The 4C’s Of Diamonds— Everything You Need To Know About Diamonds 4C’s
Are you planning to buy a diamond engagement ring for someone special? Hey, are you confused about all choices, and not sure which one is a perfect choice? Are you scared of getting swindled out of thousands of dollars? If so, then sit back and relax because we are going to share informative stuff which can help you in choosing the right diamond piece. By learning about 4C’s of a diamond, you can properly gauge diamond quality and value with perfection and full confidence.
Always remember, every diamond is unique, and there are a variety of factors which affect the diamond pricing. It’s necessary to know about those factors to choose the piece that perfectly matches your standard of beauty. Buying diamond jewelry shouldn’t be an uncomfortable experience; after all, it is for someone special.
Let’s find out about 4C’s!
What Are The 4C’s Of A Diamond?
The 4C’s of a diamond represents the four main components of diamonds’ structure and beauty. These C’s defined as:
- Cut
- Color
- Clarity
- Carat
Every C has its own importance in how diamond structures, and at what cost it sells. These C’s are graded on a scale for quality evaluation. Undoubtedly, diamonds are extremely valuable; thus, there should be a universal grading system for comparing the quality. By keeping that in mind, GIA in the 1940s and 50s’ developed the crucial 4Cs. Every diamond piece certified by it undergoes a thorough and independent evaluation. You can find more information about diamond grading here.
Now let’s discuss about 4C’s in detail.
- Cut
It is not always what you like the most is the right choice for you. Diamond cut matters a lot while choosing a perfect diamond jewelry piece. It especially refers to the quality of a diamond’s angles, the symmetrical facets, proportions, and of course, finishing. All these factors define how a diamond piece will spark and define its aesthetic.
You can find various grades on a scale define as:
- ideal
- excellent
- very good
- good
- fair
- And poor.
The 4C’s grading helps us determine the value and quality of a diamond. So without finding the right balance between these 4C’s, you will end up overpaying for a diamond piece. Obviously, the ideal and excellent grades depend on the diamond shape, like the accurate proportions, angles, and cuts that define the maximum brilliance of a diamond piece. However, cuts differ among diamonds and diamond cutters. Maybe one diamond piece is cut to maximize Carat weight, leaving diamond extremely shallow for light reflection, while the other one is cut to maximize the sparkle.
- Color:
Color is the 2nd diamond’s C, which is graded in terms of how white or color a diamond piece is. You can find color grades chart from D-Z, where D describes as most colorless, and Z contains visible yellow tint. So the pricing depends on the color grade of a diamond. In most cases, even a naked eye cannot tell the main difference between the high grade and two adjacent color graded diamond.
A diamond is known for its beauty and luster, but a tint can spoil the sparkle of a diamond. So the best way to ensure you are buying the right one always look for: (the diamond is not too high of color grade) which will go unseen. Moreover, you shouldn’t buy the one which distracts with light reflection.
- Clarity:
A diamond’s clarity defines how clean a piece is from spots and inclusions. After all, we need luster shine too with spotless clarity. However, with the presence of blemishes and inclusions, a diamond no matters the size, and location can be affected when light passes through it, which makes it look dull, and low-quality. So these imperfections can compromise the look of a diamond piece. So for your convenience, it’s recommended to ensure a particular piece is eye clean, and pure from inclusions without interfering with light reflection. You can find the clarity grades here.
Have you heard of Carat Weight? Is it so? It refers to a diamond’s size. In more simple word, carat defines as the weight of the diamond, and not how big the stone is. This is one of the crucial factors to consider while buying a diamond piece. But along with Carat Weight, beauty and aesthetic of a diamond should too consider.
For your convenience, 1-carat diamond equals to 200milligrams, or we can say 0.2grams. However, the weight even depends on how a diamond is being cut. For instance, if you compare two diamonds of different shapes and cuts, but 1 carat each, you will observe a difference in size, because of the way these are cut and shaped.
So it’s important to consider all 4C’s of a diamond while thinking of buying a diamond. Even a 1.5-carat diamond can lose its shine, so with weight, cut and color and clarity matters too. We hope this article will help you understand the 4C’s of diamond.