THE 4Cs OF DIAMONDS

CUT

The cut grade indicates how much a diamond will sparkle

COLOR

This grade refers to the "whiteness" of a diamond, or its lack of color.

CLARITY

The clarity grade is based on any tiny natural identifiers found within a diamond.

CARAT

This is a measure of a diamond's weight and a reflection of its size.

1. DIAMOND CUT

Cut is a diamond's most important characteristic, it has the greatest overall influence on a diamonds beauty.

A diamond's cut grade is an objective measure of a diamond's light performance, or, what we generally think of as sparkle. When a diamond is cut with the proper proportions, light is returned out of the top of the diamond (which gemmologists refer to as the table). If it is cut too shallow, light leaks out of the bottom; too deep and it escapes out of the side.

If you want a truly brilliant diamond, consider those with cut grades of Very Good or Ideal. We recommend selecting the highest cut grade within your budget. The reason is simple: of the Four Cs, no other characteristic has a greater influence on a diamond's appearance.

IDEAL

VERY GOOD

GOOD

POOR

2. DIAMOND CLARITY

Clarity is a measure of the number and size of the tiny imperfections that occur in almost all diamonds. Many of these imperfections are microscopic, and do not affect a diamond's beauty in any discernible way.

Much is made of a diamond's clarity, but of the Four Cs, it is the easiest to understand, and, according to many experts, generally has the least impact on a diamond's appearance. Clarity simply refers to the tiny, natural imperfections that occur in all but the finest diamonds. Gemmologists refer to these imperfections by a variety of technical names, including blemishes and inclusions, among others. Diamonds with the least and smallest imperfections receive the highest clarity grades. Because these imperfections tend to be microscopic, they do not generally affect a diamond's beauty in any discernible way.

Select an "eye-clean" diamond - one that has no imperfections visible to the unaided-eye through the crown. An excellent value, diamonds of this clarity are much less expensive than flawless (FL) or internally flawless (IF) diamonds, which are extremely rare and command higher prices.

Flawless

Internally flawless

VVS1

VVS2

VERY VERY SLIGHTLY INCLUDED

VS1

VS2

very slightly included

SL2

SL1

SLIGHTLY INCLUDED

INCLUDED

3. DIAMOND CARAT WEIGHT

Carat is specifically a measure of a diamond's weight, and by itself may not accurately reflect a diamond's size. We tend to evaluate diamond size by viewing it from the top because that is how diamonds are presented to us when set into a ring.

As the name suggests, carat weight specifically refers to a diamond's weight. However, much as a person's weight does not necessarily correlate with height, carat weight, by itself, may not accurately reflect a diamond's size. To gain a precise understanding of diamond size, we recommend considering carat weight with two other characteristics: 1) the distance across the top of the diamond measured in millimeters, and 2) the diamond's cut grade.

It is possible to have a diamond of a lower carat weight, but higher cut grade, that appears larger than a diamond with a larger carat weight, but poor cut.

Diamond prices jump at the full- and half-carat weights. Diamonds just below these weights cost significantly less, and, because carat weight is distributed across the entirety of the diamond, small size differences are almost impossible to detect.

To choose the best carat weight of diamond, consider the size of her finger, the size of your setting, and your budget.

.25 CT

.50 CT

.75 CT

1 CT

1.25 CT

1.5 CT

2 CT

3 CT

4 CT

5 CT

4. DIAMOND COLOR

Colour refers to a diamond's lack of colour, grading the whiteness of a diamond. A colour grade of D is the highest possible, while Z is the lowest.

Colour manifests itself in a diamond as a pale yellow. This is why a diamond's colour grade is based on its lack of colour. The less colour a diamond has, the higher its colour grade. After cut, colour is generally considered the second most important characteristic when selecting a diamond. This is because the human eye tends to detect a diamond's sparkle (light performance) first, and colour second.

For the purist, look for a colourless diamond with a grade of D-F for a diamond with no discernible colour.

For an excellent value in a diamond with little or no noticeable colour to the unaided eye, look for a near-colourless grade of G-I

COLORLESS

NEAR-COLORLESS

FAINT
YELLOW

NOTICEABLE COLOR*

Very Noticeable Color*

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