gemstone-education

Cut

The Art of Precision

Cut is the most influential factor in a gemstone's beauty — it determines how light travels through the stone and how brilliantly it sparkles.

KEY ATTRIBUTES

Brilliance

The total amount of light reflected from a gemstone

Fire

The dispersion of white light into spectral colours

Scintillation

The pattern of light and dark areas and sparkle

GRADE SCALE

Ideal + Best Excellent Very Good Good Fair Poor

Carat

The Measure of Weight

Carat refers to a gemstone's weight, not its size. One carat equals 200 milligrams. Rarity increases dramatically with carat weight, driving exponential price increases.

KEY ATTRIBUTES

Total Weight

The combined weight of all gems when multiple stones are set

Visual Size

Cut and shape affect how large a carat appears to the eye

Price Jump

Prices rise sharply at magic weights such as 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 carats

GRADE SCALE

0.25ct + less 0.50ct 1.00ct 1.50ct 2.00ct 3.00ct+

Colour

The Spectrum of Beauty

In diamonds, less colour means more value. In coloured gemstones, the opposite is true — richer, more saturated hues command premium prices.

KEY ATTRIBUTES

Hue

The dominant colour perceived (red, blue, green, etc.)

Saturation

The intensity or purity of the colour

Tone

The lightness or darkness of the colour from pale to deep

GRADE SCALE

D–F: Colourless + Best G–J: Near Colourless K–M: Faint N–R: Very Light S–Z: Light

Clarity

The Purity Within

Clarity describes the presence of internal inclusions and external blemishes. Fewer and less visible characteristics generally increase rarity and value.

KEY ATTRIBUTES

Inclusions

Natural internal characteristics formed as the gemstone grows

Blemishes

Surface characteristics that may affect visual appearance

Visibility

Clarity is graded by how easily characteristics can be seen under magnification

GRADE SCALE

FL IF VVS1–VVS2 VS1–VS2 SI1–SI2 I1–I3