Cut - the quality of the diamond cut

Princess, brillant, marquise, emerald, pear…

Among the 4Cs, the cut is the only criterion determined by the hand of a man, namely a diamond cutter. Cutting diamonds is an art, essential to reveal the sparkle of the stone. It is all about balance, precision and symmetry. Brilliantly cut, a diamond is magnified as the light perfectly reflects through the prism of its facets. If the cut is misshapen, a bit too high or too flat, the brilliance of the stone loses its vibrancy.

A lab-grown diamond shares the same physical properties as its mined counterpart, including its unrivaled hardness. They are thus cut and polished by the very same master craftsmen, for an equally outstanding result. COURBET only chooses diamonds with an “excellent” cut.

Carat - the weight of the diamond

The carat is the standard unit used to measure the weight of a diamond, equaling 0.2 grams (0.007 ounces). Its origin stems from the carob seed, renowned for the uniformity of its size and weight, as early gem and gold traders used those seeds as counterweights in their balance scales. The caratweigh plays an important part when it comes to choosing a diamond, yet it is inseparable from the other Cs, and should not overweight them.

To this day, growing a stone that weighs over 2 carats and meets COURBET' standards of excellence remains pretty difficult, as the result of the crystallisation process is quite uncertain. Which makes the stones that we offer, born from a scientific and technological prowess, all the more special. From 0.5 carat and above, every lab-grown diamond is delivered with its certificate from a gemological institute.

Clarity - purity of the stone

Every single diamond possesses natural inclusions that appear during the crystallization process and are comparable to birth marks, a testament of uniqueness. Lab-grown diamonds are no exception. Those internal features can take the form of clouds, crystals or chips and, according to their nature, number, position, and importance, they can interfere with the purity of the stone.

The GIA (Gemological Institute of America) developed a grading system ranking diamonds from IF (internally flawless) to I3 (imperfect, with inclusions exposed to the naked eye). COURBET only selects diamonds with a clarity ranging from IF to VS (very small), invisible to the naked eye and barely noticeable when using a magnifying glass.

Colour of the diamond

White diamonds are the brightest, as the absence of colour allows for a better reflection of the light. They also are the rarest, as most stones are tinted with subtle yellow shades, due to the presence of other elements during the crystallisation process.

Appreciated according to a colour chart established by the GIA (Gemological Institute of America), diamonds are ranged following an alphabetical order from D, for perfectly transparent white, to Z, for stones with strong yellow undertones. To guarantee the best quality of its diamonds, COURBET carefully picks stones ranging from D to F.

Consciousness - because without goodness beauty means nothing

We believe that diamonds shine brighter with a clear and transparent origin. So, when it comes to selecting our lab-grown stones, Consciousness is equally essential. From an ethical standpoint, lab-grown diamonds are conflict-free and cannot be associated with the precarious labour conditions in mines. From an ecological standpoint, this high-tech diamond prevents mine extraction, responsible for huge open sky excavations, soil deterioration and the destruction of entire ecosystems.

For these reasons, COURBET consciously chose to exclusively use man-made diamonds in its collections. Dedicated to sourcing our diamonds with the greatest care by following high standards, we work with laboratories that share our ambition to reduce our impact on the environment by favoring the use of low carbon energies.

Among them, COURBET developed strong ties with Diam Concept, the producer of the first gem quality man-made diamonds made in France.