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Diamond Education: The Four Cs
Buying a diamond…The Four Cs are the defining characteristics of a diamond. They are; carat weight, color, clarity, and cut, and they’re used to describe a diamond’s characteristics and quality. Here’s what you need to know about each of the Four Cs.
Carat Weight:
It refers to the weight of a diamond and is often the first thing people think of when considering buying a diamond. Carat weight alone doesn’t determine the value of a diamond, all the 4Cs have an influence in the grading of a diamond and its value.
Colour:
Diamonds are graded on a scale of 23 shades. These range from D (colourless), down to Z. The less color a diamond has, the more valuable it is as these stones let more light through, adding to their sparkle. However, diamonds beyond this colour grading & palette are classed as fancy colours which can substantially add to their value.
Clarity:
Natural diamonds are created by extreme heat & pressure deep within the earth over billions of years. This process means diamonds often have physical flaws.
Inclusions & blemishes will influence the way light is refracted through a diamond & diamonds with fewer inclusions will be graded higher by a diamond grading laboratory such as GIA (Gemological institute of America). The diamond grading chart ranges from FL (internally flawless & externally), down to I (significantly included stone).
Cut:
The cut of a diamond is arguably one of the most important factors when choosing a stone. A well cut stone can demand a higher price than a poorly cut one, even if the poorly cut stone is bigger in size. The GIA diamond cut grading scale ranges from excellent to poor. An excellent cut stone maximises a diamond's sparkle. With perfect symmetry, it reflects light and disperses it through the table, (which is the top of a diamond).