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A round brilliant diamond held in tweezers over a dark surface
Diamond guide

All about diamonds

Shapes

A round brilliant diamond held in a six-prong platinum setting Round An oval diamond set east-west in a yellow gold ring Oval A cushion cut diamond solitaire ring in white gold on linen Cushion A pear shaped diamond solitaire ring in yellow gold on linen Pear A princess cut diamond solitaire ring in white gold on linen Princess An emerald cut diamond solitaire ring in yellow gold on linen Emerald A marquise diamond solitaire ring in yellow gold on linen Marquise A radiant cut diamond solitaire ring in yellow gold on linen Radiant An asscher cut diamond solitaire ring in white gold on linen Asscher A heart shaped diamond solitaire ring in yellow gold on linen Heart
Compare all shapes

The 4Cs

Two round brilliant diamonds, one face-up and one on its side showing its depth Cut A Vanhess ring with a yellow cushion diamond in a double halo of white diamonds Colour A diamond solitaire ring on a jeweller's bench beside a 10x loupe and tweezers Clarity A large emerald cut diamond ring with a diamond halo, engraved Vanhess Carat

Colour runs from D to Z. Clarity has 11 grades, from Flawless to Included. One carat weighs 0.2 grams. Grading system and scales: GIA.

The 4Cs guide

Natural, lab-grown or moissanite

NaturalLab-grownMoissanite
TypeDiamondDiamondDiamond simulant
Made ofCarbonCarbonSilicon carbide
Hardness10109¼

Hardness on the Mohs scale. Sources: GIA on lab-grown diamonds and simulants, GIA on the Mohs scale, GIA Gems & Gemology, Winter 1997, on moissanite.

Lab vs natural Moissanite vs diamond
A diamond grading report card beside a loose round diamond and a 10x loupe

Grading reports

GIA laser-inscribes every lab-grown diamond it grades with the report number and the word "LABORATORY-GROWN".

GIA and IGI reports Read a report Is it real?
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See them in person

Engagement rings Visit the store (604) 653-6449
Questions
What are the 4Cs of a diamond?
Cut, colour, clarity and carat weight. GIA developed this grading system in the 1950s, and diamond professionals use it to describe and compare diamonds.
How much does one carat weigh?
One metric carat is 0.2 grams, and it is divided into 100 points. A 0.50 carat diamond is a 50 point diamond.
Are lab-grown diamonds real diamonds?
Yes. GIA says lab-grown diamonds have the same crystal structure as natural diamonds, made of tightly bonded carbon atoms, with nearly the same chemical, optical and physical properties.
Is moissanite a diamond?
No. Moissanite is silicon carbide, and GIA lists it as a diamond simulant. It rates 9¼ on the Mohs hardness scale, and diamond rates 10.
How does a GIA report show that a diamond is lab-grown?
GIA grades lab-grown diamonds on a separate Laboratory-Grown Diamond Report, and laser-inscribes the stone with the report number and the words "LABORATORY-GROWN".