Diamond Grading - These are the 4C's!Diamond grading is a process that results in an opinion given by a trained gemologist. They rate a diamond against the 4C’s of Clarity, Color, Cut, (proportion) and the Carat Weight. The first three, Clarity, Color and Cut are measures of quality. Carat is a measure of weight or quantity. The cost of a diamond is based on a combination of all these factors. Technically speaking only the Clarity, Cut and Color are graded. The Carat weight is measured and the most objective of all the characteristics. While all the 4C’s are important, color and cut are what give you the Bling. The fire and brilliance of a stone depend most heavily on the cut.
Carat Weight This is the easiest of the 4C’s to talk about. A Carat is the unit of weight for all gemstones. Each carat is divided up into 100 "points". Therefore a diamond measuring 50 points is 1/2 carat in weight, or 0.50ct. This gives you the overall size of the gem. All things being equal bigger will cost you more. Clarity A diamond's clarity is more complex. It is determined by how many and what type of inclusions a stone has. In addition to these naturally occurring internal inclusions there are surface features considered to be blemishes as well. These irregularities occurred when the diamond was created. Basically diamonds are graded for clarity based on how hard it is to see these inclusions. The harder they are to see the more pure or flawless the stone is found to be, and the more expensive. So a stone with lots of inclusions that are easy to see will be graded lower than a stone with fewer harder to see inclusions.
Color Ideally; a diamond should have no color or at all. Well you know how ideals are – nice in theory – they just have a hard time of it in the real world. Diamonds are no different. Most stones have a slight yellowish tinge to them. It is these increasing degrees of color are measured on a scale ranging from no color at all (D) to deeply colored (Z). Diamonds graded beyond "Z" have a rich, vibrant color and are called "fancy”. These fancy stones that are naturally occurring are very rare indeed. Cut Cut is often the most overlooked of the 4C’s and as we said above, is the characteristic that makes the most difference to a stones visual impact. This is all about the proportion of a diamonds angles and various attributes. We are not going to get too technical here. Simply put, when looking at a diamond, if it doesn't catch your eye or if it doesn't flash in the light, it's probably not well cut. Good cutting is what makes all the difference. Use the diamond grading reports to find the ideal cuts. Perhaps the most important thing to know about
diamond grading
Ultimately most people windup making trade offs between these 4C’s to stay within their budget. If you need to make these kinds of choices, we recommend paying more for Cut and worrying less about inclusions, especially ones that you can’t see with your naked eye! We think in the long run you will be happier, and get more compliments. We hope that we have taken some of the mystery out of diamond grading for you!
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