The Four C’s of Diamonds

Cut, color, clarity and carat are the barometers by which the world judges the beauty of a diamond. When looking at a diamond, the eye perceives a balance of its characteristics and components, including, but not limited to, the 4 C’s. Each of the C’s are graded on a scale, and can be evaluated for quality. Gradings of the 4 C’s help determine the value of a diamond.

Images Source: GIA

The three more C’s of the USDIA Diamonds

And then, of course, there are three other C’s that we take just as seriously: certification, creativity and confidence. Certificate is a guide to the unique physical properties of a diamond. These reports are generated by specialised diamond grading labs like GIA and IGI. Confidence is what we have in our diamonds as it is our pride that is built from our more than two decades of expertise in diamond buying. Our strict diamond quality control ensures that only the best diamonds are used in our jewellery creations. Creativity is what we strive for. Every single diamond is unique and each of them deserver a beautiful setting. Our skilled designers make sure that every diamond in your jewellery is set in a way, that every facet of theirs, gets enough room to radiate light beyond their own boundary.

Weight

Carat is the unit of measurement for the physical weight of diamonds. One carat equals 0.200 grams or 1/5 gram and is subdivided into 100 points. For comparison, in units more familiar in the United States, one carat equals 0.007 ounce avoirdupois.

Source: American Gem Society 

Source: American Gem Society 

Source: American Gem Society 

Clarity

Clarity is the state of being clear or transparent. Diamond clarity is the presence or absence of characteristics called inclusions in the diamond.
When grading the clarity of a diamond, the lab determines the relative visibility of the inclusions in a diamond and their impact on the overall visual appearance.
So, what are these inclusions that affect clarity? In short, inclusions are the internal or external flaws of the diamond. The size and severity of these flaws determines the grade.

Source: American Gem Society 

Cut

The cut of a diamond refers to how well the diamond’s facets interact with light, the proportions of the diamond, and the overall finish of the diamond.
It is not to be confused with the shape, (like emerald or round,) or facet arrangement, (like brilliant, or step cut), but is instead a reference to the craftsmanship of the diamond and how it factors into the diamond’s brilliance.
The GIA grades Diamond Cut on the scale of Ideal, Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair and Poor.