Journal
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Diamonds
What Are the 4Cs of Diamonds?
Cut, colour, clarity and carat weight: the universal language of diamond quality, and how to balance the four when you choose.
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Lab-Grown
Lab-Grown Diamonds vs Natural Diamonds
Both are diamond. They differ in origin, in price and in what they mean to the person who wears them. A side-by-side comparison, without a verdict.
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Moissanite
Moissanite vs Diamond
Two brilliant stones with different characters. How moissanite and diamond compare in hardness, sparkle, weight and price, and how to choose between them.
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Engagement
Best Engagement Ring Styles: A Guide to Choosing the Right Setting
There is no single best setting, only the right one for a stone, a hand and a life. The main engagement ring styles compared, with their...
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Engagement
How to Choose an Engagement Ring
A calm, step-by-step way to choose an engagement ring: what to decide first, what to ask, and the mistakes worth avoiding.
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Gold & Metals
Gold Karats Explained: 9K, 10K, 14K, 18K and 24K
What a karat measures, how much gold each karat contains, how karat changes colour and durability, and which finenesses different markets recognise.
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Lab-Grown
What Are Lab-Grown Diamonds?
A laboratory-grown diamond is diamond made by people rather than formed in the earth. Here is what that means, how it is named and how to...
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Lab-Grown
Are Lab-Grown Diamonds Real Diamonds?
Yes: a laboratory-grown diamond is diamond. The useful distinction is not real or fake, but natural or laboratory-grown, and diamond or simulant.
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Lab-Grown
How Are Lab-Grown Diamonds Made?
From a small diamond seed to a polished, graded stone: the two growth methods, HPHT and CVD, and the steps that follow.
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Lab-Grown
CVD vs HPHT Diamonds
The two ways to grow a diamond, compared: how each works, how the crystals differ and why neither is better in itself.
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Moissanite
What Is Moissanite?
Moissanite is silicon carbide: a brilliant, very hard gemstone first found in a meteorite crater and now created in laboratories. What it is, and what it...
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Moissanite
Moissanite vs Lab-Grown Diamond
Both are created in laboratories, but only one is diamond. How moissanite and laboratory-grown diamonds differ, and what each offers.
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Diamonds
Diamond Shapes Explained
Round, oval, cushion, emerald, pear and more: what each diamond shape looks like, how it handles light and what to check before choosing one.
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Diamonds
What Does Diamond Certification Mean?
A diamond certificate is really a grading report. What it tells you, what it does not, and how to check that it belongs to your stone.
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Diamonds
GIA vs IGI: Understanding Diamond Reports
Two of the most widely used gemmological laboratories, described neutrally: who they are, what their reports contain and how to compare them.
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Diamonds
What Is Diamond Clarity?
Clarity describes a diamond's inclusions and blemishes. The grading scale, what really affects appearance and why eye-clean matters more than flawless.
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Diamonds
What Is Diamond Color?
In white diamonds, colour grading measures the absence of colour, from D to Z. How the scale works, what you can really see and how metal...
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Diamonds
What Is Diamond Cut?
Cut is the C that decides how a diamond sparkles. Brightness, fire and scintillation, the proportions behind them and how cut is graded.
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Diamonds
What Is Carat Weight?
A carat is a unit of weight, not size. What it measures, how weight relates to what you see, total carat weight and how price changes...
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Engagement
How Much Should You Spend on an Engagement Ring?
There is no rule, and the old salary formulas came from advertising, not tradition. How to set a budget that is yours, and how to make...
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Engagement
Which Hand Does an Engagement Ring Go On?
Left or right depends on country, tradition and personal preference. The main customs around the world, and why any choice can be the right one.
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Engagement
Which Finger Is the Engagement Ring Worn On?
The fourth finger, known as the ring finger, is the tradition in most of the world. Where the custom comes from, and the exceptions.
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Engagement
Engagement Ring vs Wedding Ring
One marks a promise, the other a marriage. How engagement rings and wedding rings differ, how they are worn together and the choices couples make today.
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Engagement
Can You Wear an Engagement Ring Every Day?
Yes, if it is made for it and treated with a little care. Which materials and settings suit daily wear, and when to take your ring...
