DIAMONDS & GEMSTONES

Every stone we set is chosen by hand. We look for life as much as perfection, for the way a stone holds light and carries the record of how it was formed. What follows is meant to help you understand what you are looking at, and to choose a stone that is right for you.

How We Choose

A stone is not only a grade on a certificate. Two diamonds of the same weight and clarity can feel entirely different in the hand. We select each stone for its character: the quality of its light, the depth of its colour, the small irregularities that make it singular. In our work, an inclusion is not a flaw to hide but a sign of a natural thing, formed slowly and unrepeatable.

Each stone is chosen personally by Angel.

Understanding Diamonds

A diamond is usually understood through four qualities, often called the Four Cs. They are a useful language, though they never quite capture the whole stone.

Cut. How a diamond is cut determines how it returns light. More than any other quality, the cut is what makes a diamond feel alive rather than flat. A well cut stone gathers light and gives it back.

Colour. White diamonds are graded from D, completely colourless, down through the alphabet as a faint warmth appears. Colourless is the rarest. Coloured diamonds, such as the pink and the warm brown stones we use, follow a different scale entirely, and there the depth and purity of the colour is what is prized.

Clarity. Almost every natural diamond carries inclusions, formed with the stone over a very long time. Most are invisible without magnification. We see them as the fingerprint of a natural object rather than a defect.

Carat. Carat is a measure of weight, not size. How a stone is cut affects how large it appears, so two stones of equal weight can wear quite differently.

Coloured Gemstones

Coloured stones are chosen first for their colour: its hue, its depth, and how evenly it runs through the stone. Each kind of stone has its own nature.

Many coloured gemstones in the wider trade are treated, often with gentle heat, to deepen their colour. We work differently. As a rule, our stones are natural and untreated. Raw, unaltered material is at the heart of how we work. On the rare occasion that a stone has been treated, we always tell you.

Inclusions are part of a coloured stone’s identity. In emeralds they are so characteristic they are called a jardin, a garden held inside the stone. They are how one natural stone is told from another.

Stones also differ greatly in hardness, which is why some ask for more care than others. Our Jewellery Care page sets out how to look after each one.

Certification

We certify our diamonds through the GIA, the Gemological Institute of America, the laboratory we regard as the most exacting and the standard we trust above the rest. The certificate records the stone’s qualities precisely, so you know exactly what you are holding.

Sourcing & Responsibility

Our diamonds are conflict-free. We choose stones for their origin as much as their beauty, and we will not work with material whose path we cannot stand behind.

Choosing With Us

If you are considering a particular stone, or a commission built around one, we are glad to guide you. We can help you weigh colour against clarity, size against character, and find the stone that suits the piece and the person.

Write to us at info@angelbinvaro.com.