Diamonds are rare, pure and eternal, a symbol of luxury and elegance across the globe. It was in Europe in 1477 that Princess Marie of Burgundy received this first diamond ring as a symbol of love from Archduke Maximilian of Austria. She wore it on her fourth finger following the Egyptian belief of the "vein of love" that traveled from this finger directly to the heart. Even today, diamonds remain synonymous with love.
The 4 Cs, the quality criteria of diamonds
Carat weight, color, clarity and cut
Understanding carat weight
"The measure of a diamond dream"
This is one of the four quality criteria for diamonds. Carats are a way of measuring the weight of diamonds, a carat weighs 0.2 gramms, a measurement based on the African carob bean which was formerly used as a measuring unit in gold trading. The weight of the carat infers how precious the diamond is alongside the other criteria. We use diamonds of a large range of carats.
The colour of diamonds
"The brilliance of white"
A scale is used to evaluate the color of each diamond from D (exceptional white +) to Z (tinted color), the more precious diamonds are absolutely white. Piaget only uses those between D and F for center stones and F and G for paved settings, to ensure each piece shines with pure light.
What does clarity mean?
"The quest for absolute transparency"
Clarity is important for determining how precious a diamond is. The most wonderful are totally clear, meaning they have no clouding or crystals inclusions. To determine this, each diamond we used is examined by our gemologists with equipment that magnifies the stone ten times. This means only the highest-quality diamonds are selected by us, ranging from IF (internally flawless) to VVS (very very small inclusions).
Choosing the perfect cut
"The sparkling reflection of light"
The cut is vital to how radiant a diamond is. A perfectly cut stone magnifies the light that is reflected and reveals the full beauty of the diamond. That is why Piaget gemologists only select the stones that have the highest quality cut.
Diligent diamond sourcing
To ensure our diamonds are of the highest aesthetic standards and ethical, we are a member of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS), an international project that monitors all rough diamond transactions to ensure these do not finance armed conflicts or criminal enterprises.
Since 2011, we have also been certified by the Responsible Jeweller Council, meaning each of our diamonds comply with the strictest of requirements. We worked with the council in 2012 to create a guarantee chain for platinum group metals and gold.
Further information:
PIAGET ETHICS AND ENVIRONMENT
