Our Diamonds

Close up of various diamonds in the palm of a hand, including yellow and champagne coloured, and different cuts, including a baguette cut and brilliant.

The beauty, durability and rarity of gemstones have enchanted humanity throughout history, and they have long been used in jewellery design, with the discovery of turquoise and lapis lazuli treasures dating all the way back to Ancient Egypt.

The Four C's

There are 4 key factors to consider when choosing a diamond, commonly referred to as the Four C’s. They are Cut, Colour, Clarity and Carat.

Large Violet flower cocktail ring with five diamonds set in a flower shape.

Cut

Each of the 4 C’s should be considered equally when comparing diamonds, but the cut is usually considered the most defining and glamorous characteristic.

The cut of a diamond is a completely man-made attribute. Diamonds are mined in rough form and are then sent to highly skilled stonecutters to be shaped and polished. It’s this cutting process that transforms raw stones into the sparkling diamonds we are most familiar with.

The cut determines the shape of the diamond. Round tends to be the most popular but shapes also include pear, oval, emerald and cushion. The cut also determines how well each of the diamond’s facets interact with the light (For example, a standard round cut diamond has at least 58 individual facets!) These incredibly precise facets are angled in perfect proportion to one another, to maximize the amount of light that is reflected back from the diamond – creating that all-important sparkle!

Colour

The most valuable diamond colour is actually colourless! It is an absence of colour that gives a top quality diamond its crisp whiteness, and a colour scale is used to grade each stone. The scale begins with D, which is colourless, and continues with increasing colour to the letter Z. Many of these colour distinctions are so subtle that they are invisible to the untrained eye – but they can make a very big difference to the overall diamond quality and price.

Diamonds can also be found in a variety of other colours including yellow, pink, blue and the smokey champagne hues seen in our Plume Collection. Coloured diamonds are a fantastic alternative to classic white diamonds. They carry all the same qualities of hardness, brilliance and sparkle, with the addition of gorgeous colour!

Large white solitaire diamond ring worn on the 4th finger.

Clarity

Natural diamonds are created miles beneath the Earth’s surface where carbon is exposed to tremendous heat and pressure. This process can result in a variety of unique internal characteristics called ‘inclusions’. When evaluating diamond clarity, the number, size and position of any inclusions is taken into account. No diamond is perfectly pure, but the fewer inclusions it has, the closer it comes to perfection and the higher its value.

Many inclusions are too tiny to be seen by anyone other than a trained diamond grader. To the naked eye, a VS1 and an S12 diamond may look identical, and even though they are different in terms of quality, it’s good not to let your decision be too led by something you can’t see. As long as you choose a diamond that appeals to you and fits your budget then you should be just fine!

Large white antique diamond set in a textured yellow gold engagement ring, presented in a vintage ring box.

Carat

The weight and size of a diamond is measured by carat. A carat is equal to 0.2g. It’s important to remember that two diamonds of equal carat weight can have very different values, depending on the other factors in the 4 C’s. When choosing your stone you want to always find your balance between cut, colour, clarity, carat and cost.

Diamond Types

Statement solid gold diamond charm necklace, and solitaire diamond ring, displayed on marble spheres.

Three pale blue Amethyst gemstones scattered on a white surface.

Traditional Diamonds

Long considered the most popular choice, ‘Traditional’ white diamonds are not actually white at all, with hues ranging from as colourless as a drop of water to having tints of light yellow, light brown or grey. One of the ‘Four C’s’ talked about in reference to diamonds refers to its Colour, with high value placed upon how close a stone is to being colourless - the most rare. Our white diamonds are sourced by our long-term and trusted supplier, Clark Diamonds, a UK based company whose stones of course, all comply with the Kimberley Process.

If you are concerned about the origins of your diamonds, we have plenty of options where we can trace with 100% certainty.

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Two blue Aquamarine gemstones scattered on a white surface.

Ocean Diamonds

Ocean Diamonds are a pioneering supplier working with professional divers to source diamonds from the seabeds around Namibia and South Africa. Their diamonds can be traced from diver to final owner - a transparent supply chain which not only creates minimal environmental impact, but also ensures the provenance of their diamonds is ethical and conflict-free.

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Two yellow citrine gemstones scattered on a white surface.

Lab Grown - The Diamond Foundry

The subject of lab-grown Diamonds is one of much debate. They provide an option outside conventional mining, which is historically problematic for both social and environmental reasons - but could ultimately remove much-needed income from mining communities.

Alongside this, many ‘Labs’ often have an unknown or undisclosed environmental impact. We choose to offer stones from The Diamond Foundry, the world’s first diamond producer to be certified with a zero carbon footprint. The Diamond Foundry’s production is based in Washington State and powered by the Columbia River using renewable hydroelectric power.

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Three dark green emerald gemstones scattered on a white surface.

Antique Diamonds

Antique diamonds will have been mined and shaped by hand at least 100 years ago, meaning that the facets will be bigger and less uniform than those seen in modern stones. Although not as obviously dazzling, the sparkle of old cut diamonds feels deeper and warmer, with the eye drawn into the stone, instead of bouncing the light back out. Antique diamonds also perhaps offer a touch more romance, as they perform so well in low, or candle lit settings.

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Five red garnet gemstones scattered on a white surface.

Coloured Diamonds

Diamonds naturally come in many colours other than white, and are often referred to as ‘Fancy’. Coloured diamonds have their own grading system, and are valued for the intensity and distribution of their colour. Intense colour can also be achieved using a process of irradiation, but any diamonds used in Alex Monroe jewellery will always be natural in colour.

As part of our offering, we regularly use naturally coloured Champagne and Cognac Diamonds, which are responsibly sourced from the Argyle Mine in Western Australia.

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A selection of white and champagne diamonds cupped in the palm of a hand, being inspected with tweezers.

Our Gemstones

We use a beautiful array of precious and semi-precious gemstones to enhance our designs with sparkle and colour. Amongst many other coloured gemstones we use in our jewellery are pearlescent Opals, rich green Tsavorites, warm yellow Citrines and Sapphires in a wide selection of naturally occuring colours.