DIAMOND EDUCATION
The 4C's
Understanding cut, color, clarity and carat. The universal language for evaluating diamond quality.
Cut
THE SPARK OF BRILLIANCE
Cut is widely considered the most important of the 4C's. It determines how well a diamond interacts with light. The brilliance, fire, and scintillation you see. A perfectly cut diamond reflects light from one facet to another, projecting it through the top of the stone.
GRADING SCALE
Excellent
Very Good
Good
Fair
Poor
Pro tip:
Always prioritize cut quality. Even a diamond with perfect color and clarity will appear dull if poorly cut.
Color
THE ABSENCE OF COLOR
Diamond color actually refers to the lack of color. The most valuable diamonds are completely colorless, allowing maximum light to pass through and be dispersed as rainbows. The GIA grades color on a scale from D (colorless) to Z (light yellow or brown).
GRADING SCALE
D–F Colorless
G–J Near Colorless
K–M Faint
N–R Very Light
S–Z Light
Pro tip:
Diamonds in the G–H range offer excellent value. They appear colorless to the naked eye when set in jewelry.
Clarity
NATURE'S FINGERPRINT
Clarity measures the presence of internal characteristics (inclusions) and surface irregularities (blemishes). Almost all diamonds have tiny imperfections formed during their creation deep in the earth. The fewer and smaller these are, the rarer and more valuable the diamond.
FL / IF
VVS1 / VVS2
VS1 / VS2
SI1 / SI2
I1 / I2 / I3
Pro tip:
VS2 and SI1 diamonds are often 'eye-clean'. Imperfections are invisible without magnification, offering great value.
Carat
THE WEIGHT OF BEAUTY
Carat refers to the weight of a diamond, not its size. One carat equals 0.2 grams. While larger diamonds are rarer and more valuable, two diamonds of equal carat weight can have very different values depending on cut, color, and clarity.
GRADING SCALE
0.25 ct
0.50 ct
1.00 ct
1.50 ct
2.00 ct+
Pro tip:
Diamonds just below popular weights (e.g. 0.90 ct instead of 1.00 ct) can look virtually identical but cost significantly less.