Diamond education
Twelve short chapters, in the order we would walk you through them at the studio. No jargon without an explanation, and no pressure at the end.
Chapter 1
Most people begin with carat and colour because those are the numbers on the price tag. We suggest the opposite. Decide the things you will see every day first, then let the budget settle the grades.
The one factor that decides whether a diamond is alive or dull. Non-negotiable; everything else can flex.
Round, oval, elongated cushion, emerald. This is personality and how the ring reads on the hand.
Millimetres, not carats. Elongated shapes and a slim band make the same stone look larger.
Same beauty, different origin and price. The choice is about meaning and budget, not quality.
Enough that the diamond is bright and eye-clean. Beyond that you are paying for what only a loupe can see.
How it feels, how it wears, and how it will pair with a band for the next few decades.
Chapter 2
Carat tells you how much a diamond weighs. Colour and clarity describe how pure it is. Cut is the only grade that describes how it performs. It governs how light enters the stone, travels through it and returns to your eye, and that return is the sparkle people notice from across a room.
A well-cut diamond sends light back up through the top. Cut too deep, light leaks out of the bottom and the stone looks dark at the centre. Cut too shallow, light escapes through the sides and the stone looks glassy. Both can carry impressive colour and clarity grades and still look lifeless.
Light return: how bright the diamond is face-up under normal light, not just under jewellery-store spotlights. Symmetry: facets that meet where they should, so the pattern is crisp rather than smudged. Proportions: table, depth and crown angle in the ranges that make light behave. For ovals, marquise and pears we also check the bow-tie, a dark band across the middle that most elongated stones show to some degree; we select stones where it is faint.
The diamondboi standard
We select every centre diamond for cut performance first and reject stones that grade well on paper but sit dark in the hand. A diamond chosen this way can look larger and brighter than a heavier stone cut to save weight.
Chapter 3
Shape is a matter of taste, but each one has habits worth knowing before you choose. Every shape below is available across our engagement ring designs.
The brightest shape by design and the benchmark for sparkle. Costs the most per carat because cutting it wastes the most rough. Timeless on any hand.
Round's sparkle in an elongated outline that lengthens the finger and looks larger per carat. Look for a faint bow-tie and a ratio around 1.35 to 1.45 for a balanced oval.
Pillow-soft corners with a longer silhouette. Crushed-ice cuts sparkle everywhere; chunky cuts show bold, larger flashes. We can show you both.
The same soft corners in a near-square outline. Romantic and substantial, and a natural match for halos.
Cropped corners and brilliant faceting in a rectangular outline. Very lively, hides inclusions well, and the corners make it durable.
Long step facets that flash rather than sparkle, like a hall of mirrors. Shows colour and inclusions more readily, which is why we hold these to higher clarity.
The square step cut: an emerald cut's calm with a mesmerising windmill pattern seen from above. Art-deco by nature.
The longest look per carat, pointed at both ends. Elegant and finger-lengthening; the points are protected by prongs.
Half oval, half marquise. Worn point-up or point-down. A good pear has gently rounded shoulders and a faint bow-tie.
Cut the way diamonds were before electricity: a small table, high crown and broad, soft flashes that glow in candlelight rather than glitter. Each one is a little different, and that is the point.
An elongated diamond outline with four pointed corners and step facets. Rare, geometric and quietly unusual.
Sentimental and technically demanding. The cleft should be sharp and the lobes symmetrical; it is a shape to see in person.
Chapter 4
A carat is a unit of weight, one fifth of a gram. What you see on the hand is the face-up measurement in millimetres, and two diamonds of the same weight can differ visibly in size depending on shape and how deep they are cut. A well-proportioned stone spreads its weight where you can see it.
Price does not rise evenly with weight. It steps up at the popular marks, 1.00, 1.50, 2.00 carats, so a 1.90 carat diamond can cost noticeably less than a 2.00 carat stone that looks identical on the finger. With lab-grown diamonds the next size up is often within reach, which is why many of our clients choose a larger stone and put the difference toward the setting or the band.
How to choose carat
Decide on the look you want in millimetres, on your own hand. Elongated shapes and a slim 1.5 mm band both make a stone read larger. At a consultation we can show you different sizes on your own hand, which settles the question faster than any chart.
| Carat | Round | Oval | Elongated cushion |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.00 ct | 6.4–6.5 mm | 7.5 × 5.5 mm | 7.0 × 5.5 mm |
| 1.50 ct | 7.3–7.4 mm | 8.5 × 6.3 mm | 8.0 × 6.0 mm |
| 2.00 ct | 8.0–8.2 mm | 9.5 × 7.0 mm | 9.0 × 6.8 mm |
| 3.00 ct | 9.2–9.4 mm | 11.0 × 8.0 mm | 10.0 × 7.8 mm |
Typical face-up measurements for well-proportioned stones. Individual diamonds vary.
Chapter 5
These two grades drive price steeply, yet past a certain point the differences exist only under magnification. Our standards sit at that point.
Graded from D (colourless) down the alphabet as faint warmth appears. D, E and F are colourless; G to J are near-colourless and look white once set. Warmth shows more in large stones, step cuts and white metal, and less in yellow or rose gold.
Describes the natural marks inside and on the surface of the stone. From Flawless through VVS, VS and SI to Included. The practical threshold is "eye-clean": nothing visible without a loupe. Step cuts such as emerald and asscher show marks more readily and deserve a higher grade.
Why we do not go lower
Because every diamondboi engagement ring is made to order, we are not clearing inventory. Every lab-grown centre diamond we set is D to E colour and VVS2 clarity or better; every natural centre diamond is F to G colour and VS2 or better. The grade is printed on the report that comes with the ring.
Chapter 6
Both are diamonds: the same carbon crystal, the same hardness, the same fire and brilliance. A natural diamond formed in the earth over millions of years and was mined. A lab-grown diamond was grown over weeks from a diamond seed using heat and pressure or carbon vapour. No instrument a jeweller keeps on the bench can tell them apart; a gem lab can, which is why every stone carries an inscription and a report.
The difference that matters to most people is price: for the same size and grade a lab-grown diamond costs a fraction of a natural one. The difference that matters to others is rarity and story. Neither is the wrong answer.
| Lab-grown | Natural | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Real diamond, grown in weeks | Real diamond, formed over millions of years |
| Looks, hardness, sparkle | Identical | Identical |
| Can anyone tell by eye? | No. Only a laboratory can, and only with specialised equipment. | |
| Price for the same size and grade | Considerably lower | Higher, and rising with size |
| Our centre-stone standard | D–E colour, VVS2 or better, IGI report | F–G colour, VS2 or better, GIA report |
| Rarity and resale | Not rare; resale value is low and falling as supply grows | Finite; holds value better, though diamonds are not investments |
| Choose it if | You want the largest, brightest stone your budget allows | Origin and rarity are part of the meaning for you |
Our view
We make both, in the same studio, to the same standard, with the same lifetime guarantee and trade-up. Our job is to show you each in person and let you decide without pressure.
Chapter 7
Every diamondboi engagement ring includes an independent laboratory report for its centre diamond: IGI for lab-grown, GIA for natural.
Shape and measurements, carat weight, colour and clarity grades, cut or polish and symmetry grades, fluorescence, and a plotted diagram of any inclusions. For lab-grown stones it also states the growth method.
The report number is laser-inscribed on the girdle, the thin edge of the diamond, invisible without magnification. It ties your specific stone to its report for life.
Insurers and appraisers work from it, and it is what you will show if you ever use our lifetime trade-up. Keep it with your important papers.
Chapter 8
Our rings are made in 18 karat gold or platinum, and many designs are also offered in 14 karat. The choice is partly colour, partly how you live.
The classic warm tone; 75% pure gold alloyed for strength. Flatters every skin tone, softens the appearance of faint colour in a diamond, and ages gracefully.
Gold alloyed with white metals and finished with a bright rhodium plating. The plating wears softly with time and is simply renewed when the ring comes in for cleaning.
Gold warmed with copper for a blush tone. The hardest-wearing of the golds and needs no plating; the colour is all the way through.
Naturally white and never plated, denser and heavier in the hand, and hypoallergenic. It develops a soft satin patina with wear that many people love; it can be polished back to bright at any time.
14k is slightly harder and a touch paler in yellow; 18k is richer in colour and the standard for fine jewellery. For a ring worn daily, either will last a lifetime with ordinary care.
Many of our rings pair a white gold or platinum head with a yellow or rose band so the diamond reads whiter while the ring stays warm. A matching band can mirror the mix.
Chapter 9
A short glossary of the designs on this site, so the names mean something before you compare them.
One centre diamond on a plain band. The purest frame; the stone does all the talking.
Our slim, rounded band. Makes the centre stone read larger and sits flush against a wedding band; engineered for strength despite the delicacy.
Small diamonds set beneath the centre stone, around the base of the setting, so sparkle shows in profile without adding width on top. Our reverse halo places them on the underside of the basket.
A ring of diamonds surrounding the centre stone, adding size and brightness. A vintage halo uses milgrain or scalloped detail for an heirloom feel.
Diamonds set closely along the band in tiny beads of metal so the band itself sparkles. Our pavé is set by hand, stone by stone.
A pavé style where neighbouring diamonds share each bead, showing more diamond and less metal.
The band rises in arches to meet the centre setting, lifting the stone and protecting it from the sides.
A band that comes to a fine ridge along its centre, catching light along its length. Sleek and modern.
The band divides as it approaches the centre stone, adding presence and a sense of movement.
A rim of metal wraps the diamond's edge instead of prongs. The most protective setting and the smoothest to wear.
Smaller diamonds arranged tightly around or beside the centre so the whole reads as one larger stone.
Our signature detail: a small diamond set into each prong tip, so even the claws holding the stone sparkle.
Chapter 10
A ring is bought once and worn for decades. These are the things we put behind it.
Every piece is guaranteed for life against defects in materials and workmanship. If something we made fails, we repair or remake it.
When you are ready for a larger or different centre diamond, your original counts toward the new one. The ring can grow with your life.
One sizing and one professional cleaning are included with every ring. Eternity bands, with diamonds all the way around, cannot be resized, which is why we take extra care with their size before casting.
Our rings are cast, set and polished in our Toronto studio rather than assembled from mass-produced parts, so prongs, shanks and settings are proportioned to the stone they hold.
Loss, theft and damage from impact or everyday wear are what insurance is for. We recommend insuring the ring from the day it arrives; the grading report and our invoice are all an insurer needs.
Every engagement ring is designed with a wedding band in mind. When the time comes, we make the band to sit against your ring exactly.
Chapter 11
Diamonds are the hardest natural material, but the metal holding them is not. A few habits keep a ring looking new.
Warm water, a drop of mild dish soap, a soft toothbrush behind the stone, rinse, pat dry. Skin oils and lotion dull a diamond faster than anything. Our foam cleaner does the same job in seconds.
Gym, swimming, gardening, heavy cleaning products and sleep. Prongs loosen from knocks, not from ordinary wear.
A diamond will scratch anything, including other jewellery. Keep it in its own pouch or slot.
A quick look at the prongs and a professional clean once a year catches small things before they become lost stones.
A stone that moves, a prong that catches fabric, a click when you tap it: stop wearing it and reach us. Early fixes are quick ones.
Rhodium plating softens over a few years. Re-plating at a routine cleaning brings it back to bright white.
Chapter 12
No. Not by eye, not with a loupe, and not with a jeweller's thermal tester. Only a gem laboratory with specialised equipment can distinguish them, which is exactly why every stone is inscribed and reported.
Honestly, no. Lab-grown prices have fallen as supply has grown, and resale value is low. Natural diamonds hold value better but are not investments either. Buy the diamond you want to look at every day; the trade-up allowance is there if your taste or circumstances change.
That is what the lifetime trade-up is for. Your centre diamond counts toward a new one, and we can re-set an existing stone into a new design in the studio.
A diamond cannot wear out. What dulls it is a film of oils and soap on the underside, which is why a weekly clean matters more than anything. Cleaned, a twenty-year-old diamond looks like a new one.
Collection rings are made to order in our Toronto studio in four to six weeks. Fully custom designs start with a consultation and take longer, depending on the design.
Yes. Private consultations at the studio are complimentary and are the best way to compare shapes, sizes and lab versus natural side by side on your own hand. Book a consultation.
Borrow a ring she wears on that finger and use our ring size guide, or order the most likely size; one complimentary sizing is included.
Book a complimentary consultation at the studio and compare shapes, sizes, lab-grown and natural on your own hand, with no pressure to decide that day.