colorless, showing no hue.

A colorless diamond does not absorb light waves but reflects them back to the observer, who perceives white light.
The diamond industry has adopted an alphabetical color scale ranging from D to Z, where D represents the highest grade. As one moves down the scale, diamonds begin to develop yellow or brown tints visible to the naked eye.

• D: completely colorless, extremely rare, highest value

• E–F: virtually colorless, differences visible only to experts

• G–H: near colorless

• I–J: slight tint visible from certain angles

• K and below: increasingly noticeable yellow or brown tones

Fancy Color Diamonds

Chemically pure diamonds are colorless. However, when other elements are incorporated into the carbon structure, they can introduce color, giving rise to fancy color diamonds.

Examples include:

• Nitrogen: yellow, brown, or pink tones
• Boron: blue or gray-blue
• Hydrogen: red, violet, blue, or green

Color can also result from unusually intense heat and pressure during diamond formation, producing red, pink, or violet diamonds. Natural radiation can further influence color, creating blue or green diamonds.

Diamonds therefore exist in a wide range of colors. Unlike colorless diamonds, for fancy color diamonds the intensity of color is the primary factor determining quality and value, while clarity—though still important—is secondary.

Color intensity is classified into four main grades: Light, Fancy, Fancy Intense, e Fancy Vivid.
Among all diamonds, the red diamond is the rarest and most valuable; to date, only a very small number of stones have been certified as such.

Clarity

During their formation deep beneath the Earth’s surface, diamonds are exposed to extreme pressure and temperature variations. Under these conditions, they may come into contact with other minerals or develop structural irregularities. The result is inclusions (internal impurities) or blemishes within the crystal structure. Perfectly pure diamonds are extremely rare.

The vast majority of diamonds contain small inclusions, which are not always visible to the naked eye. The size, color, and position of these inclusions play a decisive role in determining a diamond’s clarity grade.

Clarity is assessed using an international grading scale based on observations at 10× magnification:

• FL / IF (Flawless / Internally Flawless): no visible inclusions
• VVS1 / VVS2 (Very Very Slightly Included): extremely small inclusions, very difficult to detect
• VS1 / VS2 (Very Slightly Included): very small inclusions, difficult to see
• SI1 / SI2 (Slightly Included): inclusions easily visible at 10× but not to the naked eye
• I1 / I2 / I3 (Included): inclusions visible to the naked eye, which may affect transparency and brilliance

What is a Diamond and how it forms

A diamond is a mineral composed of pure carbon. It has the same chemical composition as ordinary graphite found in pencils, but a different atomic arrangement within its crystal lattice.
Current knowledge about diamond formation largely derives from laboratory synthesis experiments, which have made it possible to identify the physical conditions essential to its origin.

Diamonds form in environments characterized by extreme pressure and temperature, approximately 70 tons/cm² and temperatures between 1,300 and 1,400 °C, at a depth of about 200 kilometers beneath the Earth’s surface.

Even slight variations in these parameters affect the crystal’s structural characteristics and determine the quality of diamonds extracted from different deposits. Studies show that diamonds classified as gem quality require higher temperatures than those sufficient to form diamonds intended for industrial use.
However, it is not possible to determine with certainty whether these extreme conditions were maintained for relatively short periods or for millions of years.

The age of diamonds can vary significantly depending on their area of origin. Some stones extracted in South Africa are estimated to be over 3 billion years old.
Their formation is closely linked to the presence of kimberlite, an extremely resistant volcanic rock that plays a fundamental role in transporting diamonds to the Earth’s surface.

Diamond deposits are generally divided into two categories: primary deposits and secondary deposits.

Primary deposits correspond to the remnants of ancient collapsed volcanic craters. Within these formations are vertical kimberlite conduits known as pipes, characterized by a conical shape.
In other cases, kimberlite appears in the form of long, narrow veins arranged vertically or obliquely, which can extend for several kilometers; these are known as dykes.
However, the majority of pipes and dykes are sterile: only about one out of every two hundred is economically viable.

When a deposit is productive, extraction initially takes place in open-pit mines. Excavation progresses deeper into the diamond-bearing pipe using large earth-moving machines and, in some cases, explosives. The mine gradually takes on a terraced structure of horizontal levels connected by a spiral road.
Over time, and due to the erosion of ancient volcanic structures, this extraction method may become uneconomical, requiring the use of alternative mining techniques. One of the most iconic primary deposits is the famous Big Hole in South Africa, which was mined to a depth of approximately 1,200 meters.

ver geological time, the gradual erosion of certain volcanoes can release diamonds, which are then transported by natural agents. Depending on their weight, the stones may be carried over varying distances and deposited in alluvial deposits, along riverbeds, at river mouths, or even along marine coastlines. These are known as secondary deposits.

Unlike open-pit mines, the exploitation of secondary deposits generally involves a high degree of manual labor. Extraction consists of collecting sediments from riverbeds in order to separate diamonds from the gravel.
In most cases, powerful suction devices mounted on rafts are used, capable of extracting hundreds of liters of sediment per minute. These deposits are typically limited in size and therefore of relatively short duration, and are mainly found in Central Africa, Venezuela, and Brazil.

NATURAL DIAMOND

Natural diamonds are composed of pure carbon and form at depths of approximately 160 kilometers beneath the Earth’s surface. Their formation takes millions of years and occurs in the Earth’s mantle, within molten rock, where extremely high pressure and temperature transform carbon atoms into one of the hardest substances known in nature: diamond.

Once formed, diamonds are transported to the surface through so-called volcanic pipes, geological structures created by ancient eruptions. From there, they are extracted from mines or found in alluvial deposits, which are sedimentary deposits carried by water.

Only a small percentage of extracted diamonds are suitable for jewelry. These gems, selected for their quality, are cut and polished to become the precious diamonds we know today.

SYNTHETIC DIAMONDS

Synthetic diamonds, also known as lab-grown diamonds, are diamonds created artificially but with the same chemical, physical, and optical properties as natural diamonds. Their production relies on advanced technological processes that replicate the extreme conditions found in the Earth’s mantle.

Currently, there are two main methods used to produce synthetic diamonds:

HPHT (High Pressure, High Temperature)
This method most closely resembles the natural diamond-forming process. It involves subjecting graphite (pure carbon) to extremely high pressure and temperature for a short period of time.
The result is a diamond that forms rapidly, yet exhibits characteristics similar to those of natural diamonds.

CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition)

Chemical Vapor Deposition is a more recent and innovative technique. In this process, a diamond seed is placed inside a high-temperature vacuum chamber, into which a carbon-rich gas mixture is introduced. Carbon atoms gradually deposit onto the seed, forming the diamond layer by layer.

Ethical Sourcing and Certification

All the diamonds offered on our website have been purchased in full compliance with the international agreements of the Kimberley Process, adopted by the European Commission in 2003, to ensure that diamonds cannot be used to finance armed conflicts.

All the diamonds we offer are natural and have not undergone any treatments to artificially enhance their quality. Each stone is accompanied by a certificate issued by some of the world’s most authoritative international institutions, including: Gemological Institute of America (GIA), International Gemological Institute (IGI), Hoge Raad voor Diamant (HRD)

Every diamond purchased features a laser inscription on the girdle (the diamond’s circumference) bearing the certificate number. This allows the stone to be identified and recognized in the event of loss or theft.

The Kimberley Process

Conflict diamonds—also known as blood diamonds—are diamonds mined in conflict zones and illegally traded to finance rebel groups and armed uprisings. The term “conflict diamond” refers precisely to the role this illicit trade has played in sustaining and prolonging wars in affected countries.

Historically, this phenomenon has been associated mainly with certain African countries, including Angola, Liberia, Sierra Leone, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Côte d’Ivoire, where diamonds were used to purchase weapons. In addition to fueling violence and instability, the conflict diamond industry was often characterized by inhumane working conditions, including violence, disease, and starvation. For these reasons, the sale and purchase of conflict diamonds are illegal.

During the 1990s, conflict diamonds accounted for approximately 4% of global diamond production and posed a serious threat to consumer confidence in the diamond market. In response to this crisis, the diamond industry, governments, and the United Nations established the Kimberley Process in 2003.

The Kimberley Process is an international certification scheme designed to track diamonds from the point of extraction to final sale, preventing conflict diamonds from entering the legitimate gemstone market. Thanks to this joint initiative, the flow of conflict diamonds has been drastically reduced. According to the World Diamond Council, today 99.8% of rough diamonds on the market are conflict-free.

To avoid purchasing a conflict diamond, it is essential to rely exclusively on retailers registered within the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, in compliance with United Nations resolutions and international industry standards. Currently, all diamond-producing countries—with the exception of the Central African Republic—participate in the Kimberley Process.