Diamond Notes · Aphrodite Diamonds
What makes a natural diamond beautiful beyond the 4Cs?
A diamond can look perfect on paper and still not be the one that catches your eye.
Beauty is something you see.
The 4Cs — cut, colour, clarity and carat — give us an essential way to understand and compare natural diamonds. They tell us a great deal about a diamond, but they do not tell us everything about how beautiful it will appear. Two diamonds can sit remarkably close to one another on a grading report and still look noticeably different when placed side by side. A grading report records measurable characteristics. Your eye experiences the diamond as a whole.
01
Brightness
Brightness is the white light reflected back from a diamond. It contributes to the crisp, luminous appearance that can make a diamond seem alive even before it begins to move.02
Fire
Fire is the colour you see when white light separates into flashes of the spectrum. These brief flashes of colour are part of what gives a natural diamond its visual character.03
Scintillation
Scintillation is the pattern of light and dark — and the flashes of light that appear as the diamond, the light source or the person wearing it moves.04
Character
Some diamonds appear crisp and bright. Others have a softer character. Some immediately draw the eye with lively flashes of light. Together, these qualities give a diamond what we often simply call life.CHOOSING A NATURAL DIAMOND
See the difference for yourself.
Compare natural diamonds in person at our Stellenbosch store and discover which one speaks to you.
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A certificate can describe a diamond.
It cannot tell you which diamond you will find beautiful.
Beyond the numbers
Cut matters — but the grade isn't the whole story.
Of the 4Cs, cut has an enormous influence on the way a diamond interacts with light. The proportions, symmetry and polish of a diamond all affect its appearance. But even diamonds carrying similar grading information can have different visual personalities. This becomes especially apparent with fancy shapes such as ovals, pears, cushions and emerald cuts, where proportion and appearance can vary considerably from one diamond to another. There is no single set of numbers that can tell you which one you will find most beautiful.
Natural diamonds were formed deep within the Earth over immense periods of time. Each carries its own combination of characteristics.
A diamond does not necessarily need the highest colour or clarity grade to be exceptionally beautiful.
A small inclusion may have little or no effect on what you see without magnification. A diamond with a slightly warmer colour may look beautiful in a particular setting or metal. A stone with the right proportions and strong light performance may capture your attention ahead of one with apparently “better” specifications.
This is one of the reasons natural diamonds are so interesting. They are not identical products.
A diamond is ultimately going to be worn — not viewed permanently under laboratory conditions.
The finished piece
The setting changes what you see.
The shape of the stone, the metal colour, the setting style and even the proportions of the finished ring can influence how a diamond appears. A beautifully chosen diamond and a beautifully designed setting should work together. At Aphrodite, this is particularly important because our jewellery is designed and made in-house. Choosing the diamond and designing the piece do not have to be two separate decisions. They can be part of the same process.
Look at the stone rather than the certificate for a moment.
Choosing a natural diamond
Compare diamonds with your own eyes.
Certificates are important. The 4Cs are important. They allow us to understand what we are buying and provide a common language for comparing diamonds. But when the choice has been narrowed down, place the diamonds next to one another. Look at them in more than one kind of light. Move them. Look at the stone rather than the certificate for a moment. Very often, one will begin to stand apart.
What does the certificate say?
And then:
Which diamond do you find beautiful?
Natural Diamonds · Stellenbosch
Choosing a natural diamond at Aphrodite
At Aphrodite Diamonds in Stellenbosch, we have worked with natural diamonds since 2002.
We use grading information to guide the selection — and then look beyond it, considering the diamond itself: its proportions, brightness, fire, scintillation and overall character, as well as how it will work within the piece being created.
Natural Diamonds · Stellenbosch · Established 2002
Natural. Rare. Real.