The Aurelle Guide
Diamond Education
Everything you need to buy with confidence — no jargon, no pressure.
Cut — the sparkle
Cut measures how precisely a diamond's facets interact with light. It is the single biggest driver of brilliance — a superbly cut diamond can outshine a larger, duller stone.
- · Ideal and Excellent cuts return the most light
- · Prioritize cut above every other C
- · Round brilliants are graded most strictly
Color — the tone
Diamond color is graded from D (perfectly colorless) to K (faint warmth). Differences between adjacent grades are subtle to the naked eye — especially once a diamond is set.
- · D–F: colorless, premium pricing
- · G–H: near-colorless, the sweet spot for value
- · I–K: warm tones flatter yellow and rose gold
Clarity — the purity
Clarity grades describe internal characteristics (inclusions) formed as the diamond grew. Most inclusions at VS1–SI1 are invisible without magnification.
- · FL–IF: flawless, exceptionally rare
- · VVS–VS: minute inclusions, eye-clean
- · SI: best value — inspect step cuts (emerald, asscher) more carefully
Carat — the weight
Carat measures weight, not size — one carat equals 0.2 grams. Shapes carry weight differently: ovals and pears look larger per carat than rounds.
- · Prices step up at whole and half carats
- · Buying just under a milestone (0.9 vs 1.0 ct) saves meaningfully
- · Elongated shapes maximize finger coverage
Natural vs. lab-grown
Lab-grown diamonds are chemically, physically, and optically identical to natural diamonds — the same crystal, created in weeks instead of eons, typically at 60–80% less. Natural diamonds remain the rarer heirloom choice. Both are graded by the same independent labs.