WHAT DIAMONDS DOES CHANEL USE?
In its constant search for perfection, CHANEL Fine Jewellery involves the expertise of a gemologist in the diamond selecting process, who takes the time to examine each gem. This is how CHANEL Fine Jewellery offers exceptional diamonds that are among the finest in the world.
DIAMOND QUALITY CRITERIA (4C)
Diamonds come in a variety of colours, ranging from the so-called "colourless" diamonds whose coloration is classified in accordance with an internationally recognized scale, to those rarer cases of diamonds with more or less saturated colours, such as yellow, blue, pink, champagne, black or green.
A diamond's quality depends on the perfect combination of four criteria, known as "the 4Cs,” which are subject to endless variations that make each stone unique:
Clarity
The clarity of a diamond is determined by the number, size, position and colour of visible inclusions in the stone. Its visibility is measured by using a 10X magnifying glass.
Colour
Ideal diamonds are generally distinguished by the absence of color. Thus, the more colorless a diamond, the more rare and precious it is.
An international standard attributes the letter "D" to totally colorless diamonds, with the following letters of the alphabet used to measure yellow or brown tints that appear in the stone.
Cut
The cut is the element that enhances a diamond's qualities, thus revealing its most ideal balance of brilliance, fire and sparkle. This is the only criterion that directly depends on humans, while the other criteria are determined by nature.
Excellent proportions combined with perfectly symmetrical facets enable light to be captured, which allows the carefully-selected stone to reveal its true brilliance.
Carat
The word "carat" refers to the seeds of the carob tree, used in antiquity to measure the weight of a diamond, and has been the international standard unit of measurement since 1907. A carat is equivalent to 0.20 grams. The diagram below shows the ratio between the diameter of a round diamond and its carat weight. The weight of a diamond may be greater than 3.5 carats.
CERTIFICATION
For each round diamond with a weight equivalent to or greater than 0.25 carats, for each fancy-cut diamond equivalent to or greater than 0.50 carats, and for each coloured diamond regardless of its weight, CHANEL Fine Jewellery provides a certificate issued by the GIA (Gemological Institute of America), an internationally renowned laboratory.
(In exceptional cases, certain certificates are issued by the HRD, or “Hoge Raad voor Diamant.”)
This certificate works like an identity card for a stone, indicating its composition in terms of the 4Cs while also providing a body of supplementary information attesting to the exceptional quality of a CHANEL Fine Jewellery diamond.
CHANEL Fine Jewellery encourages respect for strict ethical standards in terms of sourcing. Each diamond sold in a CHANEL Fine Jewellery Boutique comes from legal sources, in full compliance with the Kimberley Process certification scheme, as defined by the United Nations.
Under the guarantee system instituted by this process, each partner undertakes to provide a written declaration mentioned on the invoice attesting that the diamonds are sourced from non-conflict countries. This particular vigilance helps ensure the credibility of the diamond trade, eradicating the circulation of stones from countries in situations of armed conflict.