What Are The Famous 4 C’s Of Diamonds?

When deciding on a diamond ring, it sometimes takes a while to find the one that you like. Especially when it meant for a special occasion like an engagement ring. Before you decide on what you or your partner likes, you should understand the 4 C’s of diamonds. 

 

The 4 C’s stand for color, clarity, carat, and cut. Together they make the grading system that decides the value, quality, and price of a diamond. It is more of a guideline for grading the diamond rather than a scale that provides a basis to separate the good ones from the bad ones. Though there are several theories as to what exactly should be the basic answer that defines the 4 C’s, till now there is no definite answer to it. The only thing that matters is what you like about the diamond, be it the appearance, cut, or price. 

 

When a diamond hits the highest on all 4 scales, it will cost more. However, it doesn’t necessarily have to be more beautiful in appearance than the one you like or the one that is more economically feasible for you. When analyzing the value of the diamond, all the 4 C’s are taken into consideration together and not individually. To help you understand this concept better we have broken down the specifics of the 4 C’s you need to understand when selecting a diamond.

 

Carat

 

This is the most visual of the 4 C’s. It is the size of a diamond. It is the weight of the diamond and reflects its size. Rare and more valuable diamonds are larger. The size of the diamond is measured by its diameter by taking the millimeters of its length and width. At Chron, you can see online platforms wherein you can buy diamonds in different shapes like round, princess, pear, oval, heart or etc. Bear in mind that though a diamond at times may have a higher carat weight, it won’t necessarily appear bigger. Sometimes two diamonds of the same weight can vary in size if the cut is different. The carat weight doesn’t always denote the size of the diamond. 

 

The price of the diamond increases when the carat size increases. This is because larger diamonds are extremely rare to find. One in approximately one million mined rough stones can produce a 1-carat diamond. You will pay not only on the total cost but also price-per-carat basis. Therefore, this C is the one you need to keep in mind when preparing a budget to purchase a diamond. 

 

Cut

 

To improve the visual beauty of the diamond, they are cut to enhance their sparkle and brilliance. In order for it to sparkle, the cut is made accordingly. When the light hits the diamond, it penetrates through the diamond and bounces around. This in return creates a reflect effect on the diamond and returns the light to the eye. That is the sparkle that we see when we look at different diamonds. The diamond’s sparkle is determined by the angles, locations, sizes, and shapes. The Cut grading shows the light performance of the sparkle from excellent, to very good to good. It is often considered the most vital from the 4 C’s of diamonds. It is important to ensure that the light reflecting the diamond is not lost when you are selecting one. While excellent cuts are the most premium ones and come at a higher cost, very good cuts offer more value. When you evaluate the two cuts side by side, the difference is minimal in the sparkle. 

 

The Cut has the greatest effect on the beauty of a diamond. A diamond grader determines the quality of the cut by evaluating the cutter’s skill in a fashionable way. The most captivating diamonds are the ones that have been cut in the most precise manner. 

 

Color

This is the second most important of the 4 C’s grading scale. The color of the diamond affects its appearance. Diamonds that are not of the best quality appear with a slight and soft tint of yellow or brown which is visible on the inside. When diamonds have a good color grade they appear a brilliant white. Color is a natural element in diamonds and when they have a yellow or brown tint they sparkle less as the light reflection on them is reduced. The color grade is harder to detect when the diamond is already set in a piece of jewelry and then further placed in an environment that contains color. To get the right color grading the diamond has to be placed by itself face down on a completely white background. 

 

Also when the carat weight of the diamond increases, the color is easier to perceive. Therefore, the color of the diamond is more important to observe when you are looking at purchasing a bigger diamond. At the same time, care should be taken when you purchase a smaller diamond as you will need to note properly the color which might not be easily visible. 

 

Clarity

 

Microscopic impurities and imperfections can be present in the diamond when it goes through the growth process. These are known as inclusions and are extremely common. They are in fact at times known as the ‘birthmarks’ of the diamond and  “reflect their uniqueness”. These imperfections cannot be seen without 10 times magnification. When you plan to buy a diamond, you should consider this grading. When the grading on clarity is high you can be assured that there will be very minimal inclusion on the diamond which will be only visible to the naked eye when examined very closely. 

 

When a diamond has poor clarity, it will directly affect the sparkle as it will dampen the reflection and return of light. The appearance will be more cloudy. 

 

Now that you are aware of the 4 C’s of diamonds, you can go ahead and plan your purchase of the diamond you are looking at. Be cautious as all these grading are not possible to be detected easily and you will need an expert to give you the best opinion. Buying from a reliable source will save you from any future unpleasant surprises.