The diamond 4cs chart can help you become familiar with diamond grading quickly. These four factors – color, clarity, cut and carat weight – all play a role in determining a diamond’s beauty and value.
These four characteristics are GIA’s most widely accepted diamond grading standards. They enable you to compare and contrast different diamonds based on their quality, an important factor when selecting which one to purchase.
Color
Diamond color is graded on the GIA color scale, which begins at D for completely colorless diamonds and ends with Z for yellow diamonds.
While colorless diamonds are the most sought-after, some people prefer yellow or brown hues in their stones. Although more costly, these gems offer great value due to their rarity and unique hue.
No matter if a diamond is set or not, its color can make an impact on its aesthetic appeal. When selecting one for a ring, make sure that it looks best within its setting.
Clarity
Clarity in a diamond refers to the absence of any visible flaws or inclusions that affect its aesthetic appearance. Imperfections can interfere with light refraction and reflectance, dulling down its sparkle.
Inclusions and blemishes vary in number, size, relief, nature and position on a diamond’s surface, which can affect its clarity. From minute spots to large cracks, these imperfections affect the overall aesthetic appeal of a stone.
Flawless (FL) and Internally Flawless (IF) diamonds are considered the highest grades in clarity, though they can be quite rare and expensive. While these two grades are considered the most valuable, diamonds with lower clarity grades still look clean to the naked eye and costlier than an FL diamond.
When selecting a diamond, it is essential to choose one with no visible inclusions under 10x magnification. After this threshold has been passed, further improvements in clarity won’t make much of an aesthetic difference but will increase its price tag.
Cut
Cut is the crowning jewel of the 4C’s of a Diamonds and plays an essential role in determining a diamond’s sparkle and fire. A delicate balance between proportions, symmetry and polish creates the radiance and brilliance that diamonds are renowned for.
Additionally, human touch and craftsmanship is evident through poor polish that may create surface flaws that dull the stone’s sparkle, while symmetry dictates how light is directed as it enters and exits the facets.
A diamond’s cut is determined by the shapes, size and number of facets it contains. Additionally, the cutter has chosen to position each facet for maximum brilliance and fire.
For instance, a round ideal cut diamond will reflect more light than its step cut counterpart. Furthermore, keep in mind that the cut grade doesn’t affect the carat weight of a diamond; thus it may be wiser to opt for smaller stones with excellent cut instead of larger ones with average cuts.
Carat Weight
Carat weight is an important factor to take into account when selecting a diamond, as it can greatly influence its price depending on its size and shape.
Carat weight, also known as diamond carat weight, is a measurement of its physical size in milligrams. This standard unit of measurement is only used to weigh gemstones and diamonds.
The term “carat” originated with carob seeds, which were used by early gem merchants to more precisely weigh their loose stones. By 1907, it had become a universal standard.
Conclusion
Some carat weights are considered “magic” – for instance, a 0.50ct diamond and a 1.00ct diamond may appear similar in size, yet their cost will be much higher due to being rarer than their smaller counterparts.
