Diamond Education

Shopping for diamonds is a fun and exciting experience, yet sometimes might be overwhelming because of the variety of options, prices and information.

We at Ara Fine Jewelry want to make your experience relaxed, enjoyable and efficient.

There are three steps that we incorporate to make the process smooth and stress free:

1. Consultation: an initial 15-minute consultation with one of our professionals will provide you a comprehensive diamond education and will discuss your timeline and discuss different design options, as well as address any questions or special requests you might have.
2. Selection: We  have  a wide range of diamond, moissanite and gemstone options to choose from. Once we have discussed your design, stone preference and budget we will send you a personalized curated selection of stones for your Ara piece.
3. Creation: Once you purchase your stone we will get to work on your design and once you have approved your design our skilled goldsmiths will create your dream piece. We will ship your jewelry to you insured and secured.

We understand that there might be many general questions or curiosity around the subject of diamonds. We have created a small and comprehensive guide that will help you with understanding more about the specifications of a diamond that makes each one so unique.

Selecting a diamond starts by understanding the unique characteristics of each stone. Diamonds are graded based off of what we call “the 4Cs”- cut, color, clarity, and carat weight.

 The 4Cs of diamonds impact the stone’s beauty and value.

Cut

Cut measures how well-proportioned a diamond’s dimensions are including the balance and brilliance of its facets. Diamond cut is considered the most important of the four Cs, because it directly impacts a diamond’s ability to sparkle, along with its overall aesthetic appeal. Cut grades start at Ideal, excellent, very good, good, fair, and poor. Ideal, excellent and very good is the range that we offer.

Color

Diamond color refers to how colorless a diamond is. Color is the second most important of the 4Cs of diamonds. The less color - the higher the grade. The GIA grades diamonds from D-Z, with D being the most colorless, and Z containing noticeable brown or yellow tint (perfect option if you want bright yellow diamond)

Clarity

Clarity assesses small imperfections within a diamond. Inclusions can occur naturally during the diamond forming process. Clarity is used to quantify and specify any inclusions.  Inclusions are natural identifying characteristics such as minerals or fractures that appear while the diamonds are being formed. They may look like tiny crystals, pinpoints, clouds or feathers. 

The GIA grading scale rates diamonds from Internally Flawless (IF) to Included (I).

At Ara, we like to stay within SI1 and up.

*If you are looking for a diamond with step cuts (like in emerald cut) you want to prioritize clarity over color a bit more. We suggest VS2 and above for an emerald cut.

Carat weight

Most people think carat weight is how big a diamond looks but dimensions can play a part in how large it looks as well. Carat refers to the weight of the diamond, not how large the stone appears.

Last, but not least – shape

Of course, every shape has its own attributes and differs in appearance, which is in most cases just personal aesthetic preference rather than feature differences. To learn more about each one individually you can visit our blog that has broken down each one in depth, so you can compare your options.

 Our team is here to assist you and help the process be as seamless and enjoyable as possible. Please feel free to email us at hello@arajewelry.ca to book a 15 minute consultation.