Introduction

Most jewellers don't talk about cut. They'll walk you through clarity. They'll show you color grades. They'll explain carat weight until you're fluent in decimal points. But cut? The thing that actually makes a diamond perform? That conversation gets skipped.

Here's the truth: clarity and color matter. But cut matters most.

You can have a VVS1, D-color diamond that looks flat. Dead. Because if the cut isn't right, the light doesn't return. And light is the whole point.

I'm a gemologist. I spent time at the Bangkok and New York Campus. I've been around diamonds long enough to have my own opinions about what matters. Do I know everything? No. But I've looked at enough diamonds to have my own formulas. My own patterns. The things I've learned just from seeing them every day.

Another gemologist might disagree with me. That's fine. But this is what works for my eyes, and more importantly, for my clients.

So here's what I tell every client who sits down with us: Start with cut. Everything else is negotiable.

At Vero, we don't carry anything below an Excellent cut. Period. We also don't go below VVS2 clarity or E colour. Not because VS1 or F color are bad they're not. But with how certificates are graded today, and how little the price difference actually is, we just don't see the point. Why settle for good when you can start with great?

A Quick Note on Grading Labs

Most lab-grown diamonds are certified by IGI (International Gemological Institute). Natural diamonds are typically certified by GIA (Gemological Institute of America). Both are reputable labs, but they grade slightly differently:

•            IGI tends to be more lenient, especially on color and clarity
•            A stone graded E by IGI might be an F at GIA
•            A VVS2 at IGI might be a VS1 at GIA

That's exactly why we don't go below VVS2 E. It's our buffer. It means even if the grading is generous, you're still getting a stone that performs at the level you're paying for.

That's the Vero minimum. And that's where this conversation starts.

Table of Contents

• Carat: What Everyone Asks About
• Color: What You Notice First
• Clarity: The Glamorous One
• Cut: Finally, the Most Important One
• The Vero Standard
• Summary
• Frequently Asked Questions
• References

Carat: What Everyone Asks About

What is Carat?

Carat is weight. That's it.

•              One carat = 0.2 grams (or 200 milligrams)
•              The term comes from carob seeds, which ancient gem traders used as counterweights
•             carat is a standardized unit of measurement for gemstones

Why Everyone Asks About It

Carat is the easiest C to understand. It's a number. Bigger number = bigger diamond. Simple. Except it's not.

The problem: Carat measures weight, not size. How big a diamond looks depends entirely on how it's cut.

Why Carat Weight is Misleading

Two diamonds can weigh the same but look completely different:

•            A well-cut 1-carat round might look smaller than a poorly-cut 1-carat round
•            The poorly-cut diamond has extra weight hidden in the pavilion (the bottom)
•             That hidden weight is invisible—it makes the diamond cost more without making it look better
•             You're paying for weight you can't see

Different shapes look different at the same carat weight:

•           Ovals look bigger than rounds due to more surface area and face-up presence
•            Emerald cuts have different visual impact due to their step-cut faceting
•              Cushions and radiants vary based on their length-to-width ratios and depth percentages
•           Each shape has unique proportions that affect how it appears on the hand

The Vero Approach to Carat

We prioritize light performance over weight.

•            We're willing to sacrifice a little carat weight for better proportions and light return
•            A slightly smaller, well-cut diamond will always outperform a heavier, poorly-cut one
•            It's not about the number on the certificate—it's about what you see when you look at your hand

The Real Talk on Carat

If you're chasing carat weight for the sake of it, you're optimizing for the wrong thing. A 0.90-carat diamond that performs beautifully will look better—and often bigger—than a "magic" 1.00-carat that's cut for weight, not light.

Focus on how it looks, not what it weighs.

Diamond Color: What You Notice First

Diamond Clarity: The Glamorous One

What is Clarity?

Clarity measures the natural imperfections inside a diamond.

These imperfections are called inclusions—little marks, crystals, feathers, or clouds. They can be:

•              Black, white, clear, or hollow
•                Located in different areas of the stone
•               Visible to the naked eye (rare) or only under magnification (common)

The GIA Clarity Scale

From highest to lowest:

•            FL (Flawless): No inclusions or blemishes under 10x magnification
•            IF (Internally Flawless): No inclusions, only minor blemishes under 10x
•           VVS1, VVS2 (Very Very Slightly Included): Minute inclusions, extremely difficult to see under 10x
•           VS1, VS2 (Very Slightly Included): Minor inclusions, difficult to see under 10x
•            SI1, SI2 (Slightly Included): Noticeable inclusions under 10x, sometimes visible to naked eye
•            I1, I2, I3 (Included): Obvious inclusions that may affect transparency and brilliance

Why Clarity Matters (But Not as Much as You Think)

Here's the thing about clarity: it's important. But at a certain point, it stops making any difference to what you actually see.

Important facts about clarity grading:

•            Clarity is graded under 10x magnification (not a microscope, just a loupe)
•           The process takes about 30 seconds
•            Gemologists assess inclusion type, size, position, and visibility
•            Most inclusions? You'll never see them with your naked eye

Here's the kicker: clarity has nothing to do with light performance. A VVS1 diamond doesn't sparkle more than a VS2. It's just cleaner under a loupe. That's all.

The Vero Standard for Clarity

We don't go below VVS2.

Does that mean VS1 or VS2 are bad? No. But with our minimum at VVS2, we've already solved the problem:

•          You're not going to see inclusions
•           You're not going to worry about them
•          You're just going to wear your ring

The Real Talk on Clarity

Clarity gets way too much hype. I've had clients come in asking for VVS1 like it's going to change their life. It won't. You're not walking around with a loupe in your pocket. No one is examining your ring under magnification except maybe your insurance appraiser.

If the diamond is eye-clean and well-cut, clarity becomes a non-issue.

Focus on cut. Focus on color. Let clarity take care of itself.

Diamond Cut: Finally, the Most Important One

Finally, Cut. The most important C. The bread and butter. The one that actually determines whether your diamond looks like a diamond or a very expensive piece of glass.

And somehow, it's the one nobody talks about.

Walk into a big box store. They'll show you clarity charts. They'll pull out color comparisons. They'll tell you all about carat weight and "value." But cut? Never comes up. Because they're not trying to sell you what's best. They're trying to sell you what they have. And what they have is often bottom-of-the-barrel stones that look dead under the lights but check all the boxes on paper.

Here's the truth: cut is why diamonds perform.

What is a Diamond Cut?

Cut is how well a diamond is proportioned and faceted.

It's the only C that's entirely about craftsmanship—not what nature gave you, but what a cutter did with it.

The GIA Cut Scale (for Round Brilliants only):

•           Excellent
•           Very Good
•           Good
•           Fair
•           Poor

How a Diamond Actually Works

A diamond has three main parts:

•           Crown: The top portion above the girdle
•           Pavilion: The bottom portion below the girdle
• Girdle: The widest plane that separates crown and pavilion    

The light performance process:

• Light enters through the table (the flat top facet)
• It bounces around inside the pavilion
• If the proportions are right, that light returns straight back to your eye
• This is what makes a diamond bright and alive—this is performance

When cut is off—even slightly:

•            Light leaks out the sides or bottom of the diamond
•             The diamond looks dull, dead, like expensive glass
•              All the other C's become irrelevant because the stone doesn't perform

Cut Varies by Shape

Different shapes need different proportions:

•            Ovals need specific depth percentage and length-to-width ratio to avoid a heavy bowtie effect
•              Emerald cuts need precise pavilion angles to maximize their step-cut faceting
•             Cushions depend entirely on how the facets are arranged for optimal performance
•               Radiants require careful proportioning to balance brilliance with their unique facet pattern

There's no universal formula. It's shape-specific. And with fancy shapes, there's no GIA cut grade to guide you—so you're relying on the cutter's skill and the buyer's eye.

The Vero Standard for Cut

We only work with Excellent cut for rounds. Always.

For fancy shapes, we evaluate every stone by hand:

•             Depth percentage
•             Table size
•              Symmetry
•               Light return
•               Bowtie presence (or absence)

We've looked at thousands of diamonds. You start to see patterns. You know what works. And after years of this, you just know when a stone performs.The Lab-Grown Advantage in Cut

Here's where lab-grown diamonds change the game:

Why lab-grown diamonds are often cut better:

•            Produced in controlled environments with higher volume
•             Cutters can afford to be more precise
•             They're not trying to save every bit of rough like with natural diamonds
•            They can cut for performance, not yield
•            Modern cutting tools and imaging software enable better consistency

The result: Lab-grown diamonds, on average, are cut better than their natural counterparts. Not always—but more often than not.

The Real Talk on Cut

Cut is the hill I'll die on.

I've seen D-color, Internally Flawless diamonds that look boring because the cut was lazy. I've also seen well-cut stones that absolutely outperform their specs on paper.

If you're going to compromise anywhere in the 4 Cs, don't do it here. You'll regret it every time you look at your hand.

The Vero Standard

Here's what makes us different:

Most jewellers:

•           Ask you to choose from what they already have
•           Offer pre-selected diamonds and pre-set designs
•           Sell whatever's in the case

We don't work that way.

How Vero Works

We source diamonds specifically for you:

•           The right cut
•           The right proportions
•        The right weight
•       The right everything

Our non-negotiable minimums:

•            Cut: Excellent only (for rounds); hand-evaluated for fancy shapes
•            Color: D-E only
•            Clarity: VVS2 minimum

Why settle for walking in and buying what someone's trying to push on you? Why compromise on what matters just because it's what's available?

At Vero, we don't ask you to find our diamond. We find your diamond.

That's the standard. That's the difference.

Ready to Start?

If you're looking for an engagement ring that's built around you—not around inventory, let's talk.

Book a consultation, and we'll walk through exactly what you're looking for. No pressure. No sales pitch. Just clarity, craft, and a diamond that actually performs.

Summary

When choosing a diamond, remember this hierarchy:

The 4 C's in Order of Importance (The Vero Way)

1. Cut — The most important factor. This determines whether your diamond performs and returns light. Without proper cut, all other factors become meaningless.

2. Color — What you notice first. Start with D-E for the whitest, crispest appearance. Watch for blue/gray tints in lab-grown diamonds that certificates don't capture.

3. Clarity — Matters, but gets too much hype. VVS2 and above ensures eye-clean perfection without paying for improvements you can't see. Clarity doesn't affect light performance.

4. Carat — Everyone asks about it, but it's just weight. A well-cut 0.90ct will outperform a poorly-cut 1.00ct every time. Focus on how it looks, not what it weighs.

The Vero Difference

Most jewellers sell from inventory. We source specifically for you. Our minimums—Excellent cut, VVS2 clarity, E color—ensure you're starting with stones that perform at the highest level, with built-in buffers for grading variations between labs.

Start with a cut. Everything else is negotiable.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why does Vero only work with VVS2 and above when VS1 and VS2 are considered good clarity grades?

It's our buffer for grading variations. IGI (which certifies most lab-grown diamonds) tends to grade more leniently than GIA. A stone graded VVS2 by IGI might be a VS1 at GIA. By maintaining a VVS2 minimum, we ensure that even if the grading is generous, you're still getting a stone that performs at the level you're paying for. Plus, with current pricing, the difference between VS1 and VVS2 is minimal—so why not start with better?

2. If cut is so important, why don't other jewellers talk about it?

Because they're trying to sell what they purchased on a deal. Many retailers carry poorly-cut diamonds because they're cheaper to source and still "check boxes" on paper (good color, good clarity, magic carat weights). If they educated customers about cut, they'd have to admit their inventory doesn't perform. At Vero, we source for performance first, so we can be honest about what actually matters.

3. Will a 0.90-carat diamond really look as big as a 1.00-carat?

If it's well-cut, it can actually look bigger. Here's why: a poorly-cut 1.00ct diamond often has excess weight hidden in the pavilion (the bottom) where you can't see it. That weight makes it heavier and more expensive, but doesn't increase its visual size. A well-cut 0.90ct with ideal proportions maximizes face-up appearance—the view from the top that you actually see when wearing the ring. You're paying for what you see, not what's hiding underneath.

4. What's the difference between how GIA and IGI grade diamonds?

Both are reputable labs, but they have different standards. IGI (International Gemological Institute) certifies most lab-grown diamonds and tends to be more lenient, particularly on color and clarity. GIA (Gemological Institute of America) certifies most natural diamonds and is generally stricter. A diamond graded E color by IGI might receive an F grade from GIA. A VVS2 at IGI might be graded VS1 at GIA. This is why our minimum standards (VVS2, E color) account for these variations.

5. You mentioned some lab-grown diamonds have blue or gray tints. How common is this, and why isn't it on the certificate?

It's more common than most people realize, but it's not captured by standard color grading. The GIA color scale measures the presence of yellow or brown tint. Blue or gray undertones are different—they're not part of the grading scale, so they don't appear on certificates. These tints can result from trace elements or the growth process in lab-grown diamonds. They're subtle and often only visible in certain lighting, but they're there. At Vero, we screen every stone under multiple lighting conditions and reject any with these undertones. You're paying for a white diamond—you should get a white diamond.

H2: References

• Gemological Institute of America (GIA), URL: www.gia.edu
• International Gemological Institute (IGI), URL: www.igi.org
• GIA Diamond Grading Standards, URL: https://4cs.gia.edu/en-us/blog/gia-diamond-grading-scales/

Author's Professional Background, Gemological training: GIA (Gemological Institute of America), Bangkok, New York Years of hands-on diamond evaluation and client consultation