The 4 C's of Diamonds

The 4 C’s of Diamonds and Diamond Buying

When researching and purchasing a diamond there are key factors that should be kept in mind.  These factors are commonly called the 4 C’s: cut, clarity, color, and carat weight. They are what is used to describe the quality of a cut diamond which then relates to its value. We will do our best to give an overview of these factors here but you should always discuss them with your jeweler.  Take the opportunity to look closely at the diamond(s) you are interested in using a jeweler’s loupe, or if available, a jeweler’s microscope.  They can give you a better look at the cut and clarity aspects of diamonds, which have a tremendous impact on its’ value.

The first aspect is the diamond’s cut.  It is probably the first thing to decide upon when looking at diamonds, as there are different shapes to choose from.  The cut gives the diamond its brilliance and refractive qualities. The most popular cut shape is the modern round brilliant cut. It offers the greatest display of light performance and is considered the classic diamond shape.  Because of its popularity and ability to present the best a diamond has to offer, more diamonds are cut in this shape than any other. Shapes other than round are called fancy cuts. In recent years princess cuts have been gaining in popularity.  A princess cut is a square cut diamond that has a lot of the same optical effects as a round brilliant cut.  Other popular cuts are marquise, pear, emerald, oval, and cushion cut. A well-cut diamond will have even proportions as a diamond’s proportion affects how the light performs within the stone and therefore affects its beauty. 

The Gemological Institute of America has recently recognized what is considered an Ideal Cut when in reference to round diamonds.  This grading system has specific parameters in regards to proportion.  In 30+ years of viewing diamonds, we’ve witnessed mine cut, European cut, transitional cut and modern brilliant cuts of extraordinary beauty, and these didn’t fall into the category of Ideal Cut by GIA or AGS standards.  A combination of proportions can produce an absolute sparkler. In reference to modern brilliants, a table of 54-58% is wonderful and a depth of 59-62% is great.  Girdles that are medium to thin in thickness is best with a very small to no culet.  This language can be somewhat complicated but can be explained by any of our jewelers should you wish to learn more about this aspect of diamonds.  Please just give our showroom a call and we can schedule an appointment for you to meet with Jonathan, Thomas or James and they would be more than happy to unravel the mysteries of diamonds. 

Diamond characteristics are described in its clarity.  Called ‘inclusions’, they are like fingerprints.  No two diamonds will have the exact same clarity characteristics.  Examples of these inclusions are small pinpoints of guest crystals, smaller diamond or garnet crystals growing within the larger diamond, or a feather.  When looking for inclusions, a jeweler will use a hand eye-piece called a loupe, which usually has a magnification of 10x.  A diamond that shows no inclusions or blemishes under magnification is considered flawless.  Internally flawless can have some minor blemishes but no inclusions.  Blemishes are strictly surface characteristics as they are not within the diamond crystal.  Flawless and internally flawless diamonds are very rare and are very seldom seen in a retail setting, but are available.  VVS stands for Very Very Small.  These are very minute inclusions that are difficult to see when using the 10x loupe. VS mean Very Small.  These inclusions are still very small and some effort is usually made to find them.  SI is Small Inclusion.  These are not visible to the naked eye but are easier to see to a trained observer using magnification.  Diamonds that fall into the I clarity category have inclusions that are obvious to the naked eye and can affect the brilliance of the diamond. Usually they are larger included crystals or large feathers.  While diamonds given an I clarity grade may not be utilized well in a ring, they can be useful in earrings as the angle of light entering the diamond would be not as noticeable.  It is important that you do not think of inclusions as “flaws” or “imperfections”.  Inclusions are what makes each diamond unique and can even appear in interesting shapes such as hearts or snowflakes which may make its appeal that much stronger.

Another important aspect of a diamond is its color.  Many consumers believe that all diamonds are colorless when in reality most of them do have a trace of color and in some the colors can be quite intense.  A perfect example of this is probably the most famous blue diamond, The Hope Diamond.  The industry standard scale for color was developed in the 1950’s by the Gemological Institute of America.  The normal color range scale is called the “D to Z scale” which doesn’t describe and actual color, but a range of color that is based on the stone’s tone and saturation.  A colorless diamond is void of any color tone.  D, E and F are considered “colorless grades”, with D being the highest color grade a diamond can receive.  G, H, I and J are described as “near colorless”.  These seven grades are what you will typically see in a retail jewelry setting.  K, L, M are listed as “faint”.  As the letters progress closer to Z, the diamonds will show more yellow and brown tones.  Diamonds that fall outside of The D to Z Scale are then considered fancy color diamonds.  Probably the most popular and common of the fancy colors is brown, followed by yellow.  However, diamonds also come in pink, blue, red, green, purple and orange, though they are very rare in natural diamonds.  All fancy colors are available at Jonathan’s Jewelers and we stock a variety of fancy yellow diamonds.

Carat weight is the metric term used to measure the weight of diamonds.  The terms carat originated from the use of a carob seed when weighing diamonds.  5.00 carats is equal to 1 gram.  The most common diamond size used in engagement ring settings is one-half carat or 0.50 points.  There are 100 points to one carat.  A one carat diamond has a millimeter size of 6.5 which is equal to the diameter of a #2 common pencil eraser.  Two half-carat diamonds of G color and VS quality will not be the same in value as a one-carat diamond of the same quality.  The carat mark in diamond weight has a direct correlation to the diamond’s value and it’s price.