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| The Four Cs | Birthstones | Anniversary Gifts |
What are the four “C”s anyway?
Diamond merchants explain the various aspects of diamond quality with what is called the Four “C”s: Color, Clarity, Carat weight and Cut.
Color
With white diamonds the best quality is colorless, or in other words; having no color. We call this “White”. The color of diamonds is various, from very white to brown or yellow. To simplify color grading the Gemological Institute of America [GIA] decided to use the alphabet. The color of a diamond is described by its position in the alphabet.
Because so many jewelers were using terms like “AAA” or “Double A” for color it was decided to start the diamond color alphabet with the letter “D”. “D” (think of it as “D” for Diamond) is as white as a diamond can be. As the color of a diamond gains in more yellow or brown it moves down through the alphabet; all the way down to the color “Z”. Usually at the letter “K” the average person can detect a little yellow or brown in the diamond.
If a diamond is darker than the “Z” color we call it a “Fancy” colored diamond, and the value starts going up again. If a diamond is any color other than yellowish or brownish (like pink, blue or green for instance) it is automatically considered a “Fancy Color” and is usually very costly.
Clarity
Clarity is concerned with internal characteristics of a diamond. Diamonds, being a natural product, rarely crystallize without imperfections, which we call “Inclusions” (some people like to call these “Birthmarks”). Many different types of inclusions are possible, from crystals of other minerals that can be red, green, black or transparent; to fractures developed as the diamond hurtled to the surface of the earth in a volcanic eruption, the way diamonds are transported from deep in the earth to the surface.
For jewelers and for diamond buyers the Gemological Institute of America invented a system to qualify the amount of inclusions, or lack of inclusions, in a diamond. This quality of a diamond is known as the “Clarity Grade”. We grade the diamonds at 10 times magnification, looking at the top of the diamond. The system sounds complex but in reality it is just a scale from less-included to more-included, with the more expensive and rare stones having less foreign material inside.
Here is the system: IF: VVS1 and VVS2; VS1 and VS2; SI1 and SI2; and I1, I2 and I3. Sounds complicated right? Just think of it as baby talk rather than as some sort of chemical formula.
- IF= Internally Flawless
- VVS1 = Very, Very Slightly (included) first degree
- VVS2= Very, Very Slightly (included) second degree
- VS1= Very Slightly (included) first degree
- VS2= Very Slightly (included) second degree
- SI1= Slightly Included, first degree
- SI2= Slightly Included, second degree
- I1, I2 and I3 = Included, first, second and third degree.
The grade is given depending on how visible the inclusion is at ten times magnification. If a spot, or inclusion, is in the center of a diamond and can be easily seen in the microscope, the diamond would get a lower grade than a diamond with the same spot, if the spot is off to the side, where it is more hidden.
At the “ I1 ” grade (the Included or Imperfect grade, the spot or inclusion will usually be visible to a good pair of young eyes, without magnification. This is a major dividing line below which a diamond will drop by about 30% in price. After all is said and done, going above a clarity grade of SI2 increases only the rarity of a diamond. The visual differences can only be detected under magnification.
Carat Weight
So what is a carat anyway, other than an orange tuber? Carat, as used by jewelers is just a weight measurement. Five carats = 1 gram. There are 100 “Points” in a carat. Points are just like pennies in a dollar, there are 100 points in one carat. So 50 points = half a carat, 25 points = a quarter carat. A half carat diamond can be written 0.50 carat, or 50 Points.
What is so important about the diamond’s weight is that nature produces many more smaller diamonds than it does larger diamonds. So, larger diamonds are more rare and are valued at more per carat than smaller diamonds of equal quality. If you are ever offered the choice (in equal qualities) between a handful of 10 small diamonds that add up to 1.00 carat or one diamond that weighs 1.00 carat by itself, choose the single larger diamond; it is worth about ten times as much as the handful of smaller diamonds. This is why a 2.00 carat diamond is worth more than twice as much as a 1.00 carat diamond.; It’s all about rarity; the larger diamonds command a premium price per carat since they are more rare.
Cut
When we talk about the cut in valuing a diamond we are talking mostly about the proportions of the diamond and how they affect the brilliance and reflectivity of the diamond. There are certain angles and proportions of a finished diamond that are considered to be more attractive than others. Just like the lenses in a pair of glasses that need to be ground correctly before things are seen in focus, diamonds need to be “ground” to the correct dimensions before they will reflect the most light.
The term “Ideal Cut” was used (and sometimes still is) as a description of a diamond cut that reflects the most light. We now know, through computer studies, that there are many combinations of angles and proportions that produce the most brilliance in a diamond. While it is somewhat a matter of personal preference, most people in the diamond business agree on which proportions and angles make a diamond prettier. What makes one diamonds cut more valuable than another’s is not so much that the diamonds are more beautiful, but because to cut a diamond to its best proportions the diamond cutter loses more of the original rough diamond material.Consider, most round brilliant diamonds are half the weight in their finished state than they were in their natural rough state. So a rough diamond weighing 2.00 carats will only produce a well cut finished diamond weighing around 1.00 carat. If the cutter fudges a little, by cutting to less attractive proportions, he might get a diamond weighing 1.25 carats out of the 2.00 carat rough diamond. In a case like this the 1.25 carat diamond is not a bright as if it were cut properly.
Also the price should really be more like the price of a well cut 1.00 carat diamond, not a diamond weighing 1.25 carat. Think of it as if you were buying steaks; when steaks are well trimmed of fat they cost more per pound. When they have lots of excess fat they are priced accordingly, and are less money per pound. So, a poorly “trimmed” diamond should cost less per carat than a well-trimmed one of the same size. You shouldn’t have to pay the same for fat as you do for sirloin, right?
The 5th C
One last thing... While it is important that you learn all you can about diamonds before you make a purchase as important as this, in the end you probably will not know enough to become a diamond buying expert. Most reputable jewelers and gemologists spend their lifetimes perfecting their knowledge of diamonds and of diamond quality analysis.
The most important thing a consumer looking to buy a diamond can do is find a jeweler that they are comfortable working with; a jewelry store with a good reputation, one that will stand behind their product and one that has an educated and knowledgeable staff who can answer your questions correctly. In the end, when choosing your diamond the most important choice you can make is your jeweler. The fifth “C” to consider is the credibility of your jeweler.
