Deep Dive into the 4Cs
We wanted to take a deep dive into the 4Cs of a diamond. The 4Cs are a very traditional way of looking at a diamond, but now the technology in light return has changed that. It is however, still important to know the 4Cs when buying a diamond to make sure it’s the right fit for you. Similarly to other large purchases, you will want to compare the specifications to make sure you are getting the best sparkle for your buck. So let’s jump right in, the 4Cs are colour, clarity, cut, and carat.
Colour
The diamond colour-grading scale goes from D to Z. There are five categories for diamond colour: colourless (D-F), near colourless (G-J), faint yellow (K-M), very light yellow (N-R), and light yellow (S-Z).
Colourless is by far the most loved grade by most women as they are seen as the brightest diamonds. There are benefits though to choosing a diamond further down on the colour grading scale. The warm undertones on a near colourless or faint yellow diamond look fantastic in both yellow and rose gold! It’s also good to keep in mind that the less colour a diamond has means a higher value diamond.
Clarity
Clarity is determined by both internal and external characteristics of the diamond. Internal characteristics are referred to as inclusions and external characteristics are referred to as blemishes. Clarity is graded by the number, size, relief, nature, and position of the inclusions and blemishes. No diamond is completely pure of imperfections; however, it is very hard for the naked eye to tell the difference between a VVS1 and a VS2.
Keep in mind, if you can’t personally see the inclusions without a jeweller’s microscope, a lower clarity grade might be better to save your wallet without compromising the beauty of your diamond. Clarity isn’t something that you need to overthink.
Cut
The cut of a diamond is the most complex of the 4Cs. Cut is often confused with the shape of the diamond, but they are two very different things. Shape is an aesthetic or style choice, whereas cut is the most important characteristic when it comes to the sparkle and brilliance of a diamond.
Cut is broken down into seven components, for a standard round brilliant diamond. The first three components are brightness, fire, and scintillation. Brightness is the internal and external white light reflected from the diamond. Fire is the scattering of white light into all the colours of the rainbow. Scintillation is the sparkle a diamond produces; it’s the pattern of light and dark areas caused by reflections within the diamond.
The remaining four components are weight ratio, durability, polish, and symmetry. These components are used to determine the craftsmanship and overall design of the diamond. Weight ratio refers to the weight of the diamond relative to its diameter. Durability is determined by the girdle thickness. Symmetry and polish of the diamond are important in determining the craftsmanship.
Carat
Carat is the metric used to determine the weight of the diamond. One carat is 200 milligrams, and can be subdivided to 100 points. Price will increase with the size of the diamond, as larger carat diamonds are rare to find.
Carat is probably the most known C, because size is often the most important C to many people. However size isn’t as important if you have a high quality diamond. Ring size also plays a factor when choosing carat size as a 1.0 carat diamond looks larger on a size 4 than it does on a size 8.
Now that you know the basics of the 4Cs, you are more prepared to go and buy that diamond! And, remember that the 4Cs are just a tool; what is really important is the look on her face when she receives her gorgeous ring. Also, if you come to GMG to buy that ring, we can explain what light return is, because you really have to see it for yourself!
XO In Bloom
