the 4 C’s of Diamonds

Buying a diamond can be a very intimidating experience, but with a bit of help, it can be easier. The basics of buying a diamond come down to the 4 c’s: Cut, Clarity, Color and Carat. I’ll go through them all.

1. Cut. Rough diamonds look like crystals and are not very vibrant nor pretty. The cutters then cut and grind the diamond down to make it look as good as possible, while preserving as much weight as possible, as a significant amount of the value is determined by the weight. The vibrant look of the diamond is made by light reflecting back at the user. A proper cut will allow the most light possible to reflect back to the user and not “escape” through the bottom. The range of cut ranges from ideal to poor. I’d recommend anywhere near the top, anywhere from ideal to very good should do the job.
2. Clarity. The clarity is determined by the amount of “inclusions” or imperfections in a diamond. Most diamonds have imperfections, such as tiny bits of carbon, present. The range of clarity is from “Flawless (FL)” to “Imperfect 3 (I3)”. After that, diamonds are considered industrial grade. The in-between grades are VVS, VS, and SI, with each having 2 levels, such as VS1 and VS2. Most users will not notice anything above VS1 without loupe and training and it will only slightly affect the look, but may save a fair amount of money.
3. Color. Diamonds range from Colorless, to highly colored, in many colors, even red or blue, green, etc.. Most people purchase non-fancy color diamonds, which range from D (which is completely clear) to Z. After Z, diamonds are considered fancy. Most jewelers do not carry diamonds beyond around I or J as beyond that, they are not of high quality. With “normal” wear , a diamond will become dirty, so there is no need to purchase a D-diamond. Personally, I recommend anywhere around F-G for most people.
4. Carat- This is the weight measurement gemstones are measured in. So, basically, the higher the carat, the bigger the diamond.

Hope this helps a bit.

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