Diamond Guide

Here’s a quick and easy to read guide to become a diamond specialist (and to understand a little more about the quality of the diamonds you are purchasing).

Scroll down to discover

Diamonds are categorized by 4 elements, these elements are called the “4 Cs”:

Click the buttons below to discover
color
clarity
cut
carat weight
color-lilmilan

Color From letter D to letter z

*

D E F

Colorless

G H I J

Non-colorless

K L M

Faint yellow

N O P Q R

Very light yellow

S T U V W X Y Z

Light yellow

*A, B and C are considered as not discovered yet. The whitest color possible nowadays is D.

Color is a fundamental element of diamond quality.
Keep this in mind: the whiter the better.

The more the diamond is colorless, the more it is rare and, thus, valuable.
All diamonds are rated from on a scale from D to H, in descending order.

At LIL we choose to produce all jewels with a Color F-G. This means that LIL’s diamonds are certified to be top quality, colorless or nearly colorless.

FUN FACT: many diamonds appear colorless but most stones have a color slightly veering towards yellow or brown tinges.

clarity-lilmilan

Inclusion scale

F-IF Flawless

VVS1 - VVS2 Very very slightly included
(Visible only via microscope)

VS1 - VS2 Very slightly included
(Visible but very small)

SI1 - SI2 Slightly included
(Visible, small)

I1 - I2 - I3 Included
(Clearly visible)

Purity

Clarity is the element that reflects the presence of small imperfections in the structure of the diamond. These imperfections are usually dark-colored little stains.
Each diamond is examined through a microscope and is classified through the scale represented above.

FUN FACT: Diamonds are formed deep within the earth under heat and pressure, this is the reason why all diamonds contain small imperfections inside their structure. It’s part of the beauty of nature (to us)!

cut-lilmilan
Lil Milan Diamond Carat Weight
Princess
Lil Milan Diamond Carat Weight
Marquise
Lil Milan Diamond Carat Weight
Oval
Lil Milan Diamond Carat Weight
Pear
Lil Milan Diamond Carat Weight
Heart
Lil Milan Diamond Carat Weight
Emerald
Lil Milan Diamond Carat Weight
Brilliant

Cut is the symmetry, proportion and polish of a diamond. Cut affects its brilliance (and we all love the sparkle). The Brilliant (which is the cut LIL uses mostly) cut must have 58 perfectly aligned facets (57 if the culet is not faceted).

The most common cut is the round cut but there are many more such as princess, marquise, oval, pear, heart and emerald.
You can find the most commons above.

carat-weight-lilmilan
Lil Milan Diamond Carat Weight
0.05
Lil Milan Diamond Carat Weight
0.10
Lil Milan Diamond Carat Weight
0.20
Lil Milan Diamond Carat Weight
0.30
Lil Milan Diamond Carat Weight
0.40
Lil Milan Diamond Carat Weight
0.50
Lil Milan Diamond Carat Weight
0.60
Lil Milan Diamond Carat Weight
0.70
Lil Milan Diamond Carat Weight
0.80
Lil Milan Diamond Carat Weight
0.90
Lil Milan Diamond Carat Weight
1.00
Lil Milan Diamond Carat Weight
1.50

Carat weight it’s the unit of mass used for measuring diamonds. The value of a diamond is proportional to its size. A metric “carat” is subdivided into 100 “points”. This allows very precise measurements to the hundredth decimal place. A jeweler may describe the weight of a diamond below one carat by its ‘points’ alone. For instance, the jeweler may refer to a diamond that weighs 0.25 carats as a ‘twenty-five pointer.’

However, color + clarity + cut are equally important in determining the value of the gem. In fact, two diamonds of equal carat weight can have very different values (and prices) depending on the three other factors of the diamond.

Every precious jewel comes with a certificate

Each jewel with diamonds or sapphires is sold with a certificates that indicates: carat, color, clarity and that each jewel is handmade in 18k solid gold (750/1000).
Each jewel is quality branded, look for the logo ‘LIL’ laser engraved.

Responsible sourcing

At LIL, we understand that you care where their diamonds come from, and we share that concern with you. Every diamond we sell is certified conflict-free in compliance with, the Kimberley Process resolutions.