The Four C’s
You can’t fake chemistry.
You’ve heard of them. But do you know them?
Carat
Carats are units of weight used in diamond land. Carats tell you how big and heavy diamonds are. And they’re usually the biggest factor when it comes to price.
Color
Clear diamonds range in color shades. The letter values D, E, and F are almost perfectly clear. Letter values G-Z are more yellowish. The lower the letter, the more yellow you’ll see.
Clarity
When we talk clarity, it’s exactly that: a diamond’s transparency. The sharper the clarity, the better the stone. It’s a superficial thing. But we’re superficial beasts.
Cut
Cut is the angle at which a diamond is cut; also the care that goes into that cut. It’s a big deal, and where we’d recommend putting your money.
The Fifth C is for Conflict Free™
“C” numero five stands for Conflict-free. This covers diamonds that are ethically-sourced, where the earth and its people remain unharmed. We’ve personally added this “C” because to us, it’s that important.
You can’t fake chemistry.
Lab-grown Diamond (Left) vs. Earth-mined Diamond (Right)
Image Courtesy: GIA
Lab-grown diamonds form above-ground inside a lab. Traditional diamonds are mined below-ground. But in both cases, the end result is a real diamond. From a chemical standpoint, they’re carbon copies—literally. Each is nearly 100% carbon, emulating the same chemical arrangement underneath a microscope.
To start the process, a diamond seed is extracted from a true, rough diamond. Then it’s placed into a diamond chamber with other diamond seeds. Next, the temperature hits 2,200 degrees, and hydrogen and methane gases rain down until carbon forms and latches onto the diamond seeds. Ultimately, a lab tech extracts the rough. High-powered lasers remove the excess rough. And the diamond is placed on a wheel with diamond dust. It’s then polished and faceted. And we’re left with gorgeous, lab-grown diamonds.
The Diamond Lattice
Image Courtesy: xtal.iqfr.csic.es
Lab-grown Diamonds before Cutting
Lab-grown diamonds are better diamonds.
Quality
The atomic structure of lab-grown diamonds is actually superior to traditional diamonds. These are Type II-A diamonds, which is near-perfect purity. It’s the closest thing to 100% perfect.
Impact
These are diamonds Danny Archer (Blood Diamond, Warner Bros.) would be proud of. Our lab-grown diamonds are 100% conflict-free. And while some companies claim the same—we guarantee it.
Beyond social impact, we also promise no environmental impact. With mined diamonds, environments take a serious hit. When earth is displaced in large amounts, water pollution and soil erosion transpire. There’s no arguing against it. Lab-grown diamonds are an ethical, environmentally-friendly alternative to mined diamonds.
Price
What used to take millions of years now takes a few months. As such, we’re able to sell diamonds for 30 - 40% less than traditional ones. Of course, we can’t just give them away. The process is still costly. Each diamond press can cost up to $1M each.
Still don’t get it? Comparisons can come in handy.
Lab-grown diamonds are kinda like:
Freezer-made Ice
It’s still hard, still cold, and still melts if left unattended.
Lamp-grown Plants
Plants using artificial light still turn into real plants. They still give off oxygen and everything.
In Vitro Babies
Those babies aren’t made the old-fashioned way. But they’re still babies. Doing real baby things.
Finding Ring Size.
If you already know your partner’s size, congrats. Chances are, it hasn’t changed over time. If you don’t, don’t sweat it. Mothers and best friends might have the magic answer. Still stuck? Try one of these methods.
Virtual Guide
The following guide uses American and Canadian ring-sizing standards. Prior to printing, be sure to scale the page to 100%. If not, you won’t get accurate results. And that’s kind of the point, right?
Once printed, you can double-check the guide for proper scaling. Just compare a ruler to the unit bar at the top of the page. If everything adds up, you’re good to go.
The Paper Method
Here’s a time-tested technique you can also do from home. You’ll want to measure late in the day when fingers tend to be a bit more swollen. Oh, and if the knuckle’s bigger than the finger base, measure both spots and go with the midpoint.
What You’ll Need:
What to Do:
Step 1
Cut off a long, thin strip of paper.
Step 2
Wrap the paper around the ring finger, just below the knuckle.
Step 3
Once it’s snug, you’ll want to mark where the two ends meet.
Step 4
Flatten out the paper and measure the mark from the paper’s edge.
Step 5
Match that measurement with a corresponding ring size.
Sizing Kit
If you’re OK with waiting a bit, we’ll mail out an engagement ring sizing kit. Simply contact customer service. They’ll ask for your address and send out a kit—soon as possible.