carat
Carat weight can appear differently across different diamond shapes such as round brilliant, princess, pear, oval, cushion, marquise, emerald, radiant or heart. A diamond may have a higher carat weight without appearing larger and two diamonds of the same carat weight can vary in size if one is cut deeper than the other. In other words, it is important to note that carat weight does not necessarily denote size.
color
Color refers to the natural tint inherent in white diamonds. In nature, most white diamonds have a slight tint of yellow. The closer to being “colorless” a diamond is, the rarer it is. The industry standard for grading color is to evaluate each diamond against a master set and assign a letter grade from “D” (colorless) to “Z” (light yellow).
Since the cushion diamond is a brilliant cut with many facets, you may compromise slightly on color without detracting too much from the sparkle of the diamond.
When deciding on which colour of the diamond will fit perfectly on your solitaire ring, it is important to decide whether you prefer the warmer tones of G-H or the more icy tones of D-F. For example, if you are looking to buy a ring in rose gold or yellow gold, then it is recommended to go for the warmer tones of G-H
clarity
Diamond clarity is a measure of the purity and rarity of the diamond, graded by the visibility of these characteristics under 10-power magnification. A diamond is graded as flawless if, under 10-power magnification, no inclusions (internal flaws) and no blemishes (external imperfections) are visible.
When buying your cushion diamond, you can make a compromise on the clarity grade you choose because the clarity characteristics in the cushion diamond tend to be masked by the facet structure of cushions.
Choosing the clarity of the diamond for your ring is entirely down to personal preference. Some buyers are entirely indifferent to inclusions that are not visible to the naked eye and some buyers are interested in diamonds that are completely or near flawless.
The below table serves as an interesting guide on how to choose the clarity for your cushion diamond subject to the carat of the diamond you are looking to buy.
|
EXCELLENT |
VERY GOOD |
GOOD |
<0.50ct |
FL - VS2 |
SI1 - SI2 |
I1 |
0.51-1.00ct |
FL-VS1 |
VS2-SI1 |
SI2 |
1.00-2.00ct |
FL - VVS2 |
VS1 - VS2 |
SI1-SI2 |
>2.00ct |
FL - VVS2 |
VS1 - VS2 |
SI1 |