Diamond Guide

We go above and beyond all standard industry regulations to ensure that we can stand behind every stone we use in our jewelry. All of our diamonds adhere to the Kimberley Process - an international certification process that aims to prevent the flow of conflict diamonds while helping to protect legitimate trade in rough diamonds. The Kimberley Process is an integral part of responsible diamond sourcing, however we view it as the minimum of what should be required and work hard to ensure that we go beyond it.

The diamonds we use fall into one of three categories:

After years of looking for responsibly mined stones we came upon a better answer - recycled goods! All of the brilliant cut diamonds in the Catbird collection are recycled (rose cuts are not currently available recycled, but we are trying!). Recycled stones were previously in finished goods that were dismantled for the raw materials. By giving diamonds that already exist a new life, we are not extracting anything additional from the earth — ensuring that our diamonds have the most minimal impact possible. Read more about recycled diamonds here. 

An example of the vintage jewelry that our recycled diamonds come from. 

Our rose cut diamonds fall into this category. We have long relationships with a select few of the most respected suppliers to ensure that every rose cut diamond we use goes above the standards enforced by the Kimberley Process and is guaranteed conflict-free. We work with our suppliers to ensure as much transparency as possible around stone origins, and, vitally important but often overlooked: cutting facilities that are safe and continually audited by a third party. 

An alternative to traditionally mined diamonds, lab grown diamonds are created from a natural diamond slice in a lab with less middlemen than a mined diamond. They are molecularly identical to natural diamonds and each stone is unique, based on the slice it was grown from. Our signature Swan engagement rings are available with lab grown diamonds.

We primarily use two cuts of diamonds, rose cuts and brilliant cuts. Brilliant cuts are likely what you picture when you think of a diamond, while rose cuts have a softer sparkle and an antique feeling.

Brilliant Cuts have many more facets than rose cuts which is what gives them their exceptional brilliance. The shape resembles that of a cone - as opposed to the flat bottom of the rose cut - which provides maximized light return through the top of the diamond.

Rose cuts have a flat bottom with a dome-shaped crown usually featuring 24 facets. Rose cuts have a more diffused and subtle light than the modern brilliant cut diamond with its many facets. Their flat bottom adds to their soft luster. The first rose cuts were made in the 1500s and we love them for their soft, vintage feel.