Flawless Diamonds Are Extremely Rare

A diamond is typically 99.95% carbon. it is the only gemstone made almost entirely of a single element. The rest is one or more trace elements, which aren't part of a diamonds essential chemistry. Depending on the element, they can greatly influence its colour and shape. A diamonds characteristic chemical composition and crystal structure make it a unique member of the mineral kingdom. Formation conditions also help determine a minerals identity. Diamond forms under high temperature and pressure conditions that exist only within a specific depth range beneath the earth's surface. Graphite, like diamond, contains only carbon, but its formation process is very different. The result is that graphite is so soft that you can write with it, while diamond is so hard that you can only scratch it with another diamond.
Diamonds are found in the deserts of South Africa, the permafrost of Siberia, Western Australia, the frozen tundra in Canada's north-west territories and in the ocean off the South West coast of Africa. When diamonds are mined, only 0.30ct of good quality diamond is found to every tonne of diamond ore. Flawless diamonds are extremely rare and expensive. Diamonds are graded by their value factors; clarity, colour, cut and carat weight.

Clarity - Few things in nature are absolutely perfect. That’s as true of diamonds as anything else. Diamonds have internal features, called inclusions, and surface irregularities, called blemishes. Together they're called clarity characteristics. Clarity is the relative absence of inclusions and blemishes. Inclusions normally have more impact on a diamonds beauty and value than blemishes.
Colour - Many people think of diamonds as colourless but in reality, truly colourless diamonds are quite rare. Most diamonds used in jewellery are near colourless with only slight yellow or brown tints, only visible under great magnification. Diamonds also come in a variety of different colours. With coloured diamonds, more colour usually means higher value and more desirability.

Cut - A well cut diamond can make light perform in breathtaking ways, resulting in a magnificent display of fire and brilliance. Cuts in shapes other than round are called fancy cuts, the most familiar are marquise, princess, pear, oval, heart, baguettes, and emerald cut. Facets are the flat, polished surfaces on a finished gem. The more facets a diamond has, the more light can enter and reflect inside the diamond, producing more brilliance.
Carat Weight - One metric carat is one-fifth (0.2) of a gram. One carat is divided into one hundred points so a point is one hundredth of a carat. Large diamonds are more rare than smaller ones so are a lot more valuable. A 1.00ct diamond weighs the same as four 0.25ct diamonds. But even if all the other quality characteristics are equal, the larger diamond is worth much more than the sum of the four smaller diamonds.
Durability is a gemstone's ability to withstand wear, heat, and chemicals. It varies from gem to gem, depending on chemical composition and structure. One result of diamond formation process is incredible durability.

Engagement, Wedding and eternity rings are our speciality and we stock one of the largest ranges of VAT free 18ct diamond set rings in Guernsey. We have many traditional single stone diamond engagement rings in different stone cuts and sizes. We also stock many 9ct and Platinum Diamond set rings.