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4 C's of DiamondsEvery diamond is as unique as the owner. This is a guide to help you better understand how diamonds are graded using a system commonly known as the "four C's". Cut, Color, Clarity and Carat Weight.Cut Diamond cut is perhaps the most important of the four Cs, so it is important to understand how this quality affects the properties and values of a diamond. A good cut gives a diamond its brilliance, which is that brightness that seems to come from the very heart of a diamond. The angles and finish of any diamond are what determine its ability to handle light, which leads to brilliance. The Cut actually refers to two separate aspects of a diamond's appearance: the shape and the quality of workmanship. In a well-proportioned and symmetrical diamond, light will enter and exit through the crown to the eye. A poorly cut diamond, however, allows too much light to escape through the sides and bottom. As a result, a diamond with a poor cut will appear dull, even if it has good color and clarity.  The shape you choose is really a matter of personal preference, and each has its individual advantages.
Round Brilliant-cut diamonds are by far the most popular choice. Its design has been developed over the last hundred years. The round brilliant-cut best features a diamond's fire, sparkle and brilliance. Princess-cut diamonds are gaining in popularity and offer a more contemporary look. Marquise diamonds are especially flattering for women with slender fingers. Heart-shaped diamonds are a truly romantic and unique choice. Emerald-cut diamonds are excellent for women whose taste runs more to the classic. Pear-shaped cut (or teardrop) offers a unique way to express yourself. Oval-shaped diamonds have an original beauty and are preferred for women who want to break with tradition. Parts of a Diamond  Diameter - The width of the diamond as measured through the girdle. Table - This is the large, flat top facet of a diamond. Crown - The upper portion of a cut gemstone, above the girdle. Girdle - The narrow rim of a diamond that separates the crown from the pavilion. It is the largest diameter to any part of the stone. Pavilion- The lower portion of the diamond, below the girdle. It is sometimes referred to as the base. Culet - The tiny facet on the pointed bottom of the pavilion, which is the portion of a cut gem below the girdle. Depth - The height of a gemstone, from the culet to the table. Back to Top Color  Diamond color is all about what you can’t see. Diamonds are valued by how closely they approach colorlessness – the less color, the higher their value. (The exception to this is fancy-color diamonds, such as pinks and blues, which lie outside this color range.) Most diamonds appear colorless but actually have slight tones of yellow or brown. Diamonds are graded on a color scale ranging from D (colorless) to Z (heavily tinted.) Only a highly skilled professional will detect any color in E or F stones, and the color in diamonds rated up to J will be virtually invisible when set in a ring or other jewelry. Color is only one of the four C's so even when a stone has a visible tint, such as K or above, it can still be very lovely if it has good clarity and cut. How the diamond is set can make a difference, too; you might not want to put a truly colorless diamond in a yellow gold setting since the yellow color will reflect in the stone. On the other hand, a slightly yellow stone will appear whiter in a yellow gold setting. Back to Top Clarity Clarity is the measure of a diamond's flawlessness. When light is able to pass through a diamond uninterrupted, the result is a beautiful sparkle. Nearly all diamonds have tiny imperfections known as "blemishes" (externally) or "inclusions" (internally). There are several causes for inclusions and blemishes. During diamond growth, minerals can be trapped inside the stone, causing discoloration or breakage. Blemishes can also develop during the cutting, polishing and setting processes. Even diamonds with inclusions and blemishes can be among the most beautiful, especially those with good color and cut. Many inclusions are difficult to see with the naked eye, and some may be minimized by the setting you choose. Experts measure clarity with special equipment. A classic jewelers' tool is the loupe, a small 10-power (10x) magnifying glass. This is the standard magnification when determining diamond clarity. Jewelers will also use gemological microscopes to show you the characteristics of your diamond. Back to Top Carat Weight A carat is a unit of measure for diamond weight and is evaluated on a point system. One carat is equivalent to 100 points; a half-carat diamond is fifty points and so on. One carat also equals 200 milligrams, and 142 carats equals one ounce. It's also important to note that "carat" should not to be confused with "karat," the unit that measures the purity of gold. The term "carat" is derived from the carob seed, the ancient unit of measure for diamond weight. As technology evolved, jewelers began using mechanical balances and electric scales to measure carat weight accurately. Today, most diamonds are weighed using electronic gem scales. Although diamonds come in many weights, one carat diamonds are found in nature less often than smaller diamonds and are therefore much more expensive. For this reason, a one carat diamond costs far more than two half-carat diamonds of the same cut, color and clarity. In jewelry pieces with more than one diamond, the carats may be described in terms of total carat weight (TW). This is the combined total weight of all the stones in the piece. You will want to take several factors into account when choosing the right carat weight for you. Diamonds on small hands appear larger. And the setting you choose can make a difference in the diamond's appearance. The largest diamond ever found was the Cullinan Diamond, weighing in at 3,106.75 carats (or one and one-third pounds). Mined from South America in 1905, the Cullinan was cut into several smaller diamonds to maximize brilliance. Currently, some pieces of the Cullinan are now part of the British Crown Jewels. Back to Top How to Care for your Diamond Return to Learning Center |
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