Learn about the 4 C’s

You’ve probably heard about the 4Cs of a diamond, and you may even know that it stands for diamond cut, color, clarity and carat weight. Below we take a closer look into the individual 4Cs.

A diamond’s quality is determined by the 4C’s:

These four qualities of a diamond are the key components that impact its beauty and structure. The 4C’s interact with each other within the diamond. They dictate how the diamond appears and how high quality it is. As an example, the diamond’s ability to reflect light back to your eyes depends primarily on cut quality but also on colour and clarity.

The four diamond characteristics are graded by professionals on a consistent scale, giving you a tool to evaluate diamonds. By reviewing the 4C’s of a particular diamond, you can better determine if the diamond is of high-quality.

Cut

Of all the 4Cs, diamond cut has the greatest effect on a diamond’s beauty. In determining the quality of the cut, the diamond grader evaluates the cutter’s skill in the fashioning of the diamond. The more precise the diamond is cut, the more captivating the diamond is to the eye.

Colour

The colour of gem-quality diamonds occurs in many hues. In the range from colourless to light yellow or light brown. Colourless diamonds are the rarest. Other natural colours (blue, red, pink for example) are known as “fancy,” and their colour grading is different than from white colourless diamonds.

Clarity

Diamonds can have internal characteristics known as inclusions or external characteristics known as blemishes. Diamonds without inclusions or blemishes are rare; however, most characteristics can only be seen with magnification.

Carat

The carat is the diamond’s physical weight measured in metric carats. One carat equals 1/5 gram and is subdivided into 100 points. Carat weight is the most objective grade of the 4Cs.

How the 4 C’s work together

Each of the 4 C’s contributes to the overall beauty of a diamond and makes each stone unique. A Diamond, however, should be viewed as an organic whole. Because the eye has difficulty differentiating one diamond characteristic by itself, such as Clarity or Color, it is important to consider how the 4 C’s impact each other.

Which is the most important of the four C’s?

Cut: The most important of all the diamond characteristics as it most readily impacts a diamond’s beauty. Look for high levels of brilliance and fire, and be willing to reduce your spending in other areas like Clarity or Colour to ensure an exceptional Cut.

Colour: The second most important aspect to focus on. A diamond should look white or colourless to the naked eye. Ensure the Colour does not distract or interfere with white and coloured light reflection.

Clarity: The third most important characteristic on the list. Choose a diamond that is eye clean. Blemishes and inclusions should not distract from the brilliance or fire of a diamond.

Carat: Last but not least. Based on how you balanced out the other 3 C’s that will determine how large of a diamond you will end up with. If you balance everything perfectly, you will get the largest possible diamond in your budget that looks fantastic.

With these fundamentals in mind, remember that a diamond is a precious whole, and should be looked at in totality. The four main qualities of a diamond all play an important role in how the diamond looks.