Diamond Education Guide
Everything you need to know before buying a diamond — from the basics of what a diamond is to how certification, cut, and carat affect quality and price.
What Is a Diamond?
A diamond is one of the hardest substances on Earth — a form of carbon crystallized under extreme pressure and heat. Diamonds are available in two types:
- ◆Natural Diamonds — Formed over billions of years deep within the Earth
- ◆Lab-Grown Diamonds — Created using advanced CVD or HPHT technology in a controlled environment
At Rely Rings, we specialize in lab-grown diamonds that offer identical brilliance, hardness, and optical properties to natural diamonds — at significantly better value.
Lab-Grown vs Natural Diamonds
| Feature | Lab-Grown | Natural |
|---|---|---|
| Appearance | Identical | Identical |
| Composition | Same (carbon) | Same (carbon) |
| Price | More Affordable | Expensive |
| Environmental Impact | Lower | Higher |
| Origin | Lab-created | Earth-mined |
The 4Cs of Diamonds
Cut — Most Important
Cut determines the diamond's sparkle and brilliance. An excellent cut maximizes light reflection, making the stone appear more vivid regardless of color or clarity. Always prioritize cut quality when choosing a diamond.
Color
Graded from D (colorless) to Z (light tint). The less color, the rarer and more valuable.
- D–F: Premium — colorless, highest quality
- G–H: Best value — near-colorless, visually identical to D–F
- I–J: Budget-friendly — slight warmth, excellent for yellow gold settings
Clarity
Measures the presence of internal inclusions or external blemishes. Most inclusions are invisible to the naked eye.
- FL/IF: Flawless / Internally Flawless — extremely rare
- VVS1/VVS2: Very Very Slightly Included — near perfect
- VS1/VS2: High quality — excellent value
- SI1/SI2: Best value — inclusions not visible to the naked eye
Carat
Carat is the unit of weight for diamonds (1 carat = 0.2 grams). Larger diamonds are rarer and more expensive, but carat alone doesn't determine visual size — cut and shape also affect how large a diamond appears.
Certification
Always choose a certified diamond. Independent certification guarantees the diamond's quality grade is accurate and unbiased.
- ◆IGI (International Gemological Institute) — The most common cert for lab-grown diamonds
- ◆GIA (Gemological Institute of America) — The gold standard in diamond grading
Diamond Pricing Factors
The price of a diamond is influenced by multiple factors beyond just size:
- ◆Cut, color, clarity, and carat (the 4Cs)
- ◆Shape — round brilliants command a premium due to higher demand
- ◆Certification lab and grade report accuracy
- ◆Market demand and availability