Choosing the right diamond shouldn’t be a stressful experience. The right knowledge combined with helpful assistance from a quality jeweller like Ottawa Valley Jewellers, buying a diamond can be a rewarding investment. 

At Ottawa Valley Jewellers, we hand pick all our larger diamonds and every diamond is carefully selected to maximize quality for price. 

Educate Yourself

Understanding the Four C’s of Diamonds will help you select the diamond that is right for you. Cut, Colour, Clarity and Carat Weight are all used in the industry to measure the quality and price of diamonds.

Cut: The cut of a diamond, or the angles and proportions of it, influence its value. A well-cut diamond reflects more white light. The more light is reflected, the better it sparkles and throws rainbows of colour, known as fire. Diamonds can be cut into a number of shapes like pear, emerald, round and marquise. Choose a diamond in the shape you prefer, but it should always be cut to good proportions.

Colour: The more colourless the diamond, the greater its value. A colourless diamond is the most valuable and rare. This is because the less colour a diamond has, the easier it is for the light to pass through it, creating better reflection and sparkles (see above). The more “yellow” a diamond is, the lower its value. Coloured diamonds are called Fancy Diamonds, and if the colour is natural, rich and attractive to look at, it becomes more valuable. Choose a diamond that both pleases your eye and fits your price range.

Clarity: Most diamonds have naturally occurring inclusions that are found in the interior and on the surface of the stone. The fewer and smaller the inclusions are, the more valuable the diamond. The most rare and valuable do not have any inclusions, and are called Flawless. The least valuable diamonds have inclusions visible to the naked eye.


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Carat-Weight: Carat refers simply to the weight of the diamond – the bigger it is, the more valuable. However, as cut, colour and clarity are also determining factors in the quality of a diamond, a big diamond that is poorly cut, with more inclusions and is yellow, is of less value than a smaller and more well-cut, less flawed whiter diamond.

Ottawa Valley Jewellers can show you the difference in diamond quality and help you select your perfect stone. We have a huge inventory of diamonds in every size, shape, clarity and colour. Once you have found your diamond, choose the right mount and we will create a piece of art to be treasured forever.

Put Your Knowledge to Work.  Ready to start looking at diamonds? Browse our unique database of diamonds to find the one you desire, then come into Ottawa Valley Jewellers and we will help make it yours.