The 4 C’s of Diamond Quality
Carat
This is the weight of a diamond measured in carats. As the carat weight of a diamond increases so does its rarity and therefore its value. Two diamonds of equal weight can have very different values, because the quality is still determined by the colour, clarity and cut.
Colour
This is determined on the body colour of the stone and how close it is to colourless diamonds will lower in colour grade with the more yellow or brown in the body colour. There are the exceptions of the fancy colours such as blue, pink, purple and red. Ideally a diamond should have no colour at all; an internationally recognised colour grading system and the 4 C’s was developed by GIA (Gemological Institute of America)
GIA colour grade | Description | Appearance |
D | Colourless | Stone looks absolutely clear with no hint of colour |
G | Near Colourless | Some colour is visible. Mounted in a setting, stone appears colourless imperfections can only be seen by person who has magnifier. |
K | Faint yellow | Yellow or grayish tint is obvious during colour grading. Mounted, this stone still shows a tint of colour. |
N-R | Very Light Yellow | Obvious yellow |
S-Z | Light Yellow | Bright- usually blue, pink, yellow |
Cut
Cut is the factor that fuels a diamond’s sparkle and brilliance. The cut of the diamond is a carefully thought out process making sure that when the stone is cut it will bring out the best of the diamond. A GIA Cut scale is recognised as Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair and Poor.
Rough diamond:
These are diamonds before they have been touched by man, the original product of the earth.
Brilliant cut:
being the most popular cut of diamond it is so named because a round diamond can reflect nearly all of the light that enters it.
Fancy cut:
A fancy cut diamond is every other cut of diamond excluding the brilliant cut.
Princess cut diamond:
This is a popular cut because like the brilliant cut it also brings out the sparkle in the diamond
Emerald cut:
Rectangular cut diamond
Baguette:
A rather small rectangular diamond much like the Emerald cut.
Clarity
The clarity of a diamond is determined by the amount and location of flaws (blemishes), in the diamond when viewed under 10x magnification. GIA rates clarity grades in diamonds from Flawless F) to Imperfect 3+ (P3+).
GIA Clarity Grade | Description | Appearance |
F | Flawless | Clear stone, no flaws under magnification |
IF | Internally Flawless | No inclusions visible at 10x magnification |
VVS1 | Very Very Slight Inclusion #1 | Tiny inclusions are very difficult to find |
VVS2 | Very Very Slight Inclusion #2 | Tiny inclusions are very hard to find |
VS1 | Very Slight Inclusion #1 | Minor inclusions are difficult to see |
VS2 | Very Slight Inclusion #2 | Minor inclusions to some extent are difficult to find under 10x magnification |
SI1 | Slight Inclusion #1 | Inclusions are easy to see under 10x magnification. These diamonds are considered “eye clean”. |
SI2 | Slight Inclusion #2 | Inclusions are easy to see at 10x magnification. These diamonds are considered “eye clean”. In larger diamonds, very very small inclusions may be visible |
P1 | Included #1 | Inclusions are obvious and rather easy to see without magnification |
P2 | Included #2 | Inclusions are apparent and easy to see without magnification |
P3 | Included #3 | Inclusions that are obvious to the eye |
