Most people have heard about the four C's of diamonds through advertisements or direct contact with jewelry salespersons. However, while familiar with the concept, most individuals are a little sketchy on the facts when asked to explain. The four C's, as promoted by the jewelry industry, include carat weight, clarity, color, and cut.
Diamond Clarity
No two diamonds are alike. A diamond's most distinguishing characteristics are its inclusions, marks that are often invisible to the naked eye. However, under a jeweler's magnifying loupe or microscope they can look like crystals, tiny rivers, or clouds. A diamond's clarity is determined by the presence or absence of inclusions--fewer inclusions mean better clarity--and how visible they are. The greater a diamond's clarity, the greater its brilliance and value. A diamond categorized as internally flawless will have no inclusions, but this is extremely rare.
CLARITY GRADE | DETAIL |
F/ Flawless | The diamond shows no inclusions or blemishes of any sort under 10X magnification when observed by an experienced grader. Note: Truly flawless or internally flawless (F or IF on the GIA’s grading scale) diamonds are extremely rare. |
IF/ Internally Flawless | The diamond has no inclusions when examined by an experienced grader using 10X magnification, but will have some minor blemishes. |
VVS1, VVS2/Very, Very Slightly Included | The diamond contains minute inclusions that are difficult even for experienced graders to see under 10X magnification. |
VS1, VS2/ Very Slightly Included | The diamond contains minute inclusions such as small crystals, clouds or feathers when observed with effort under 10X magnification. |
SI1, SI2/ Slightly Included | The diamond contains inclusions (clouds, included crystals, knots, cavities, and feathers) that are noticeable to an experienced grader under 10X magnification. |
I1, I2, I3/ Included | The diamond contains inclusions (possibly large feathers of large included crystals) that are obvious under 10X magnification and may affect transparency and brilliance. |
Buying Tip(Clarity):
Clarity makes a significant impact on the price of the stone. When shopping for diamonds, you should remember that “clarity” does not affect diamond brilliance. The better the clarity does not ensure a more brilliant stone. Actually, the stone cutting determines the brilliance of a stone. In fact, most people cannot discern the visible difference between the grades “Flawless” through “Slightly Included.”
Diamond Color:
Though diamonds come in a wide range of colors, colorless diamonds have traditionally been considered the most valuable. Most diamonds are graded on a scale using the letters of the alphabet, from D (colorless), the best grade, through Z (a light yellow). It is difficult for the untrained eye to notice such variations in color unless stones are being compared side by side.
COLOR GRADE | ALPHABET RANGE |
Colorless | D,E,F |
Near Colorless | G,H,I,J |
Faint Yellow | K,L,M |
Very Light Yellow | N,O,P,Q,R |
Light Yellow | S,T,U,V,W,X,Y,Z |
Certain diamonds are called fancies. These stones have intense natural colors that in some cases are very rare and command exceptional values. These stones are not color.graded with the scale above. Brown and yellow diamonds are the most common members of the fancy group and have a distinct beauty of their own. Reds, blues, and greens are extremely rare and highly sought after by designers and collectors.
Buying Tip (Color)
Color is one of the most noticeable characteristics of a diamond. Most people notice if a diamond is colorless (the most desired). The setting of the diamond can affect the appearance of color. If the stone is colorless, a white gold or platinum setting will enhance the whiteness of the stone. But if the stone has a yellowish tint, a yellow gold setting may help mask the yellow tint, making the stone appear whiter.
Diamond Carat Weight:
A diamond's weight is measured in carats, Carat may be abbreviated as "ct." . with one carat being equivalent to 100 points.
You will often see a diamond referred to as a 3/4-carat stone or a 75-point diamond. Larger stones are often more highly valued, but size should not be the only consideration--high brilliance, which varies according to clarity, cut, and color grade, is highly desirable in a diamond. Special diamond scales calibrated to a thousandth of a carat are generally used in the jewelry trade. Occasionally you may hear the term "four grainer" referring to a 1 carat stone. Each grain is equal to .25 ct or 25points. If you think in terms of grams, 1 gram is equal to 5 carats. This metric equivalency provides a level of uniformity anywhere in the world. Due to the limited supply of larger diamonds, the value of the stone rises proportionally as the weight of the stone increases. For example, four .25 ct diamonds of the same quality will not equal the value of a single 1 ct stone of identical quality. The disparity becomes more noticeable as the size and quality of the diamond increases.
Buying Tip(Carat Weight)
Note that carat describes the actual weight of a stone—not the size. Due to the differences in density, some stones of the same size will weigh more than others. Therefore, two different stones may both be 1 carat but have different sizes.
Diamond Cut:
The breathtaking beauty of a diamond comes from a combination of fire (flash of rainbow colors from within) and brilliance (the burst of sparkling light). This dazzling beauty is a direct result of the cut. The last of the four C's, cut, is a little more complicated than just the shape or visible form of the diamond. Cut also refers to the style of faceting as well as the symmetry, proportion, and finish (known in the trade as the "make").
- Designed for maximum sparkle, the brilliant cut uses many triangular and kite-shaped facets.
- Instead of sparkle, a step cut focuses on elegance by using fewer facets and more trapezoids and rectangles.
- A mixed cut combines the step and brilliant cut styles for a unique beauty.
All diamonds are cut to certain tolerances designed to maximize the play of light within the stone. If the stone varies too greatly from the accepted standards, light is lost through bottom or sides, reducing the liveliness and overall beauty of the stone. As a general note, most full cut round brilliants have either 57 or 58 facets, depending on the absence or presence of a culet (the bottom-most facet on a stone).
Buying Tip(Cut)
The first point to remember when shopping for diamonds is choosing a stone that looks beautiful to you. Different people have different preferences for styles, shapes, colors, and weights.
Diamond Certification:
A diamond certificate represents independent verification that the stone purchased has all the qualities of cut, color, clarity, shape, and weight expected. Such certificates are issued by several agencies employing highly trained gemologists and provide an unbiased and accurate evaluation of the diamond. These gemologists scrutinize each stone to analyze its dimensions, clarity, cut, color, finish, symmetry, and other details.
Example: Gemological Institute of America or the International Gemological Institute. The type of certificate provided will be noted in the product specifications of your jewelry purchase; if you do not see a certificate type noted, one will not be provided.
Diamond Care:
Diamonds, as the hardest substance on earth, are resistant to damage. However, diamond jewelry is set in different metals, and care will vary from piece to piece. Diamonds should be cleaned in a solution of one part ammonia to six parts water, using a gentle scrubbing brush to remove any dirt. It is a good idea to have them cleaned once a year by a professional jeweler, at which time the security of the setting can be checked as well. Diamond jewelry should be stored in a soft cloth pouch to ensure that the stone will not scratch other jewelry.
