Fancy shape diamond rings - H. Chalfen Jewellers, Hatton Garden, London

Colour and clarity help to define the value of any diamond but what makes one diamond more desirable than another?

A diamond has a unique crystal structure that bends light like no other stone. If the diamond is not cut well then the light leaks away from the inside causing less light to be returned through the top.

A well cut stone allows light to enter through the top (table) and then bounce around the mirrors (facets) inside and exit again back out the top. This light return causes flashes of white and sparks of green, blue and orange that is referred to as the 'life' of the diamond. No other stone has the 'life' of a well cut diamond.

Chalfen have a passion for 'life' which is what makes a Chalfen Diamond so desirable.