Diamond Buyer's Guide
Buying a diamond is a meaningful and an enduring symbol of love. With the right knowledge — and the right jeweller — the experience should feel effortless and rewarding. This guide outlines everything you need to know to choose a diamond with confidence. For personalised advice, speak with our diamond specialists on (08) 9322 7166.
(Courtesy of GIA)
The Four C's
Diamond Colour
Colour is graded on an international scale from D (colourless) to Z (light yellow).
DEF: Colourless - extremely rare
GHIJ: Near Colourless - almost no colour to an untrained eye
KLM: Faint Yellow - contain faint traces of yellow
NOPQR: Very Light Yellow
STUVWXYZ: Light Yellow
Fancy coloured diamonds, such as Argyle Pink Diamonds, are graded separately, under different guidelines, and are valued for their exceptional colour rarity.
The Four C's
Diamond Cut
Cut is the most important factor in a diamond’s beauty. It controls how light moves through the diamonds, directly affecting brilliance and fire.
Two diamonds of the same carat weight can look dramatically different depending on cut quality.
For this reason, cut is prioritised above colour, clarity, and carat — and expert guidance is essential.
(Courtesy of GIA)
(Courtesy of GIA)
The Four C's
Diamond Clarity
Clarity measures internal inclusions and external blemishes formed during a diamond’s natural creation.
Most inclusions are invisible to the naked eye. Diamonds with slightly lower clarity grades can appear visually similar to higher‑grade stones while offering greater value.
Key Clarity Grades
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Flawless (FL) / Internally Flawless (IF) : Exceptionally rare
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Very, Very Slightly Included (VVS1 and VVS2) / Very Slightly Included (VS1 and VS2): Minor inclusions under magnification
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Slightly Included (SI1 and SI2): Noticeable under magnification, often invisible when worn
The Four C's
Diamond Carat Weight
Carat refers to a diamond’s weight, not its size. As larger diamonds are rarer, price rises exponentially with carat weight.
The word ‘carat’ is taken from the carob seeds that were used to balance scales in ancient times, but it is not to be confused with the word ‘karat’, which is the method for determining the purity of gold.
However, carat alone does not define beauty. A well‑cut diamond of smaller carat weight can appear larger and more brilliant than a heavier, poorly cut stone.
