Learn about the 4 C’s of Diamond

A Diamond is loved and admired for its sheer beauty and rareness. Diamonds are the most sought after gemstones and therefore are valued greatly all over the globe.

The Value of a Diamond gemstone depends on its 4 C’s. The 4 C’s of this world class gemstone are its clarity, cut, carat and color. How worth a diamond is depends significantly on these factors. The clarity of a Diamond stone is determined by the inclusions. The preciousness of it depends on the cut, finer the cut the more precious the Diamond will be. The more the carat weight, the more it will be appreciated.

Carat:
Carat weight plays an important role in making Diamond valuable. Carat is the unit of weight for all gemstones. One carat is subdivided into 100 "points". Therefore a diamond measuring 75 points is 3/4 carat in weight, or 0.75ct. There are five carats in a gram. The word "carat" comes from the seed of the carob tree pod which is found in tropical climates. These seeds were used until this century to weigh precious gems. The more it weighs in carats, the more it is to be liked and loved.

Clarity:
The clarity of a Diamond stone is determined by the inclusions. The number, nature, position, size and color of internal characteristics called "inclusions" and surface features called "blemishes" define its clarity. These irregularities occurred in the volcanic rock, within which the diamond was created. They are mainly pure carbon, but during crystallization bits of carbon may become trapped within the cooling mass. These show themselves as the crystals, feathers, clouds which make up the clarity of a diamond. Clarity is measured on a scale ranging from flawless to imperfect.

The scale for grading clarity is:
• Grade F (Flawless) - no internal or external inclusions.
• Grade IF (Internally Flawless) - no internal inclusions, slight external inclusions.
• VVS1-VVS2 (Very Very Slightly imperfect) - minute inclusions that are very difficult to detect even by an experienced grader.
• VS1-VS2 (Very Slightly imperfect) - minute inclusions that are invisible by naked eye and can also be seen only with difficulty.
• SI1-SI2 (Slightly imperfect) - invisible to the naked eye, yet easily seen by an experienced grader under 10x magnification.
• I1-I3 (Imperfect) - inclusions are visible to the naked eye and they affect the brilliance significantly.

Color:
Normally the belief is that Diamonds are colorless and it should have no color at all, like a drop of spring water. The degree of body color is measured on a scale ranging from no color at all to deep color. Beyond "Z" (deep color) is the range where the diamond's color is vivid and rich, such are called the "fancy colors". "Colorimeter" is a machine that can be used for color grading but there is no substitute for the excellent human organ, a trained human eye.

Diamond color scale:
• D, E, F – Colorless
• G, H, I, J – Near Colorless
• K, L, M – Faint Yellow Color
• N, O, P, Q, R – Very Light Yellow Color
• S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z - Light Yellow Color

Beyond “Z” – Fancy Colors

Cut:
It is the cut that gives a stone maximum brilliance and sparkle. When you look at a Diamond and if it doesn't catch your attention or if it doesn't flash in the light, it's probably not well cut. Good cutting is what that brings fire to the ice. It is cut in many styles, and it is in hands of the cutter to make the Diamonds worth having or to ruin its beauty. Before purchasing this fantastic gemstone, take care of its 4 C’s as these 4 C’s make a Diamond worth and valuable.