Guides
Carat, cut, color, and clarity are the shared language on every lab report. They are not four equal votes.
Every certified diamond on Carat Mate is graded on cut, color, clarity, and carat. Use them as a shared language — not as four equal votes. Cut usually moves sparkle first on rounds; carat is weight; color and clarity are face-up grades you should confirm in photo and video.
Cut is how well the stone returns light. On a round brilliant, Excellent and Ideal cuts look brighter than Fair or Good cuts of the same carat. Fancy shapes (oval, pear, emerald, cushion) are judged with photos and 360° video as much as with the cut grade, because the grade scales were built around rounds.
Carat is weight. A 1.00 ct round is about 6.4 mm across. An oval of the same weight looks larger because the outline is stretched. Jumping from 0.90 ct to 1.00 ct often costs more than the size change you can see, which is why many shoppers compare both.
Color runs from D (colorless) toward the alphabet. D–F look colorless. G–H look white in most settings. I and J show a hint of warmth that is more obvious in yellow gold than in platinum or white gold.
Clarity runs from FL to I1. VS and many SI stones look clean at arm’s length if the inclusion is not under the table. Use the certificate, then confirm with the photo.
Carat Mate lists certified loose diamonds for shoppers in the United States, Canada, the UAE, London, and Australia. Prices are in USD everywhere. We ship to the United States, Canada, the UAE, London, and Australia.
