The Four C's of Diamonds
Hey there, friends! Welcome to the Requiem Report Blog- glad you’re here! This post is going to break down the FOUR C’s of diamonds and provide a brief summary of each of these very important diamond characteristics; by the time you’re done reading this, you’ll be a pro. Here we go!
The Four C’s of diamonds were established by the Gemological Institute of America in the mid-twentieth century to provide a consistent, standardized way of communicating and comparing diamond quality. Today, the Four C’s are the universal method for evaluating diamonds, and they allow the customer to know exactly what it is they are about to purchase. So…what are the Four C’s you ask? The Four C’s of diamonds, in no particular order, are carat, cut, clarity, and color.
SO… let’s begin with carat! This C is probably the easiest to desribe, as it simply refers to the weight of a diamond. One carat can be divided into 100 “points” which allows for exact weight measurments down to the hundredth decimal place. Smaller diamonds are often measured in points; for example, a 1/3 carat diamond might be referred to as a “33 point diamond”, or a 3/4 carat diamond as a “75 point diamond”.
One metric carat is equivalent to 0.20 grams, or 0.0070 ounces, but all you really need to know is that value increases with carat weight (if all others factors remain equal). Larger diamonds are more valuable due to their rarity, but two diamonds with the exact same carat weight can vary significantly in price depending on the quality of their other three “C’s” - cut, clarity, and color.
That leads us to the next “C”… cut. Cut is the only “C” that is a human factor affecting diamond quality, as opposed to a naturally occuring element. This ‘C’ is incredibly important because it plays a huge role in the brilliance of a diamond. Not to be confused with diamond shape (i.e: round, oval, pear, princess, etc.), a diamond’s cut grade is a representation of the way light performs in that stone. In order for a diamond to sparkle it must be fashioned in such a way that allows for maximum reflections, brightness, and flashes of color. Cut is all about how well a diamond’s facets interact with light and how well polished, symmetrical, and proportional a diamond is. While ‘fancy’ (non-round) shapes are also graded on their symmetry and polish, round brilliant cut diamonds are the only ones that recieve an official cut grade from GIA. The cut grading system for round brilliant cut diamonds assesses the physical appearance and craftsmanship of a stone, and assigns a grading of either Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair, or Poor. A diamond could be perfect in all other categories, but if it is not well-cut it will be dull and lifeless, so don’t overlook this important “C”!
The third “C” is clarity and it is of equal importance. The process in which diamonds are formed can create natural imperfections within a stone, and these imperfections are what determine the clarity grading. An imperfection in the interior of a diamond is called and inclusion, while an imperfection on the surface of a diamond is called a blemish. The clarity grading is based on the amount, size, location, and visibility of these imperfections, and it is graded on a scale with 11 total categories and subcategories. The clarity grading scale goes from Flawless (FL), to Internally Flawless (IF), to Very Very Slightly Included (VVS) which is broken into two subcategories of VVS1 and VVS2, then to Very Slightly Included (VS) which is broken into two subcategoreis of VS1 and VS2, next to Slightly Included (SI) which is broken into two subcategories of SI1 and SI2, and finally to Included (I) which is broken into three subcategories of I1, I2, and I3. Flawless diamonds are extremely rare and valuable, so the closer a diamond falls to Flawless on the clarity scale, the higher its value.
Last but not least, the fourth “C” is color. Diamond color is graded on a scale from D-Z, and this grading is actually a reflection of the absence of color in a diamond. A diamond that is completely colorless would be graded “D”, but these are few and far between. The majority of diamonds used in the jewelry industry are in the ‘Near Colorless’ range, with color gradings falling anywhere from G to J. The difference from one color grade to the next is incredibly subtle and can often only be detected by a trained expert, but these very slight changes in color can create a dramatic difference in diamond value.
So, as you have learned, the Four C’s are very important factors in determining a diamond’s value. While each of the “C’s” holds its own importance, it is the combination of these four characteristics that dictates a diamonds worth. The creation of the Four C’s has provided jewelry professionals with a universal language to communicate diamond quality, and I am here to pass that knowledge and confidence on to you!
Thank you for reading, you diamond pro’s!