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The 4Cs Of Diamonds
We know buying a ring for your loved one (or for yourself) can be a little overwhelming. We are here to help you choose the right ring for you! You probably have a familiarity with the 4 C’s of a diamond but how do you use that to make a decision? It's not just about the diamond either. What about the ring itself? Every person’s priorities are different, so ask yourself what is most important to you: Carat, Cut, Color, Clarity? Do you want a certificate? What does that even mean?
1. Diamond Cut
There are four grades of diamond cut: Ideal, Very Good, Good and Poor. If you compare two diamonds of different cuts grades, you will see that the higher cut grade has significantly more sparkle. There will also be a difference in their prices, with the better cut grade commanding a higher price. Of the 4 Cs, cut is generally recognized as the most important, since it has the greatest impact on a diamond’s appearance and quality.
A comparison of the four diamond cut grades.
2. Diamond Color
The diamond color grading scale begins with “D” and ranges down to “Z”. A diamond assigned a grade of “D” has absolutely no color - it looks pure white, even to a gemologist inspecting it carefully under 10X magnification. On the other hand, a diamond assigned a grade of “Z” looks yellow or brownish. “Fancy diamonds” refer to yellow, red, pink and blue diamond's; unlike the classic stones, fancy diamonds increase in value with increasing color saturation. Some colored diamonds occur naturally, but most are treated. Most of PureNile’s colored diamonds have been enhanced, but our regular diamonds and “natural colored diamonds” are treatment-free.
3. Diamond Clarity
Clarity refers to a diamond’s natural inclusions, or lack thereof. While small marks within a diamond are natural, their appearance can leave something to be desired if they are visible to the unaided eye. The shape of a diamond can affect the importance of its clarity grade. The facet patterns of the brilliant-cut diamond shapes such as round and princess can hide certain imperfections, but step-cut shapes such as emerald and Asscher have large, open tables that make inclusions more obvious. These diamonds may have small visible inclusions. If you are searching for a step-cut diamond, we suggest a minimum clarity grade of VS2.If you want to rest assured that your diamond will display a clean and stunning brilliance, a clarity grade of VVS2 or higher is recommended for all diamond shapes.
Why does clarity matter? The clearer a diamond, the more brilliant it is. As you go down the clarity scale, inclusions get more noticeable and disrupt the light flowing through the diamond. This means that diamonds with lots of inclusions are less brilliant, and may even look a bit scratched or dirty to the casual observer. So, although diamonds may be found in included grades of I1, I2, and I3
4. Diamond Carat Weight
When you’re ready to choose a carat weight for your diamond, remember that size is not everything – cut grade strongly affects the quality and beauty of your diamond; color and clarity grades do so too (though to a lesser degree). One carat is 1/5 of one gram. The word “carat” comes from “carob seed pod,” which was historically used to measure a stone’s weight. Weight is not the only factor to consider when thinking about size. Keep in mind that a round-brilliant diamond of 1 carat may look smaller than a pear-cut diamond of 1 carat because it has smaller dimensions when viewed top-down
We know buying a ring for your loved one (or for yourself) can be a little overwhelming. We are here to help you choose the right ring for you! You probably have a familiarity with the 4 C’s of a diamond but how do you use that to make a decision? It's not just about the diamond either. What about the ring itself? Every person’s priorities are different, so ask yourself what is most important to you: Carat, Cut, Color, Clarity? Do you want a certificate? What does that even mean?
There are four grades of diamond cut: Ideal, Very Good, Good and Poor. If you compare two diamonds of different cuts grades, you will see that the higher cut grade has significantly more sparkle. There will also be a difference in their prices, with the better cut grade commanding a higher price. Of the 4 Cs, cut is generally recognized as the most important, since it has the greatest impact on a diamond’s appearance and quality.
A comparison of the four diamond cut grades.
The diamond color grading scale begins with “D” and ranges down to “Z”. A diamond assigned a grade of “D” has absolutely no color - it looks pure white, even to a gemologist inspecting it carefully under 10X magnification. On the other hand, a diamond assigned a grade of “Z” looks yellow or brownish. “Fancy diamonds” refer to yellow, red, pink and blue diamond's; unlike the classic stones, fancy diamonds increase in value with increasing color saturation. Some colored diamonds occur naturally, but most are treated. Most of PureNile’s colored diamonds have been enhanced, but our regular diamonds and “natural colored diamonds” are treatment-free.
Clarity refers to a diamond’s natural inclusions, or lack thereof. While small marks within a diamond are natural, their appearance can leave something to be desired if they are visible to the unaided eye. The shape of a diamond can affect the importance of its clarity grade. The facet patterns of the brilliant-cut diamond shapes such as round and princess can hide certain imperfections, but step-cut shapes such as emerald and Asscher have large, open tables that make inclusions more obvious. These diamonds may have small visible inclusions. If you are searching for a step-cut diamond, we suggest a minimum clarity grade of VS2.If you want to rest assured that your diamond will display a clean and stunning brilliance, a clarity grade of VVS2 or higher is recommended for all diamond shapes.
Why does clarity matter? The clearer a diamond, the more brilliant it is. As you go down the clarity scale, inclusions get more noticeable and disrupt the light flowing through the diamond. This means that diamonds with lots of inclusions are less brilliant, and may even look a bit scratched or dirty to the casual observer. So, although diamonds may be found in included grades of I1, I2, and I3
When you’re ready to choose a carat weight for your diamond, remember that size is not everything – cut grade strongly affects the quality and beauty of your diamond; color and clarity grades do so too (though to a lesser degree). One carat is 1/5 of one gram. The word “carat” comes from “carob seed pod,” which was historically used to measure a stone’s weight. Weight is not the only factor to consider when thinking about size. Keep in mind that a round-brilliant diamond of 1 carat may look smaller than a pear-cut diamond of 1 carat because it has smaller dimensions when viewed top-down