The 4C’s of Diamond Quality Explained

The 4Cs of Diamond Quality

When the time comes to getting the perfect engagement ring for that special person in your life you want to confident that you will make an informed decision whilst also ensuring that you get some of quality as well as the very best value for money. The below diamond guide provides a simple overview explaining the 4Cs, which is used as the universal measure to grade diamond  quality anywhere in the world. The 4Cs enable customers to know the exact grade of diamond that they are purchasing and allow for a consistent way that diamond quality can be communicated globally.

For all our single diamonds above 0.5 carat we use the Gemmological Institute of America (GIA) certified diamonds. GIA is the creator of the International grading system and the global authority (gold standard) for diamond grading. 

 

The 4Cs explained. 

Colour.  The colour assessment is based on the absence of colour within the diamond.  A chemically pure and perfect diamond is called colourless. The colour measure evaluates the level of colourlessness and applies a grading between D (colourless) and progresses to Z with most colour present in the diamond.

 

 

Clarity.  The clarity assessment looks at the internal and external characteristics of the diamond. The internal characteristics are generally referred to as inclusions, while the external characteristics are referred to as blemishes.  Diamond clarity involves assessing the number, size, position and nature of the inclusions or blemishes that the diamond has. No diamond can be completely pure but the closer it is the higher it’s clarity grading. Most of the inclusions and blemishes cannot been see by the naked eye, but can be picked up under 10X magnification by a trained diamond grader. The highest clarify grading starts at flawless and progress via eleven categories that include, Internally flawless, Very slight inclusions 1 (VSI1), very slight inclusions 2 (VSI2), slight inclusions 1 (SI1), slight inclusions 2 (SI2), Inclusions 1 (I1), Inclusions 2 (I2) and Inclusions 3 (I3).  The below image provides a visual representation of the diamond clarity levels.

 

  

 

Cut. Diamonds are loved by the fact that the sparkle so intensely and their ability to transmit light. A diamond cut is an assessment of how well the diamonds facets interact with light. Expert craftmanship is needed to shape the diamond cuts so the proportions, shine and symmetry showcase the maximum reflection of light possible for that diamond. The 5 cut scale ranges over Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair and Poor.

The below illustration details the proportions that affect a diamond's cut grade. the crown and pavilion angles and the relative measurements of the facets contribute to a diamonds brightness.  

 

Carat. The Carat refers to the diamond weight. A metric carat is measured as 200 milligrams. With everything being equal a higher diamond carat would mean a higher price, but factors such as colour, clarity and cut will greatly impact the price depending on the grade chosen in each of these categories.

 

We hope this 4C's overview will help you make an informed decision to the type of diamond that you have in mind. If you would like to discuss creating your perfect diamond engagement ring please feel free to get in touch or make an appointment at our Melbourne or Brisbane Showrooms today.