The Four Cs

Have you ever heard professionals or those ‘in the know’ talking about diamonds? You may have heard them mention ‘the four Cs’ and wondered what they were talking about. Well, the four Cs are the system by which most diamonds are assessed in order to place a value on them. The four Cs actually stand for: cut, clarity, carat, and colour. All of these factors are evaluated in a diamond, and many diamonds don’t even make it as far as the market due to flaws with these factors. So, we know that the four Cs refer to cut, clarity, carat, and colour, but what exactly do these terms mean?

Cut

The cut of the diamond refers to the way in which it has been cut, and its geometric measurements. It is the cut of the diamond that create facets, which in turn determine the ‘fire’ of the diamond – the brilliance and sparkle. Diamonds can be cut in to many difference shapes, and the shape of the gem will impact upon the diamond’s brilliance and fieriness. You can select from shapes such as pear, oval, emerald, round, heart, marquise, and princess. The round gem seems to be very popular, and this could be because this shape offers a real fieriness and brilliance.

Clarity

This term is used to measure the flaws in a diamond. Not all diamonds are flawless, and the measurements to assess a diamond’s clarity include: flawless, very very slight, very slight, and slightly included. These terms are all used in the assessment of diamond clarity and can help to value to gem.

Carat

The carat of the diamond is basically the weight of the gem. A carat equals around 200mg. Sophisticated equipment is used these days to measure the weight of a diamond, and although one diamond may look to be bigger than another, often it is simply the cut that enables you to see more of the surface area, and the carat is actually the same.

Colour

Diamonds are grades in colours from D through to Z. The colour variations in diamonds can be microscopic, and to the lay consumer the difference would not be apparent unless the colour was several grades apart between diamonds being compared. The diamond colour grading is as follows:

D: The clearest and rarest grade, this is totally colourless

E: A highly trained eye can see a very tiny colour variation, but it is practically

Colourless.

F: The lowest of the colourless grades, this is another grading that can usually only be

detected by a trained eye.

GH: This is near colourless grading.

IJ: This grade is also near colourless with a colour variation that is slightly more noticeable than the GH grade

K-M: With this grade yellow colours are visible

N-Z: With this grade yellows, grey, and brown colours are detectable.