How to Select

The Perfect Diamond

Diamonds are the traditional choice for engagement rings, with new options offering Lab Grown sources diamonds as an alternate to Natural stones. Both are enduring and timeless, and each offers distinct values.

Shape Carat Cut Clarity Colour

The Perfect Shape

Selecting the perfect shape diamond is a crucial decision when it comes to choosing a diamond engagement ring or any other piece of fine jewellery.

Diamond shape is a key factor in defining the overall aesthetics of the gem, and it can reflect the personality and style of the wearer. Your choice should align with your personal taste, as well as your budget and the setting you have in mind.

Ultimately, finding the perfect shape diamond is about selecting a gem that captures your heart and beautifully symbolises your special moment.

What Is Diamond Shape?

The shape of a diamond is its geometric outline. What’s the difference between a fancy shape and a round? Find out which shapes potentially favour your unique style best.

Diamond Education

Round Brilliant

Choosing a shape is typically the best place to start when selecting a diamond.

If you are uncertain about which shape to choose, it can be handy to understand the reasons why round diamonds are the most popular, accounting for around 75% of all diamond sales. It’s because they are the supreme sparklers – with their brilliant, fiery radiance, round diamonds dazzle with an exhilarating white heat.

Fancy Shapes

All non-round diamonds are classified as ‘fancy shapes’, and in the current market, you could save as much as 40% if selecting a diamond shape other than a round. This is purely due to the law of supply and demand. DX offers 10 different round and fancy diamond shapes.

Cushion

Cushion cut diamonds can be square or rectangular in shape with curved corners and soft, vintage facet patterns. This antique style has emerged as a popular choice again in recent times. Princess cut diamonds have a square shape with sharp angles producing excellent light performance.

Emerald & Asscher

Emerald and Asscher cut diamonds are an elegant option - step-cut with more transparency than round diamonds though not producing as much fiery sparkle.

Princess

Princess cut diamonds are prized for their modern, clean lines and stunning sparkle.

Elongated Shapes

The very distinctive, elongated shapes of Marquise, Oval and Pear shaped diamonds are fantastic for making fingers appear long and svelte. While Heart shaped diamonds beautifully express love and romance.

DISCOVER BY SHAPE

Flawless, cut to precision.

Round

Oval

Cushion

Pear

Emerald

Princess

Radiant

Heart

Marquise

Asscher

All About The 4 C's

The 4C's of diamonds are a set of criteria used to evaluate and grade the quality of a diamond. These criteria are essential for assessing a diamond's value and determining its overall quality. The combination of these factors determines the overall beauty and worth of a diamond. The 4C's stand for:

Cut

Cut describes a diamond’s reflective qualities, as well as its symmetry and facets. A diamond’s cut directly relates to its radiance and charm.

Colour

Colour describes a diamond’s natural colour or absence of visible internal colour, in relation to the GIA grading scale. The more “colourless” the diamond, the more rare and valuable it is. Our diamonds are selected exclusively from the “colourless” and “near colourless” categories.

Clarity

Clarity refers to the natural imperfections and tiny inclusions which may be visible in a diamond. Diamonds with none, or only a small amount of these, are judged to be the most rare and valuable.

Carat

Carat refers to the unit of measurement which is used to weigh diamonds. Often, this is the most obvious visual element when we compare diamonds.

Select the Perfect Diamond

Diamond Essentials and the 4 C's

This interactive walk-through will guide you through key facts and information about diamonds, and specifically how the 4 C's of any diamond will contribute to it sparkle and shine. Each section offers indepth reading, or a snippet of learning across each of these interactive sections. Use the arrows to guide your way through the DX Diamond Education pages.

Diamond Education

What is Diamond Shape?

Choosing a diamond shape is crucial. While round diamonds remain popular, fancy shapes like oval, cushion, radiant, pear, heart and princess are gaining traction. At DX, we offer a wide range of shapes because we believe each ring should be as perfect as the love it symbolizes.

Discover the shape that reflects your individuality and union.

Explore Shape - The 4C's

Your Selection

Round Diamond Shape

Your Selection

Oval Diamond Shape

Your Selection

Cushion Diamond Shape

Your Selection

Pear Diamond Shape

Your Selection

Emerald Diamond Shape

Your Selection

Princess Diamond Shape

Your Selection

Radiant Diamond Shape

Your Selection

Heart Diamond Shape

Your Selection

Marquise Diamond Shape

Your Selection

Asscher Diamond Shape

Diamond Education

What is Carat Weight?

Carat refers to the unit of measurement which is used to weigh diamonds. Often, this is the most obvious visual element when we compare diamonds.

Carat is sometimes confused with the visual size of stones but it refers to weight only. The size does impact different stones’ measurements though.

Shapes and types of gemstones can also show slightly different readings due to variable densities.

Explore Carat - The 4C's

0.50 CT0.75 CT1.00 CT1.25 CT1.50 CT2.00 CT2.50 CT3.00 CT

0.50 Carat

Shown with 0.50CT round brilliant cut diamond

0.75 Carat

Shown with 0.75CT round brilliant cut diamond

1.00 Carat

Shown with 1.00CT round brilliant cut diamond

1.25 Carat

Shown with 1.25CT round brilliant cut diamond

1.50 Carat

Shown with 1.50CT round brilliant cut diamond

2.00 Carat

Shown with 2.00CT round brilliant cut diamond

2.50 Carat

Shown with 2.50CT round brilliant cut diamond

3.00 Carat

Shown with 3.00CT round brilliant cut diamond

Diamond Education

What is Diamond Cut?

Cut describes the symmetry, balance, proportion and polish created by the diamond cutter, not the stone’s actual geometric shape. A diamond’s inherent beauty is determined directly by the expertise of its cut.

Stones cut the most skilfully will refract and reflect the most amount of light. Diamond cutters have a special understanding of the ways in which light penetrates and radiates through diamonds.

Cutters follow a special set of exact angles and proportions to maximise each diamond’s intrinsic brilliance and showcase its sparkle.

Explore Cut - The 4C's

PoorFairGoodVery GoodExcellentSuper Ideal

Poor

Diamonds which reflect only a little of the light entering them. Not carried by Diamond Exchange.

Fair

Diamonds which reflect some of the light entering them. Not carried by Diamond Exchange.

Good

Diamonds which reflect most of the light entering them. Not carried by Diamond Exchange.

Very Good

Reflecting almost as much light as the ideal cut, these diamonds are excellent quality at a cost significantly lower.

Excellent

Diamonds which radiate almost all the light entering them.Finished with precision for maximum sparkle, they fall within the top 3% of quality determined by cut.

Super Ideal

Diamonds which have perfect dimensions and proportions and emit optimal light. The cut to which the most rigorous standards are applied.

Diamond Education

What is Diamond Clarity?

The term ‘clarity’ is used in reference to a diamond’s purity and rarity. Minuscule characteristics can be trapped on or within a diamond when it is formed.

Gemmologists will examine these surface and internal characteristics under 10x magnification when assigning a grading to each stone. Diamonds with little or no inclusions are especially rare and valuable.

Explore Clarity - The 4C's

SI2SI1VS2VS1VVS2VVS1IFFL

SI2 - Slightly Included

Inclusions are visible under 10x magnification and may be visible to the naked eye. More inclusions than SI1.

SI1 - Slightly Included

Inclusions are visible under 10x magnification, but are generally not visible to the naked eye.

VS2 - Very Slightly Included

Slightly more inclusions than VS1, difficult to see under 10x magnification and typically cannot be seen with the naked eye.

VS1 - Very Slightly Included

Inclusions cannot be seen with the naked eye and are difficult to see under 10x magnification.

VVS2 - Very Very Slightly Included

Slightly more inclusions than VVS1, but still very difficult to see under 10x magnification even for expert gemologists.

VVS1 - Very Very Slightly Included

Miniscule inclusions are very difficult to see under 10x magnification, even for expert gemologists.

IF - Internally Flawless

Extremely rare and valuable, these diamonds have no internal flaws but may have minute surface blemishes visible under 10x magnification.

FL - Flawless

Extremely rare and valuable, flawless diamonds have no internal or external flaws. Less than 1% of all diamonds are FL clarity.

Diamond Education

What is Diamond Colour?

Colour, graded by GIA standards, indicates the natural hue or lack thereof in a diamond. DX exclusively offers colourless and near-colourless diamonds for their rarity. While colour variations don't necessarily affect value or quality, those with minimal colour are highly sought after. 

Traces of elements during formation result in hues like yellow, grey, or brown. Gemstone colour is assessed by hue, tone, and saturation: hue is the primary colour impression, tone is its lightness or darkness, and saturation is its purity and intensity.

Explore Colour - The 4C's

JIHGFED

J COLOUR - Near Colourless

Colour can be detected, but offers good value.

I COLOUR - Near Colourless

Colour can be slightly detected, but offers good value.

H COLOUR - Near Colourless

Colour is only slightly noticeable when compared to diamonds of better grades, but offers excellent value.

G COLOUR - Near Colourless

Colour is only slightly noticeable when compared to diamonds of better grades, but offers excellent value.

F COLOUR - Colourless

Slight colour can be detected by an expert gemmologist, but still considered “colourless”. A high-quality diamond.

E COLOUR - Colourless

Only minute traces of colour can be detected by an expert gemmologist. A rare, high quality diamond.

D COLOUR - Absolutely Colourless

The highest colour grade which is extremely rare and the most valuable.

Only The Best

From over 250,000 diamonds, shop our DX Quality range of diamonds that meet only our highest expectations. With Natural or Lab Grown options to choose from, we've done the searching and the sorting and curated only the best, just for you.

Shop Natural

Shop Lab Grown

Simply beautiful

Whether starting with the diamond first, or taking inspiration form the most perfect setting - we'll help you design and create the most perfect engagement ring.

Custom Diamond Search

Looking for that perfect diamond for the perfect ring? Chat to our team of diamond and design experts to help you source the best diamond at the best possible price.

Meet a Diamond Consultant

Custom Diamond Search

Looking for that perfect diamond for the perfect ring? Chat to our team of diamond and design experts to help you source the best diamond at the best possible price.

Meet a Diamond Consultant

The DX Difference

We make buying a diamond easy, and affordable. Whether from the comfort of your home, or from our boutique showrooms. It is important that you choose a diamond that is both good value and absolutely love!

Offering over 250,000 Natural and Lab Grown diamonds to choose from, learn everything you need to know about finding the most perfect diamond.

Start with a Diamond

Start with a Setting

The Perfect Diamond

The Perfect Shape

What Is Diamond Shape?

Round Brilliant

Fancy Shapes

Cushion

Emerald & Asscher

Princess

Elongated Shapes

DISCOVER BY SHAPE

All About The 4 C's

Cut

Colour

Clarity

Carat

Diamond Education

Select the Perfect Diamond

Diamond Essentials and the 4 C's

Only The Best

Simply beautiful

Custom Diamond Search

Custom Diamond Search

The DX Difference

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