Jewellery Guide

Understanding diamonds

Four qualities decide how a diamond looks and what it costs. Here is everything you need, in plain words.

The 4Cs

Every certified diamond is graded on the same four qualities.

01 Cut How well the facets are proportioned and polished. Cut decides sparkle more than anything else — choose Excellent or Very Good.

02 Colour Graded from D (colourless) to Z (light yellow). D–F look icy white; G–H look white to most eyes and offer great value.

03 Clarity Tiny natural marks inside or on the stone. VVS and VS diamonds look clean to the naked eye.

04 Carat The weight of the diamond (1 carat = 0.2 g). Price rises sharply at whole and half carats.

The colour grades you will see on our certificates.

Grade	Looks	Good to know
D – F	Colourless	Icy white, the rarest
G – H	Near colourless	White to the eye — best value
I – J	Near colourless	Faint warmth, lovely in yellow & rose gold
K and below	Faint tint	Visible warmth

Grade	Meaning	To the eye
FL / IF	Flawless / internally flawless	Clean
VVS1 – VVS2	Very very slightly included	Clean, even up close
VS1 – VS2	Very slightly included	Clean at normal distance
SI1 – SI2	Slightly included	May show tiny marks
I1 – I3	Included	Marks visible

1 Set your budget
Decide a range first — it makes every other choice easier.
2 Prioritise cut
A well-cut diamond sparkles more and can look larger than a heavier, poorly cut one.
3 Balance colour and clarity
G–H colour with VS clarity looks white and clean for most people.
4 Always buy certified
Every Future Carats diamond comes with a lab certificate you can verify online.

Need guidance?

Our jewellery experts can guide you over a video call, on WhatsApp or at our studio — no obligation.