Lab grown diamonds are graded and certified exactly the same way mined diamonds are since they are, in fact, physically and chemically identical. Therefore, the 4C’s (cut, colour, clarity, and carat) that are used to grade and differentiate them are also the same. Anyone, in theory, after a bit of reading, will be easily able to pick the diamond they want by prioritising some of the 4Cs over the other and balancing them against their budget. However, the grades of the 4Cs don’t tell the whole story, and you might be overpaying for the diamond or might not even be making the right purchase.
 
In short, the 4C grades are not as clear cut or black or white as the certificates portray; there is a whole spectrum between each grade, and the resulting difference in quality can have an outsize impact on the diamond’s value. Take, for example, VS2 diamonds; experienced gemmologists can group them as VS2+, VS2 even, or VS2-. It is not uncommon to find VS2 stones that are borderline VS1, which our gemologist classifies as VS2+. However, we cannot simply list it as VS2+ on our website. The accompanying report from IGI, GIA, or GCAL will only list it as a VS2, thereby causing confusion if we contradict or don’t match their official reports.
 
In the same vein, there are diamonds that are at the lower end of the, for example, VS1 spectrum that our gemmologist internally classifies as VS2+. These borderline VS2 diamonds, however, are listed in their certificates as VS1, depriving customers of any nuance in their purchasing decision. Customers will end up paying a premium for the VS1 classification to buy diamonds that are, in essence, VS2+. Similarly, the colour grade is internally subdivided by our gemmologists into + (plus), even, and – (minus). An E- colour diamond will command a higher premium over an F+ colour diamond, even though both are almost the same in colour. 
 
To provide our customers with the best value, we have six full-time, industry certified gemmologist on our team whose main job is to be on the constant lookout for diamonds that are in the upper range of every category, the + (plus), division of clarity and colour especially, by poring over videos and photos from suppliers. They do the heavy lifting for our customers by personally inspecting each diamond to ensure we only bring the best in grade diamonds to Australia. It is far better for the consumer and us in the long term, we believe, to only sell good quality products instead of stones of random quality in order to build mutual trust.