You probably have heard about the 4cs. Here, 4cs refers to Carat, Cut, Color and Clarity. I am sure everyone is familiar with the word “Carat” when it comes to diamond. But it is more than just that, the Cut, Color and Clarity of a diamond affects how valuable a diamond worth too!
People often mistake carats as a measurement of size, but they actually measure weight. Generally, the higher the carat weight, the more expensive the stone. Two diamonds of equal carat weight may varies in price and quality when the other three Cs are considered.
Tip - a diamond that has a bigger carat weight doesn’t necessarily mean it will look bigger!
The cut of a diamond isn’t actually the shape of the diamond but rather the angles and proportions of the stone. The way the diamond is cut determines the brilliance of a diamond. If the diamond is cut too deep or shallow, it will leak light on the sides, giving it a lackluster appearance which will reduce its value and brilliance. When done well, it can be the most important C.
Diamonds come in many different colors but traditionally, diamonds are valued by how closely they approached colorless. Using the grading scale, the D grade at the top of the scale is considered colorless, rarest and most expensive and diamonds become progressively more yellow as we go down the 23-grade scale (D to Z)
A diamond is a thing of nature and like most natural things, it is rarely perfect and often have flaws. These flaws are also known as inclusions and blemishes. Similar to color, the clarity of a diamond is also measured on a scale, ranging from Flawless to Heavily Included. The less impurities or inclusions a diamond has, the clearer and more expensive it is.
Tip - Diamonds in the SI1 and SI2 are slightly included but their imperfections are often invisible to the naked eye.
Now that you have a better understanding of the 4cs, you can start taking advantage of them!
