WHAT DIAMONDS DOES CHANEL USE?
In our constant search for perfection, CHANEL Fine Jewelry employs the expertise of a gemologist in the diamond selection process, who examines each gem individually. This expertise enables CHANEL Fine Jewelry to offer exceptional diamonds that are among the finest in the world.
DIAMOND QUALITY CRITERIA (4C)
Diamonds come in a variety of colors ranging from colorless diamonds, whose coloration is classified in accordance with an internationally recognized scale, to rarer cases of diamonds with more or less saturated colors in shades of yellow, blue, pink, champagne, black or green.
A diamond's quality depends on the perfect combination of four criteria known as the 4Cs — clarity, color, cut and carat — 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 color of visible inclusions in the stone. Its visibility is measured by using a 10X magnifying glass.
Color
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 only criterion that directly depends on craftsmanship, while all other criteria are determined by nature. Excellent proportions combined with perfectly symmetrical facets enable light to be captured, allowing each 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 colored diamond regardless of weight, CHANEL Fine Jewelry provides a certificate issued by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), an internationally renowned laboratory.
In exceptional cases, certain certificates are issued by the Hoge Raad voor Diamant (HDR), the only international lab in the world that adheres to the standards set by the International Diamond Council.
This certificate serves as an identity card for a stone, indicating its composition in terms of the 4Cs while providing a body of supplementary information attesting to the exceptional quality of a CHANEL Fine Jewelry diamond.
CHANEL Fine Jewelry encourages respect for strict ethical standards in terms of sourcing. Each diamond sold in a CHANEL Fine Jewelry 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 provides a written declaration mentioned on the invoice attesting that CHANEL Fine Jewelry diamonds are sourced from non-conflict countries. This vigilance helps ensure the credibility of the diamond trade, eradicating the circulation of stones from countries in situations of armed conflict.