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Diamond Education

The 4C's And Your Diamond

Select the Perfect Diamond

Diamond Essentials and the 4 C's

This interactive walk-through will guide you through key facts and information about diamonds, and specifically how the 4 C's of any diamond will contribute to it sparkle and shine. Each section offers indepth reading, or a snippet of learning across each of these interactive sections. Use the arrows to guide your way through the DX Diamond Education pages.

Shape

The 4C's And Your Diamond
Diamond Education

What is Diamond Shape?

Choosing a diamond shape is crucial. While round diamonds remain popular, fancy shapes like oval, cushion, radiant, pear, heart and princess are gaining traction. At DX, we offer a wide range of shapes because we believe each ring should be as perfect as the love it symbolizes.

Discover the shape that reflects your individuality and union.

Explore Shape - The 4C's
Your Selection
Round Diamond Shape
Your Selection
Oval Diamond Shape
Your Selection
Cushion Diamond Shape
Your Selection
Pear Diamond Shape
Your Selection
Emerald Diamond Shape
Your Selection
Princess Diamond Shape
Your Selection
Radiant Diamond Shape
Your Selection
Heart Diamond Shape
Your Selection
Marquise Diamond Shape
Your Selection
Asscher Diamond Shape

Carat

The 4C's And Your Diamond
Diamond Education

What is Carat Weight?

Carat refers to the unit of measurement which is used to weigh diamonds. Often, this is the most obvious visual element when we compare diamonds.

Carat is sometimes confused with the visual size of stones but it refers to weight only. The size does impact different stones’ measurements though.

Shapes and types of gemstones can also show slightly different readings due to variable densities.

Explore Carat - The 4C's
0.50 CT0.75 CT1.00 CT1.25 CT1.50 CT2.00 CT2.50 CT3.00 CT
0.50 Carat

Shown with 0.50CT round brilliant cut diamond

0.75 Carat

Shown with 0.75CT round brilliant cut diamond

1.00 Carat

Shown with 1.00CT round brilliant cut diamond

1.25 Carat

Shown with 1.25CT round brilliant cut diamond

1.50 Carat

Shown with 1.50CT round brilliant cut diamond

2.00 Carat

Shown with 2.00CT round brilliant cut diamond

2.50 Carat

Shown with 2.50CT round brilliant cut diamond

3.00 Carat

Shown with 3.00CT round brilliant cut diamond

Cut

The 4C's And Your Diamond
Diamond Education

What is Diamond Cut?

Cut describes the symmetry, balance, proportion and polish created by the diamond cutter, not the stone’s actual geometric shape. A diamond’s inherent beauty is determined directly by the expertise of its cut.

Stones cut the most skilfully will refract and reflect the most amount of light. Diamond cutters have a special understanding of the ways in which light penetrates and radiates through diamonds.

Cutters follow a special set of exact angles and proportions to maximise each diamond’s intrinsic brilliance and showcase its sparkle.

Explore Cut - The 4C's
PoorFairGoodVery GoodExcellentSuper Ideal
Poor

Diamonds which reflect only a little of the light entering them. Not carried by Diamond Exchange.

Fair

Diamonds which reflect some of the light entering them. Not carried by Diamond Exchange.

Good

Diamonds which reflect most of the light entering them. Not carried by Diamond Exchange.

Very Good

Reflecting almost as much light as the ideal cut, these diamonds are excellent quality at a cost significantly lower.

Excellent

Diamonds which radiate almost all the light entering them.Finished with precision for maximum sparkle, they fall within the top 3% of quality determined by cut.

Super Ideal

Diamonds which have perfect dimensions and proportions and emit optimal light. The cut to which the most rigorous standards are applied.

Clarity

The 4C's And Your Diamond
Diamond Education

What is Diamond Clarity?

The term ‘clarity’ is used in reference to a diamond’s purity and rarity. Minuscule characteristics can be trapped on or within a diamond when it is formed.

Gemmologists will examine these surface and internal characteristics under 10x magnification when assigning a grading to each stone. Diamonds with little or no inclusions are especially rare and valuable.

Explore Clarity - The 4C's
SI2SI1VS2VS1VVS2VVS1IFFL
SI2 - Slightly Included

Inclusions are visible under 10x magnification and may be visible to the naked eye. More inclusions than SI1.

SI1 - Slightly Included

Inclusions are visible under 10x magnification, but are generally not visible to the naked eye.

VS2 - Very Slightly Included

Slightly more inclusions than VS1, difficult to see under 10x magnification and typically cannot be seen with the naked eye.

VS1 - Very Slightly Included

Inclusions cannot be seen with the naked eye and are difficult to see under 10x magnification.

VVS2 - Very Very Slightly Included

Slightly more inclusions than VVS1, but still very difficult to see under 10x magnification even for expert gemologists.

VVS1 - Very Very Slightly Included

Miniscule inclusions are very difficult to see under 10x magnification, even for expert gemologists.

IF - Internally Flawless

Extremely rare and valuable, these diamonds have no internal flaws but may have minute surface blemishes visible under 10x magnification.

FL - Flawless

Extremely rare and valuable, flawless diamonds have no internal or external flaws. Less than 1% of all diamonds are FL clarity.

Colour

The 4C's And Your Diamond
Diamond Education

What is Diamond Colour?

Colour, graded by GIA standards, indicates the natural hue or lack thereof in a diamond. DX exclusively offers colourless and near-colourless diamonds for their rarity. While colour variations don't necessarily affect value or quality, those with minimal colour are highly sought after.


Traces of elements during formation result in hues like yellow, grey, or brown. Gemstone colour is assessed by hue, tone, and saturation: hue is the primary colour impression, tone is its lightness or darkness, and saturation is its purity and intensity.

Explore Colour - The 4C's
JIHGFED
J COLOUR - Near Colourless

Colour can be detected, but offers good value.

I COLOUR - Near Colourless

Colour can be slightly detected, but offers good value.

H COLOUR - Near Colourless

Colour is only slightly noticeable when compared to diamonds of better grades, but offers excellent value.

G COLOUR - Near Colourless

Colour is only slightly noticeable when compared to diamonds of better grades, but offers excellent value.

F COLOUR - Colourless

Slight colour can be detected by an expert gemmologist, but still considered “colourless”. A high-quality diamond.

E COLOUR - Colourless

Only minute traces of colour can be detected by an expert gemmologist. A rare, high quality diamond.

D COLOUR - Absolutely Colourless

The highest colour grade which is extremely rare and the most valuable.

THE DX ADVANTAGE

Not only do we offer better prices than other jewellery retailers, we provide multiple channels, ease of purchase and expert advice, no matter how you shop with us.

Buying direct and save up to 40% as we help you cut out the middle man. At DX, we help you make the most of your budget while securing the best possible diamond.

We'll help you find the perfect Lab Grown or Natural diamond, and customise the setting to create the perfect engagement ring or jewellery piece.

All diamonds are GIA or IGI Certified.
Access over 80,000 Natural or Lab Grown diamonds at the best possible price, Australia-wide.

What is Diamond Shape?

The shape of a diamond is its geometric outline. What’s the difference between a fancy shape and a round? Find out which shapes potentially favour your unique style best.

Learn More

EXPLORE DIAMONDS BY SHAPE

The diamond’s physical form is known as its shape and this is one of the first things to consider when selecting a stone.

Round

Oval

Cushion

Pear

Emerald

Princess

Radiant

Heart

Marquise

Assher

The 4 C's

The 4C's of diamonds are a set of criteria used to evaluate and grade the quality of a diamond. These criteria are essential for assessing a diamond's value and determining its overall quality. The combination of these factors determines the overall beauty and worth of a diamond. The 4C's stand for:

Cut

Cut describes a diamond’s reflective qualities, as well as its symmetry and facets. A diamond’s cut directly relates to its radiance and charm. Learn more.

Colour

Colour describes a diamond’s natural colour or absence of visible internal colour, in relation to the GIA grading scale. The more “colourless” the diamond, the more rare and valuable it is. Our diamonds are selected exclusively from the “colourless” and “near colourless” categories. Learn more.

Clarity

Clarity refers to the natural imperfections and tiny inclusions which may be visible in a diamond. Diamonds with none, or only a small amount of these, are judged to be the most rare and valuable. Learn more.

Carat

Carat refers to the unit of measurement which is used to weigh diamonds. Often, this is the most obvious visual element when we compare diamonds. Learn more.

GIA & IGI Certification

At Diamond Exchange, the quality of all of our diamonds is verified independently. Grading reports and diamond certificates, available for every diamond, provide expert assessments from an independent laboratory.

Gemmologists, using special equipment, calculate the dimensions and weights of diamonds and determine the quality characteristics of cut, colour and clarity. All of our diamonds are certified by the GIA (Gemological Institute of America).

DX RECOMMENDED: DIAMOND QUALITIES WE RECOMMEND

It is important to us that you choose a diamond that is both good value and that you absolutely love! With this in mind, we recommend the following gradings when considering the characteristics of your perfect diamond.

Carat

The Carat weight of the diamond really depends on your budget and should only be considered in conjunction with Cut, Colour & Clarity.

Carat

Cut

To maximise brilliance, we recommend a cut grading of Excellent or Super Ideal for round diamonds, and Very Good, Excellent or Super Ideal for fancy shapes (non-rounds).

Cut

Colour

For a beautiful white colour, we recommend a colour grading within the range of D (absolutely colourless) to G (near-colourless and excellent value).

Colour

Clarity

To avoid inclusions visible to the naked eye and still maintain great value, we recommend a clarity grading of either SI1, VS2 or VS1.

Clarity

Beyond the 4 C's

Polish, symmetry, and fluorescence are additional factors used to assess a diamond's quality, beyond the main 4C's. These factors, along with the 4C's should be considered when choosing a diamond that suits overall preferences and budget.

Symmetry

Symmetry refers to how perfect the shape, and how perfect the placement and alignment of the facets are on a diamond. We recommend a Symmetry grading of Excellent for round diamonds, and Very Good or Excellent for fancy shapes (non-rounds).

Polish

Polish refers to how perfectly smooth the surface of a diamond is after it has been cut and polished. We recommend a Polish grading of Excellent for round diamonds, and Very Good or Excellent for fancy shapes (non-rounds).

Fluorescence

Fluorescence refers to a visual property whereby a diamond may glow when exposed to certain wavelengths of light. Since these wavelengths exist in sunlight and since the glow of fluorescence can make a diamond appear dull and milky, we recommend Faint to Nil fluorescence.

"Esther answered all our questions with so much detail it made the purchasing experience very easy and gave us the confidence that we were getting an amazing quality diamond! We were very impressed by the range of high-grade diamonds they had available compared to other jewellers. They even had our custom order ready under lead time - highly recommended."

— Madalyn Bartlett

Start With A Setting

The DX range of settings are of the highest quality; each, made for you. Our curated ranges are each optimised to the diamond shape and size that you choose - ensuring that each ring is truly bespoke.

Halo Engagement Rings

HALO



Solitaire Engagement Rings

SOLITAIRE



Accent Engagement Rings

ACCENT



Trilogy Engagement Rings

TRILOGY



What are Lab Grown Diamonds?

Lab grown diamonds are produced in laboratories using processes that mimic how natural diamonds are created in the depths of the Earth over millions of years. Utilising advanced technology, these diamonds are manufactured from carbon atoms arranged in a unique crystal structure, embodying the same optical and chemical properties as their natural counterparts.

Lab grown diamonds have seen substantial improvements in quality and cost-effectiveness over the past decade, enabling their application in industrial use as well as in jewellery. They are an affordable, high-quality alternative to earth-mined diamonds.

Learn More