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Learning the 4 C’s: Carat, Color, Clarity and Cut
We want you to be educated and informed before making such an important purchase. This is an investment of a lifetime! Learn from us so you feel empowered to make the right decision. Plus proper care and maintenance techniques for ever-lasting beauty and brilliance. Feeling brilliant
Carat Weight
Diamonds are sold by a unit of weight called a carat. A carat weighs approximately .007 ounces. |
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Since diamonds come in sizes smaller than a carat, measurement is divided into 100 points just as a pound is divided into 16 ounces. So a half carat diamond weighs .50 carat. |
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Diamonds are commonly sold in fractions such as ¼ carat and ½ carat, but the weights are not always exact. |
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A .23 carat stone can legally be called a ¼ carat, and a .51 carat diamond may be called a ½ carat. |
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Buying tips: You may encounter terms called total weight (TW) or total diamond weight (TDW) describing a ring with more than one diamond in it. Be careful – ask if this is the total carat weight of all the diamonds in the ring, not just the larger center stone.
Color
Diamonds are found in a range of colors, from faint yellow or brown to the very rare pink, blue, or green. The most common color is yellow. The rarity of color determines price. Rule of thumb when looking at diamonds is, “less color means more price.”
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The diamond chart is considered the industry standard representing the best color grade available, or colorless. |
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Diamonds occur naturally in all colors of the rainbow. However, the most common diamonds are white. Colorless diamonds are the most valuable; value decreases as a diamond becomes tinged with yellow. |
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Since color judgment is subjective, the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) developed a color grading system for diamonds. The GIA assigns letters from D through Z to grade color. A “D” color diamond is colorless. As the letters progress, the diamond becomes more tinged with yellow. |
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Buying tips: The eye probably cannot detect much difference between two color successive grades but there will be a difference in the price. Diamonds beyond J color are noticeably yellow.
Clarity
To determine a diamond’s clarity, it is viewed under a 30-power (30x) magnification. Most diamonds contain very tiny natural birthmarks known as inclusions. However, the fewer and smaller the inclusions are, the less likely it is that they will interfere with the passage of light through the diamond. A diamond gets its beauty from how it reacts to light, so the clearer the diamond, the more brilliance it will have, and the more expensive it will be. Diamond clarity is broken out into eleven grades. |
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Flawless No inclusions or surface blemishes when examined by a skilled grader under 10X magnifications. |
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IF (Internally Flawless) No inclusions but may have minor surface blemishes when examined by a skilled grader under 10X magnifications. |
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VVS (Very, Very Slightly Included) Minute inclusions difficult to find even by a skilled grader under 10X magnifications. |
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VS (Very Slightly Included) Minor inclusions when examined by a skilled grader under 10X magnification. |
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SI (Slightly Included) Noticeable inclusions when examined by a skilled grader under 10X magnification. |
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I (Included) Inclusions which are obvious under magnification or can be seen with the naked eye. |
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Buying tips: VS and SI quality diamonds are your best buy because they offer a fine look at reasonable prices. Better grades would only be noticed under magnification by a skilled grader.
Note that I grade diamonds may have the lowest prices but will have lower quality noticeable to the naked eye. I grade diamonds are usually promotional diamonds sold at heavy discounts.
Cut
Cut is different than the rest of 4C’s in that it is the only one that nature had nothing to do with, or at least very little. The cut encompasses a diamond’s style (shape and type of facet arrangement) and make (proportions and finish). The shape of the diamond is the most obvious attribute to most people. Diamonds can be cut into many different shapes. Some are more detailed and complicated, resulting in a higher price. It is the cut that enables a diamond to make the best use of light. |
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A diamond in the rough has little more beauty than a pebble on the ground. Only when it reaches the skilled hands of the diamond cutter does a diamond achieve its beauty. |
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The diamond cutter shapes the rough stone and polishes the facets. |
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The arrangement of the facets has been scientifically determined to achieve the maximum brilliance. |
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Diamonds are cut in many shapes: round, marquise, pear, heart, oval, emerald, and square. The most common in the round, also called round brilliant. |
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Unlike color and clarity, cut has many subtle variations. These variations cannot be graded by a set of rules. A trained jeweler can examine the stone under magnification and tell how well a stone is cut. |
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Buying tips: To examine the effects of cut, slightly move the diamond under a light. A well cut diamond will sparkle with flashes of light and color. A poorly cut stone will appear dull and lifeless as you move it.
Be careful – the diameter of a diamond is not always an indication of its carat weight. For example, one ¼ carat stone might be larger in diameter than another ¼ carat stone because it is cut shallower from top to bottom. |
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