Buying a Diamond: The Four C’s

As you begin your search for the perfect diamond engagement ring, it can be a bit overwhelming. Some basic information on how to choose a diamond can be very helpful.

What qualities are used to set the price of a diamond? You will see the term “Four C’s” used to evaluate the quality and price of diamonds. The Four C’s are: cut, clarity, color and clarity. So, let’s look at each one.

Cuts are graded Ideal/Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair/Medium and Poor. You will see these descriptions abbreviated as I/E, VG, G, F/M, P. Cut is probably the most important item when choosing a diamond. A good diamond cutter will eliminate inclusions (flaws) during cutting. The light reflected from the diamond depends on the cut.

Color for white diamonds is graded from D to Z. D is colorless and Z is light yellow or brown. Many jewelers do not carry diamonds below the grade of I as the yellow tint begins to be visible to the naked eye at grade J. Colored diamonds have a different grading system. Some diamonds are treated to enhance the color. This should be revealed by the jeweler.

Diamonds are natural substances, formed over millions of years deep within the earth. As such, other natural substances may have been formed in the rough diamond. These create flaws also called inclusions. Clarity is the characteristic which addresses the flaws in a diamond. Jeweler’s use a magnifying glass called a loupe to look into the interior of a diamond. You can purchase a loupe and see what a jeweler sees. IF (Internally Flawless) diamonds are the most valuable. Grades go down the scale all the way to I3 which means you can see the flaws with the naked eye.

If a diamond has flaws, sometimes laser drilling and infilling treatments are applied to remove the flaw. These treatments should be revealed by the jeweler. A white diamond can have the color grade dropped by one level after treatment.

Diamonds are weighed by carats. A one carat diamonds weighs 200 milligrams. After grading a diamond on cut, clarity and color, the value is set per carat. Larger diamonds are not necessarily higher quality as the other characteristics must be taken into account first.

Get easy to read charts on the Four C’s in our free Diamond Buyers Guide. Visit us at EngagementRingTrends.com for more great tips on buying the perfect diamond ring.