Every diamond is graded on four things. Here's what each one really does — and where your money is best spent.
Cut — the one that matters most
Cut is how well the diamond was shaped and polished, and it's the single biggest factor in how much a stone sparkles. A beautifully-cut smaller diamond will out-shine a larger, dull one every time. If you optimise for one thing, optimise for cut.
Colour — why we hold to D–F
Colour runs from D (completely colourless) down to Z (noticeably warm). For a white, bright look against our botanical gold settings, we only source D–F — the colourless top of the scale. It's the difference you actually notice on the hand, day to day.
Clarity — eye-clean is enough
Clarity grades the tiny natural marks inside a diamond. You rarely need flawless: a VS-grade stone is "eye-clean" — perfect to the naked eye — for a fraction of the price of a flawless one. We help you find the point where paying more stops being visible.
Carat — size, in context
Carat is weight, not beauty. Two stones of the same carat can look very different depending on cut. We'll show you options side by side so you can feel the trade-off between size and sparkle before you decide.
Where we'd spend
Cut first, then colour (D–F), then clarity (eye-clean), then carat. Get those in order and you'll have a diamond that looks far more expensive than it is.