When you are buying an engagement ring there are different things to take into account: the style of your future fiancée, her taste for fashion and her lifestyle. But probably, the one that is worrying you the most is your budget. Don't worry, what makes some rings much more expensive than others is mainly the quality of the diamond and that can always be adjusted to your budget. So you can decide what to do, here is a little introduction to the 5Cs, or characteristics which are different in every diamond.

You can also use our Bespoke Service if you would like a new design with a different kind of diamond, for example Cushion, Emerald or Marquise cut.

Our diamonds and the 5 Cs

Diamonds are forever renowned for their superlative physical qualities. They can only be scratched by other diamonds, allowing them to hold a polish extremely well and retain their lustre.

The name diamond derives from the ancient Greek adamas, which means "invincible". Diamonds are commonly judged by the classic “four Cs”: carat, clarity, colour, and cut, as well as a new “C” for certification. All these characteristics are considered jointly when assessing the true value of a diamond.

Colour

Most diamonds are nearly colourless, with faint yellow or brown tints. The Gemmological Institute of America (GIA) has created a colour grading system for the industry.

Our diamonds above 0.3 carats are always colour grade G or higher.

Clarity

Clarity is measured by relative absence of characteristics such as scratches and nicks on a diamond’s surface or inclusions inside the diamond. These inclusions can be tiny diamonds or other mineral crystals which have been trapped inside the diamond as it has slowly formed through the centuries.

Our diamonds above 0.3 carats are clarity grade SI or higher, unless specified elsewhere.

Cut

Different cuts have been developed to accentuate the natural properties of diamonds. An excellent cut diamond will reflect maximum light through its facets. The shape chosen for cutting a diamond will depend on the symmetry, shape and size of each individual rough stone. The most common shapes are brilliant, emerald, oval, princess, pear and marquise.

The cut of our diamonds depends on the style of the piece of jewellery and is detailed in our individual product description.

Carat

Carat is a measure of diamond weight. Diamonds are weighed to a thousandth (0.001) of a carat and then rounded to the nearest hundredth, or point. For example, a 1.03 ct. stone would be described as "one point and three carats." A diamond that weighs 0.83 ct. is said to weigh "eighty-three points."

The carat weight of our diamonds will depend on the individual piece of jewellery and is always clearly listed in the product description.

Cerificate of Origin

Regarding ethical standards, the most important thing is to know where a diamond is coming from and the characteristics of the mine of origin. 

We mainly use traceable Candian conlict-free sourced diamonds, as we believe that at present Canada has very good standards regarding Diamond mining, and it is one of the only countries that has a certificate of Origin for their stones. To know more about the diamonds in each Arabel Lebrusan design, please see product descriptions for details on sourcing, certificates and origin. And if you are interested to read more about ethical jewellery please see "Sustainability & Mining & Fairtrade"