Diamond guide
Know what you are looking at.
Four grades, two origins and one report. Everything you need before your appointment, without the jargon.
- 01
Cut
How well the diamond is proportioned and polished. Cut decides how much light comes back to your eye, so it has the biggest effect on sparkle. When in doubt, spend here.
- 02
Color
Graded from D (colorless) down the alphabet. Near-colorless grades look white to most eyes once set, especially in yellow or rose gold.
- 03
Clarity
How many tiny inclusions the stone has and how visible they are. Many diamonds with inclusions you cannot see without magnification look identical to flawless ones.
- 04
Carat
Weight, not size. Two stones of the same carat can look different sizes depending on shape and cut, which is why seeing them side by side helps.
Natural or lab-grown
Same diamond, different origin.
Natural
Formed in the earth over billions of years. Rarity is part of the value, and many people want the stone to have that story.
Lab-grown
Grown in a laboratory with the same crystal structure and the same hardness. It looks identical and costs less for the same size and grade.
House of Brilliance offers both, certified, so you can compare them in your hand and decide.
Read the report.
A grading report is an independent lab's description of a specific stone: its 4Cs, measurements and a plot of its inclusions. House of Brilliance works with diamonds graded by GIA, AGS, IGI, EGL USA and HRD. Ask to see the report for any stone you are considering.