Diamond Education

Assessing Diamond Quality : 4C's

Education is key to being a good buyer. Understanding the 4 C’s-cut, clarity, color, and carat of a diamond’s appearance are essential to getting the best quality diamond for the best price.

Diamond Shape

When selecting a diamond, shape is one of the most important factors to consider. The contours and outlines of a diamond have a significant impact on its appearance. Round diamonds have long been the most popular, although many modern consumers prefer alternative shapes, including emerald, princess, radiant, and asscher, among others.

Diamond Cut

One of the most defining characteristics of a diamond is its cut. While high grades of color, clarity, and carat weight also contribute to a diamond's appeal, it's the cut that determines the symmetry of the stone's facets, its overall proportions, and its ability to reflect light. An expertly cut diamond will achieve high levels of brilliance, sparkle, and durability. Even if a diamond is graded well in other areas, a poor cut can result in a dull, muted effect.

Diamond Color

A diamond's color has a significant impact on its appearance. With its many prismatic facets, a colorless diamond reflects light into a spectrum of hues, a characteristic often referred to as "fire". The presence of noticeable color in a diamond may reduce its ability to reflect light. Consequently, diamonds with lower color grades will not show the same luminosity and fire as those with higher grades. The most valuable diamonds have little to no detectable color.

Diamond Clarity

Natural diamonds are the result of carbon exposed to tremendous heat and pressure deep in the earth. This process can result in a variety of internal characteristics called "inclusions" and external characteristics called "blemishes". Evaluating diamond clarity involves determining the number, size, relief, nature, and position of these characteristics, as well as how these affect the overall appearance of the stone. While no diamond is perfectly pure, the closer it comes, the higher its value.

Diamond Carat

Inclusions found on a diamond can be considered nature's birthmarks, the distinguishing characteristics that make the stone unique. When grading a diamond, the amount of inclusions and blemishes has a direct impact on its clarity and value. Flawless diamonds containing no inclusions are extremely rare and very expensive. A majority of the commercially sold diamonds contains inclusions that are undetectable to the unaided eye.