At Lloyds Family Jewellery we offer 3 Diamond grades readily available-

 

 

1. White/PK (often called Premium Diamonds) Colour H/I and Clarity I1-2.

 

Colour H-I: A white diamond with no easily noticeable colour tint to the naked eye. Only once compared to higher colour qualities can you notice a difference.

Clarity I1-2: Any imperfections in the diamond can only be noticed if you look very closely at the stone (within 6 inches). With smaller diamonds, imperfections become even harder to notice.

 

2. H/SI-1: this means the diamonds are no less than H grade colour as you can see on the scale below, and SI clarity meaning slightly included which you can also see below.

 

3. G/VS-1:- a very good grade, this means the diamond is no less than G colour and VS clarity which means Very Slightly included (you will see a more detailed description of what inclusions are below).

 

Our Jewellery can be made with many other diamond sizes and grades as a special order
Please contact us for further details

 

 

 

 

What Is A Diamond?

 

Diamonds are pure crystallised carbon formed under very high pressure and heat deep within the earth. Diamonds often contain minor impurities, not defects but better to think of these as birthmarks making each diamond unique. Diamonds are also the hardest natural substance on earth.

 

The best way of grading a diamond is by using the four C's as shown below, then combining these to give the grade and finally the price.

 

The Four C's Determine the price of all diamonds-

 

 

 

Cut-

 

Cut has a big impact on the beauty of diamonds and often has the least amount of difference in their price compared to colour, clarity and carat weight.

 

The word cut has several meanings when it comes to diamonds. The cut of a diamond does not just mean its shape (round brilliant, princess, oval, cushion, etc.) but also addresses the symmetry, polishing, angles and the proportions of each physical aspect of the diamond.

 

The cut determines the diamond's sparkle and brilliance. A properly cut diamond will refract the light that enters the diamond and return it through the top to produce the much desired sparkle. The angles have to be exactly right to optimize the reflection of light back to your eye.

 

Lloyds Family jewellery only use diamonds with the best cut approved by the British Gemmological Institute.

 

Diamonds can be cut in various shapes including-

 

 

 

 

 

 

Colour-

 

Diamond are found in a variety of colours such as Yellow, Brown, Blue, Pink, Red and Black depending on the impurities present, these are known as fancy colours, they are much rarer than the most common and sought after White diamonds. With white diamonds the whiter the better, the yellower they get the more they decrease in value. Colours are graded in letters from D-Z, if a white diamond is at the S-Z grade (bright yellow) it is classes as a fancy colour (Canary Diamond) and therefore dramatically increase in value. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Clarity-

 

This indicates how clear the diamond is, how free from impurities, blemishes and other imperfections. This plays a big part in determining price although no more important than the other C's. Impurities are- scratches, internal or external cracks, white crystal particles and black carbon spots which can cluster together to make clouds, chips and also man made mistakes by the cutter such as polish lines or extra facets. The grades for Clarity range from-

 

 

 

 

Common Grades: 

 

• Flawless- No surface or internal flaws
• VVS1 or 2 (some minor inclusions or blemishes)
• VS1 or 2 (very slightly included)
• SI1 or 2 (Slightly included)
• White PK/Commercial White (Clean to the eye)
• I1 or 2 (Included)
  

 

The number on the end may either be 1 or 2; this represents the extent of inclusions, 1 being the cleanest.

 

 

 

 

Carat Weight-

 

Most people think carat is the size of the diamond when infact it is the weight, the abbreviation of carat is ct. The most common Diamond weights are: 

• 0.25ct (quarter carat)
• 0.50ct (half carat)
• 0.75ct (three quarter carat)
• 1.00ct (1 carat)

Then going up to unlimited ct's- the largest diamond on Earth, the 530ct Star of Africa resides in the Crown Jewels of England. The Star of Africa was cut from the largest diamond ever found on Earth, a 3,100-carat gem. The newly discovered cosmic diamond weighs around 10 billion trillion trillion carats, unfortunately it's 50 light-years from earth.

One carat equals 1/142nd of an ounce, or 1/5th of a gram. In other words... there are 142 carats in 1 ounce and 5 carats in 1 gram.

The word "carat" comes from the ancient practice in India (where diamonds were first discovered and traded) of measuring diamond weights with the one thing in nature that is both small and the most consistent in weight -- the carob seed. Thus the name "carat" evolved in the English language, which is still equivalent to approximately the weight of one carob bean.

You may also have heard a diamond referred to in points. A 1ct diamond is 100 points therefore a quarter carat or 0.25ct diamond is 25 points.

For diamond sizes see the chart below-

 

 

 

	Round Cut
Milimeters	Carat weight	Points
1.0	0.005	0.5
1.3	0.01	1
1.5	0.015	1.5
1.7	0.02	1
1.8	0.025	2.5
2.0	0.03	3
2.1	0.035	3.5
2.2	0.04	4
2.4	0.05	5
2.5	0.06	6
2.7	0.07	7
2.8	0.08	8
2.9	0.09	9
3.0	0.10	10
3.1	0.11	11
3.2	0.12	12
3.3	0.14	14
3.4	0.15	15
3.5	0.16	16
3.6	0.17	17
3.7	0.18	18
3.8	0.20	20
3.9	0.22	22
4.0	0.25	25
4.2	0.30	30
4.4	0.33	33
4.5	0.35	35
4.6	0.38	38
4.8	0.40	40
5.0	0.50	50
5.4	0.60	60
5.5	0.63	63
5.6	0.65	65
6.0	0.75	75
6.4	0.95	95
6.6	1.00	100
6.8	1.17	117
7.0	1.25	125
7.2	1.33	133
7.5	1.55	155
7.8	1.75	175
8.0	2.00	200
8.4	2.15	215
8.6	2.25	225
9.0	2.75	275
9.4	3.00	300
9.6	3.15	315
9.8	3.35	335
10.0	3.50	350
10.2	3.75	375
10.4	4.00	400
10.6	4.25	425
10.8	4.50	450
11.0	4.75	475
11.2	5.00	500
12.0	6.50	650

 

 

	Oval Cut
Milimeters	Carat weight	Points
4 x 3	0.20	20
5 x 3	0.25	25
5 x 3.5	0.33	33
5 x 4	0.40	40
6 x 4	0.50	50
6.5 x 4.5	0.65	65
7 x 5	0.75	75
7.5 x 5.5	1.00	100
8 x 6	1.25	125
8.5 x 6.5	1.50	150
9 x 6	1.75	175
9 x 7	2.00	200
9.5 x 7.5	2.50	250
10 x 8	3.00	300
10 x 8.5	3.50	350
11 x 9	4.00	400
11 x 9.5	4.50	450
12 x 10	5.00	500

 

	Marquise Cut
Milimeters	Carat weight	Points
3.5 x 1.5	0.07	7
4 x 2	0.10	10
5 x 2	0.20	20
5 x 3	0.22	22
5.5 x 2.5	0.25	25
6 x 6	0.30	30
7 x 3	0.35	35
7 x 3.5	0.38	38
7 x 4	0.40	40
8 x 4	0.50	50
8.5 x 4.5	0.65	65
9 x 4	0.70	70
9 x 4.5	0.75	75
9 x 5	0.80	80
9.5 x 4.5	0.85	85
10 x 4.75	1.00	100
10 x 5	1.25	125
11 x 5	1.50	150
11 x 5.5	1.65	165
12 x 6	2.00	200
13 x 5.5	2.50	250
13 x 6	2.65	265
14 x 6.5	2.87	287
14 x 7	3.00	300
15 x 7	3.75	375
16 x 8	4.50	450
18 x 9	7.00	700
20 x 10	10.00	1000

 

	Princess Cut
Milimeters	Carat weight	Points
2.00	0.06	6
2.25	0.08	8
2.50	0.10	10
2.75	0.13	13
3.0	0.15	15
3.25	0.20	20
3.5	0.23	23
3.75	0.25	25
4.0	0.30	30
4.42	0.35	35
4.5	0.40	40
4.75	0.50	50
5.0	0.63	63
5.25	0.75	75
5.5	1.00	100
6.0	1.25	125
7.0	1.60	160
8.0	2.25	225

 

	Emerald Cut
Milimeters	Carat weight	Points
4 x 3	0.20	20
5 x 3	0.25	25
6 x4	0.50	50
6.5 x 4.5	0.75	75
7 x 5	1.00	100
8 x 6	1.50	150
8.5 x 6.5	2.00	200
9 x 7	2.50	250
10 x 8	3.00	300
11 x 9	4.00	400
12 x 10	5.00	500

 

	Pear Cut
Milimeters	Carat weight	Points
4 x 2	0.20	20
5 x 3	0.30	30
6 x 4	0.50	50
7 x 5	0.75	75
8 x 5	1.00	100
9 x 6	1.50	150
10 x 7	2.00	200
12 x 7	2.50	250
12 x 8	3.00	300
13 x 8	3.50	350
14 x 8	4.00	400
15 x 9	5.00	500