Appleby Jewellers Diamond Buying Guide

Choosing a diamond is a deeply personal and meaningful decision — one that marks life’s most important moments. At Appleby Jewellers, we combine decades of expertise with a commitment to excellence, guiding you every step of the way. This guide will help you understand the key elements of diamond quality so you can select a piece that’s truly exceptional.

At Appleby Jewellers, our expert gemologists travel the world in search of the rarest and most exceptional diamonds. Each stone is meticulously handpicked for its superior quality, brilliance, and unique character. Only the finest make the cut — no compromises, no exceptions.

Cut

Making Light Dance

Of the 4Cs — cut, colour, clarity, and carat — cut is the most crucial when it comes to a diamond’s sparkle. It’s the cut that determines how well a diamond reflects light, creating that unmistakable sparkle and fire.

A well-cut diamond reflects light beautifully — creating brilliance (white light), fire (rainbow flashes), and scintillation (the sparkle as it moves). Even a high-carat diamond can appear dull if poorly cut.

Applebys Jewellers use the most skilled and experienced diamond expert cutters in the world to bring out the diamond's sparkle. Every facet of an Appleby diamond is carefully angled to maximise brilliance, allowing light to travel through the stone and reflect back with dazzling intensity.

Diamond Colour

A whiter shade of pale

The GIA grades diamond colour on a scale from D (colourless) to Z (light yellow or brown), with colourless diamonds being the rarest and most sought-after.

At Appleby Jewellers, we select only the top tiers of the colour scale, ensuring each diamond appears bright, white, and full of life. Even subtle differences in colour can influence a diamond’s sparkle and value. The majority of Appleby diamonds are D, E and F colour.

Diamond Clarity

Clarity measures the presence of natural inclusions within the stone. We focus on eye-clean diamonds, meaning any tiny inclusions are invisible to the naked eye.
Most Appleby diamonds fall in the VS1–SI1 range, striking the perfect balance between purity and value. If a diamond looks flawless to the eye, don’t overpay for a higher clarity grade that doesn’t visibly enhance it.

Diamond Carat

Carat refers to the weight of a diamond, not its size — and it’s only one part of a diamond’s overall beauty.

At Appleby Jewellers, we guide our clients through the subtleties of carat weight, helping you find the perfect balance between size, cut, and visual impact.

As diamond size increases, so does its rarity and value. Larger diamonds are found far less frequently in nature, making them significantly more rare — and therefore more precious. A one-carat diamond is not simply twice the value of a half-carat; its worth increases exponentially.

Appleby Tip: Two diamonds of the same carat weight can appear very different in size depending on cut.

GIA Certified Natural Diamonds

At Appleby Jewellers, we believe in complete transparency and trust. That’s why we offer GIA-certified diamonds — graded by the Gemological Institute of America, the world’s most respected authority in diamond evaluation. A GIA certificate provides an independent, internationally recognised assessment of a diamond’s cut, colour, clarity, and carat weight, ensuring you know exactly what you’re buying.

Every GIA-certified diamond is laser-inscribed with a unique number and comes with a detailed report, giving you confidence in both the quality and the provenance of your stone. When you choose a GIA-certified Appleby diamond, you’re choosing excellence with integrity.

Contact Us

Platinum Claws

When it comes to setting your diamond or gemstone securely, platinum claws are the ultimate choice. Platinum is an exceptionally durable metal — far denser and more resistant to wear than gold — making it ideal for the delicate prongs that hold your stone in place. Its natural white sheen also enhances the brilliance of diamonds, without the need for rhodium plating, ensuring a clean and timeless finish.

At Appleby Jewellers, we craft our engagement rings with platinum claws for their ability to provide maximum security while maintaining a refined, minimal appearance that lets your stone take centre stage.

The Highest Standard Of Diamonds

The name Appleby is respected by diamond connoisseurs around the world.

At Appleby Jewellers, our diamond selection process is shaped by over seventy years of expertise. Each diamond is handpicked by our in-house gemologists for its superior cut, precise proportions, and exceptional light performance.
We are also deeply committed to ethical sourcing. Every Appleby diamond is fully traceable and conflict-free.

We assess hundreds of diamonds to find the rare few that meet our exacting standards across the 4Cs. Only the most beautiful diamonds earn the Appleby name — a mark of trust, integrity, and timeless elegance.

A Legacy Of Craftsmanship & Care

Our story began in 1950s Dublin, in the warmth of the Appleby family home, where Margaret Appleby, Ireland’s first female diamond setter, began handcrafting beautiful, personal pieces of jewellery for a small circle of discerning customers.

From the very beginning, Margaret’s focus was on quality, craftsmanship, creativity, and meticulous attention to detail — values that would become the foundation of the Appleby name.

By the late 1950s, she and her husband John opened their first shop on Johnson’s Court, just off Grafton Street — the very location where Appleby’s flagship store still stands today. Today, that tradition is proudly carried forward by the second and third generation of the Appleby family with the same same dedication to excellence, integrity, and warm, personal service.

Over the decades, Appleby Jewellers has remained a trusted name in Irish jewellery — a place where customers know they’ll receive the very best in quality, value, and care.