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The 4C's
We've all heard of them..and there's a good chance you can name them all: Cut, Color, Clarity and Carat. But why are these C's so important? They directly relate to a diamonds beauty. The following are listed in order of importance:
CUT
A diamond's cut has the greatest impact on a diamond's beauty and least impact on price. A well-cut diamond, or an " ideal " cut diamond, will refract light that enters the diamond and return it through the top to produce the beautiful sparkle you desire. The angles must be precisely right to effectively reflect the light back to your eye.
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| Too Deep |
Ideal Cut |
Too Shallow |
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Thankfully, most can likely spot a poorly cut diamond with the naked eye. If you study any diamond or gemstone, you will notice the flat, polished planes that make up the surface. These are the stones "facets." The cut of a stone refers to the placement, shape and amount of "facets" on a finished diamond. It is estimated that at over 70% of round and over 80% of others on the market are poorly proportioned.
So how can you make sure your stone is " ideal " cut, with the perfect balance between brilliance and fire? Pay attention to the diamonds depth percentage and table percentage.
For a round diamond, the depth percentage of an ideal cut diamond should be between 58-62.9% and the table percentage between 53-57%. Unfortunately, there is no industry agreement on what defines an ideal cut diamond. For example, the GIA's (Gemological Institute of America) definition of its top cut grades differ from the AGS (American Gemological Society) definition of its top cut grades.
Our advice: buy a diamond certified by one of these two labs and ask for specifics regarding the cut of your diamond.
COLOR
When we think of diamonds and we think of color, most will agree, the whiter the better! Indeed, this is true: the more yellow a stone is, the less it will cost. You've noticed a beautiful diamond when you've seen one.that white hot flash that caught your attention. The more yellow a diamond is, the less light can pass through it. More light passes through a whiter diamond, producing that sparkle and shine.
Has your betrothed indicated she would love a canary yellow diamond? Before you get too excited about the prospect of saving some dollars on this all-important purchase, these diamonds are similar in cost to the white colorless diamonds! There are four color grades to fancy yellow diamonds, each increasing in cost as listed: Fancy Light Yellow, Fancy Yellow, Fancy Intense Yellow and Fancy Vivid Yellow.
The GIA's grading system ranges from "D", the whitest diamond, to "Z", a dingy yellow color. The best way to determine a diamond's grade is when the diamond is un-mounted, so the color of the mounting in no way affects the color of the stone.
If your budget is limitless, then you will probably opt for nothing less than a D. However, if your last name isn't Trump or Diddy, consider our advice: target color grades H, I and even J. You'll save a ton, and once mounted, your diamond will look just as good to the average on-looker.
CLARITY
Because diamonds are nature-made, they contain identifying characteristics, most of which are invisible to the naked eye. Clarity is the degree to which a stone is free from external marks called blemishes , and internal marks called inclusions . Inclusions, depending on where they are located within the stone, will have a greater impact on a diamond's beauty, grade and value.
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| F1 |
IF |
VVS1-VVS2 |
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| Flawless |
Internally Flawless |
Very, very small inclusions |
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| VS1-VS2 |
SI1-SI2 |
I1, I2 & I3 |
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| Very Small Inclusions |
Small Inclusions |
Imperfect eye visible inclusions |
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Following is the GIA clarity rating scale:
F1 (flawless) Free from inclusions and blemishes when viewed under 10X magnification.
IF (internally flawless) Free from inclusions; may have minor surface blemishes. Very rare and expensive.
VVS1-VVS2 (Very, very small inclusions) Has minute inclusions or blemishes the size of a pinpoint when viewed under 10X magnification. Rare and expensive.
VS1-VS2 (Very small inclusions) Has inclusions or blemishes smaller than ta grain of salt when viewed under 10X magnification. High quality.
SI1-SI2 (Small inclusions) Has inclusions or blemishes larger than a grain of salt when viewed under 10X magnification. Almost all SI1 diamonds are "eye-clean," meaning the flaws cannot be seen by the naked eye. They are considered good quality. SI2 stones may have imperfections visible to the naked eye. These are considered borderline.
I1, I2 & I3 (imperfect eye visible inclusions) Has inclusions and blemishes visible to the naked eye that make the diamond look cloudy and lifeless. We don't recommend these for this or any occasion!
Our advice: for round, brilliant-cut stones or other shapes with many facets, target SI1 to VS2 for value and beauty. For Emerald cut diamonds or other step cut shapes, consider VS2 and higher due to the transparency of these shapes.
CARAT
After breaking the good news to her closest friends that you've proposed, the first question they may ask so excitedly is, "How did he propose?" The next question. "How many carats???"
| Width (mm) |
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| Weight in carats |
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A diamonds weight is given in carats. In ancient times, diamonds and gemstones were weighted against carob beans, giving us the term "carat." Carat weight was eventually translated to the metric system. One carat equals 0.2 grams or 200 milligrams. You may also hear of diamond weights referred to as points. For example, 50 points equates to a half-carat.
Remember, bigger isn't always better. Some women would prefer to have an extremely well cut diamond, nearly colorless with a higher clarity versus a larger diamond with less clarity and more yellow color. However, some women want a bigger diamond and are willing to compromise the brilliance and sparkle of a higher quality diamond.
Our advice: this is not the time to be cheap, but also not the time to declare bankruptcy. Set a budget you can handle and stick with it. Keep in mind that she will be wearing her ring for a lifetime!
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