The 4C's of Diamonds

The 4CS of diamond quality

 

How To Buy An Engagement Ring Using The 4 C’s

There are two major questions you need to answer; Where and what. We have an article covering where to buy your engagement ring. In this article, we are covering what characteristics you should focus on when purchasing a diamond.

Without finding the right balance between the 4cs, you will end up overpaying for certain qualities of a diamond while not spending enough on others. Let’s say you are thinking of purchasing a one carat diamond. If you balance the 4Cs you can get a stunning looking diamond like this that is a great value. If you ignore that balance you can end up with a cheap, yet incredibly ugly, diamond. Or you can think “only the best” and spend a boatload on this exquisite diamond. But if you follow our recommendations, you can find the perfect balance of quality and value.

 

Cut

The ‘Cut’ is perhaps the most important aspect of a diamond quality that impacts a diamond’s beauty. Diamond cut specifically refers to the quality of a diamond’s angles, proportions, symmetrical facets, brilliance, fire, scintillation and finishing details. These factors directly impact a diamond’s ability to sparkle, along with its overall aesthetic appeal. 

The GIA diamond cut chart grades diamond cut on the scale of Ideal, Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair and Poor. The Ideal and Excellent grades, depending on diamond shape, signify proportions and angles cut for maximum brilliance and fire.

Diamond Cut

Even if two diamonds are given the same grade on the diamond cut chart, cuts vary significantly among diamonds and diamond cutters. At times, a cutter may aim for maximum carat weight, leaving the diamond too deep or too shallow for optimal light reflection. Other times a diamond may be cut to minimize the number of inclusions, improving its clarity, but forgoing maximum sparkle. Even an Ideal cut diamond may have a yellow tint that is too noticeable and detracts from the gem’s beauty.

More importantly, though, is ensuring cut is a focal point of your diamond selection. Even a pristine 2 carat diamond with no blemishes or colour tinting can be dull if it’s not cut exceptionally well. Cut is the biggest indicator of beauty and should be made a priority over the other C’s. As an example, this 1.50 carat round brilliant is graded well for each “C” but lacks a vivacious sparkle.

It’s essential to note that a top-grade designation on the diamond cut chart, such as Excellent, doesn’t necessarily indicate an outstanding diamond cut. Almost 55% of all diamonds sold online are Excellent cuts. Some are stunning, while others are mediocre. 

Also, you might have heard about triple ex diamonds (excellent cut, polish and symmetry). A lot of people think that these diamonds are worth the premium some jewellers are charging but the reality is a bit different. 

Because cut is so important to a diamond’s fundamental beauty, it’s crucial to review a diamond’s cut carefully and ask for the eye of an expert.

 

Colour

Diamond colour is graded in terms of how white or colourless a diamond is. The GIA grades diamonds from D to Z, with D being the most colourless, and Z containing noticeable brown or yellow tint. The diamond colour chart below shows how each grade looks next to each other.

While the diamond colour chart provides an example of how each grade appears, it’s important to look at each diamond individually. Depending on the diamond’s cut, carat weight and shape, the colour might appear different among diamonds.

The pricing of diamonds usually reflects the grade—sometimes significantly. In most cases, the naked eye cannot tell the difference between two adjacent colour graded diamonds, though the price difference may be significant.

The most critical aspect with colour is to determine if it appears colourless in relation to its setting. You also want to be certain that a diamond is clear of any tinting that takes away or interferes with white and coloured light reflections. The K colour in this cushion cut diamond from James Allen, for example, distracts from the sparkle of the diamond while this H colour diamond from James Allen is radiant.

Brilliance, or sparkle, is created from the way the diamond is cut. It is not advantageous to purchase a diamond that distracts from this important principal characteristic.

As a general recommendation, review each diamond closely and ask for the assistance of an expert. This is the best way to ensure you’re not paying for a feature (i.e. too high of colour grade) that will go unnoticed, or purchasing a diamond that distracts or interferes with light reflection.

Note: Certain coloured diamonds are valued stones, like a fancy pink or green diamond. Colour grades for these diamonds are distinctly different from traditional “white” diamonds and don’t appear on the diamond colour chart.

Diamond Colour Chart

 

Clarity

A diamond’s clarity grade evaluates how clean a diamond is from both inclusions and blemishes. Clarity is graded by the GIA on the following diamond clarity chart:

• FL (Flawless)
• IF (Internally Flawless)
• VVS1 (Very, Very Slightly Included 1)
• VVS2 (Very, Very Slightly Included 2)
• VS1 (Very Slightly Included 1)
• VS2 (Very Slightly Included 2)
• SI1 (Slightly Included 1)
• SI2 (Slightly Included 2)
• I1 (Inclusions 1)
• I2 (Inclusions 2)

Diamond Clarity Chart

This diamond clarity grading scale shows and sums up each clarity grade. Watch how the visibility of the inclusions changes in the image on the right.

As you work your way across the diamond clarity chart, you’ll notice how more inclusions and blemishes are visible. Not all imperfections are visible to the naked eye, though. That’s why it’s important to look at each individual diamond.

Diamond clarity chart

Depending on the size, location and darkness of blemishes and inclusions, these imperfections can interfere with light as it passes through the diamond. When this happens, the brilliance and beauty of the diamond is dulled, taking away from the high-quality cut.

For clarity, our primary recommendation is to ensure the diamond is eye clean, and that inclusions are not interfering with light reflection.

Review the stone to see if it is eye clean and ask for confirmation from an expert. A certificate alone won’t tell you how a diamond’s blemishes will impact the stone’s appearance and brilliance.

 

Carat Weight

Often when people hear the term “carat weight,” they think it refers to the size of the diamond. In actuality, Carat refers to the weight of the diamond, not how large the stone is. A 1 carat diamond equals 200 milligrams, or 0.2 grams—and weighs about the same as a quarter of a raisin. Depending on the diamond shape and how it is cut, two 1 carat diamonds might be quite different in size.

Carat weight vs size

While carat weight is an element to consider when buying a diamond, the overall appearance and brilliance should carry more importance. For example, a mediocre 1.5 carat diamond will not shine as brightly—or draw as much attention—as a stunning 1.0 carat diamond, no matter how much more it weighs. Rather than sticking to a certain number on the diamond carat weight chart, choose a diamond with an Excellent cut or Ideal cut in the shape you desire.

 

How the 4 C’s work together

Each of the 4 C’s contribute to the overall beauty of a diamond and make each stone unique. A diamond, however, should be viewed as an organic whole. Because the eye has difficulty differentiating one diamond characteristic by itself, such as clarity or color, it is important to consider how the 4 C’s impact each other.

FAQs About Diamond 4 C’s