Four C's of Diamonds

Four C’s of Diamonds

At Gary J. Long Jewelers we believe the best way to help our clients make a wise diamond buying decision is to educate them. A diamond is judged by four factors that, when combined, result in the value of the diamond. These four factors are the cut, color, clarity and carat weight of the diamond.

Cut

One of the most important factors in determining quality in diamonds is the cut. Cut is the only value factor that is a result of human skill. A diamond's beauty must be balanced against the inevitable loss of weight necessitated by the very process of cutting. Along with the diamond's size and shape, the minute details of workmanship play an important role in the overall beauty and sparkle of the diamond.

If the diamond is cut too shallow the light escapes through the pavilion or bottom rather than being reflected.

If the cut is too deep some light escapes through the opposite side of the pavilion or bottom.

When the diamond is cut to good proportions, “ideal,” light is reflected from one facet to another and then dispersed through the crown or top of the stone.

Color

A truly colorless diamond is extremely rare. Most diamonds possess various degrees of yellow or brown. Although increasing shades of yellow reduce the value of a diamond, they do not necessarily reduce its beauty. If a diamond is well cut, refraction and dispersion will often disguise certain degrees of coloration.

Unless a diamond is a fancy color, the AGS Color Grading System places it on a 0 to 10 scale, 0 being colorless.

Clarity

Clarity is the evaluation of a diamond's internal and external characteristics. Inclusions are internal, that is, inside the diamond. Blemishes are usually very small and are only on the surface of the diamond.

Two of the most common inclusions are crystals and feathers. Crystals are merely minerals trapped inside the diamond. Feathers are breaks in the diamond.

The fewer inclusions and blemishes the rarer the stone.

Carat Weight

The final C is carat weight. The word carat comes from the natural unit weight of the seeds of the carob tree. Diamonds were traditionally weighed against these seeds. A carat equals 1/5 of a gram (or 1/142 of an ounce), each carat is further divided into points, each point representing 1/100th of a carat. Please remember that weight is only one of the 4 C’s.

Note: Images are not to scale.

As diamonds increase in size, their cost tends to increase geometrically rather than arithmetically. Thus, a one carat diamond can cost four or five times as much as a one-half carat stone of equal quality. As implied previously, weight does not always enhance the value of a diamond. In fact, when a stone is improperly cut, added weight may serve only to reduce its brilliance.

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