Diamond Buying Guide

Diamonds at Hugh Rice

We’re passionate about diamond jewellery and we’ve been helping our customers find the perfect pieces for over 40 years.

You can rest assured that you’re in safe, professional hands; we’re incredibly proud to count to count two Fellows of the Gemmological Association (FGA) and a further seven Diamond Members of the Gemmological Association (DGA) in various positions throughout the company. In addition, more than thirty of our colleagues are qualified by the National Association of Jewellers JET program.

Diamond being set into a ring mountOur colleagues are eager to share their knowledge, please feel free to ask any questions.

Please also be aware that all of our diamonds are conflict free.

Why a Diamond?

Look into the fire of a diamond and your pupils dilate; the beguiling beauty draws you in. Nothing sparkles quite like a diamond. Nothing inspires such a sense of wonder.

A diamond is not commonplace. They are not an everyday occurrence. Their rarity is precisely what makes them so special. They are a natural phenomenon, produced deep within the Earth’s crust after centuries of intense pressure and temperature.

They are not easy to recover, and when they are released from their underground captivity, only the most skilled craftsmen are able to refine their natural properties into the most perfect, blindingly resplendent gemstone.

Diamonds are extremely hard. They are difficult to cut and shape, and the expression ‘diamonds are forever’ is not without merit; a diamond that is cared for can last for an eternity.

An objet d’art of the finest proportions, a diamond is the pinnacle of unique natural design and precision workmanship.

It is an everlasting symbol of beauty.

This is why a diamond is the gemstone of choice for the most luxurious jewellery designs.

The 4 Cs

The quality of a diamond is measured against the 4 Cs. A universal method of measure, we’ve compiled a cheat sheet for you to understand the aspects of each.

Cut

A diamond that has been cut properly allows light to flow through it and sparkle. Our diamonds are cut with expert precision to ensure this sparkle is perfect.

The shape of the cut is an important choice. Round brilliant tends to be the most popular, as it is the ‘classic’ diamond shape, however we offer a range of shapes to suit any personal style.

Clarity

As a natural product, diamonds are rarely perfectly clear and many contain very minor internal and external imperfects known as inclusions. Whilst these inclusions add character and create a one-of-a-kind appearance for each individual gemstone, it is often desirable to have as few inclusions as possible.

The quantity and visibility of inclusions are measured on a grading scale from the very rare Flawless (FL), meaning no inclusions under 10x magnification to Included (I3), where inclusions can be seen without magnification.

Carat

Officially categorised as the weight of the diamond, most often you’ll notice the differences in carat weight in the physical size of the gemstone.

Although many people consider the ‘bigger the better’, this is not always the case, as it’s worth considering the size in relation to the wearer, the presence of additional gemstones, and the other Cs; an enormous but poorly-cut stone might not be as captivating as a smaller, perfectly-cut stone.

Colour

A diamond is regarded as more ‘pure’ if it is free from colour, so the clearer the better. Colour grading is alphabetical; D is colourless where Z are much more yellow in colour.