Since their sparkling beginnings in 1840, Laings have been part of the beautiful moments that diamonds symbolise. The luxury jewellers are passionate about diamonds and understand their power to tell stories, marking the chapters of our lives.
More often than not, diamonds hold sentimental meaning and are filled with emotional significance. They celebrate personal milestones or act as symbols of love, and this is why Laings want to help you to find the perfect diamond to be cherished for generations.
Buying a diamond may seem like an overwhelming experience, it’s both an emotional and financial investment that you want to get right. Laings understand this, drawing on their years of expertise and continuously building on their knowledge in order to help you to understand the complexities of each individual gem.
A good place to start when thinking about diamonds is the ‘5C’s’. No two diamonds are the same and they are all truly unique. Each of their qualities are determined by a grading scale, which helps you to discern the characteristics of each diamond. The 5C’s are the different factors that describe the qualities of the diamond and can help you to understand the intricacies of each glittering gemstone.
But what are the 5C’s?
DIAMOND CUT
The CUT doesn’t simply refer to the shape of the diamond, it talks about how diamonds have been cut from the rough into a sparkling gem, creating that sought-after fire, brilliance and dictating the quality of the diamond. It is the most important of the 5C’s and affects the performance and beauty of the gem.
DIAMOND CLARITY
The CLARITY of a diamond refers to the type and location of inclusions or ‘birthmarks’ that appear on the diamond. It’s important to remember that the majority of diamonds do have minor inclusions, except the very rare ‘flawless’ diamonds. Inclusions don’t take away from the beauty of the diamond and more often than not they’re very difficult to see with the naked eye.
DIAMOND COLOUR
When we talk about COLOUR in a diamond it really means a lack of colour. A ‘colourless’ diamond is the best white diamond you can buy. Chemically pure and structurally perfect, it has no hue, like a drop of pure water. However, a touch of colour in a diamond is usually subtle and difficult to detect.
DIAMOND CARAT
The CARAT of the diamond refers to the weight, not the size. A ‘carat’ is a measurement of how much a diamond weighs. A metric ‘carat’ is defined as 200 milligrams. However, the carat weight alone doesn’t determine the value of the diamond – the other qualities are just as important.
DIAMOND CERTIFICATION
The final of the 5C’s is the CERTIFICATE. This is a way to guarantee the quality of the diamond and the certificate identifies all of the characteristics of the diamond. Ultimately it’s a way to give you peace of mind as it acts as an assurance of the diamond’s condition and means you know exactly what you’re getting. Laings ensures that all of their diamonds have a certificate, and only use the most respected laboratories.
The 5C’s can help you to understand diamonds. Laings experts will always be on hand to guide you through the qualities of our diamond jewellery, taking you through a carefully curated collection of diamond jewellery that has been chosen for the beauty of the diamonds that they showcase. Allow Laings to help you to find the perfect diamond to be treasured forever.
For more information, visit www.laingsuk.com
Laings Cardiff, St David’s, 27 The Hayes, CF10 1GA.
