Diamonds are some of the most ancient and beautiful stones on earth. The name diamond is derived from the ancient Greek (adámas), meaning proper, unalterable, unbreakable, untamed. The most familiar usage of diamonds today is, of course, as gemstones used for adornment, a usage which dates back into antiquity. Diamond is the hardest natural material known and is the source of its name. The hardness of diamonds means that it is highly suitability as a gemstone. Since it can only be scratched by other diamonds, it maintains its polish extremely well. Unlike many other gems, it is well-suited to daily wear because of its resistance to scratching. Diamonds are a common feature in the Clogau Gold jewellery range. The cut we we use most often is called the 'brilliant cut'. Since a round diamond is symmetrical and capable of reflecting nearly all the light that enters, it is the most brilliant of all diamond shapes and follows specific proportional guidelines. We also use the princess cut. This cut will internally reflect light from one mirror-like facet to another and disperse and reflect it through the top of the stone. This results in a display of brilliance and fire which is missing in deep or shallow-cut diamonds.