Information about diamond classification (the 4 C’s) is available on almost every jewelry associated web site, but it has a common shortcoming. The information is rather technical than practical. In this article, I will focus on different aspects of the 4C’s which are not usually mentioned and try to give you information that will help you choose right and buy wise. The 4 C’s mentioned above stand for: Carat, Color, Clarity and Cut
Carat- This is the weight,
and not the size of the diamond. The two are very much connected but often customers do not realize that they are paying for the weight but are wearing the size and appearance. A diamond's weight is measured in what is known as “carat”, which is a small unit of measurement equal to 0.2 grams. Carat is not a measure of a diamond's size, since cutting a diamond to different proportions can affect its weight. Unproportionaly cut stones can ad a lot of weight and damage the appearance of a diamond. The usual reason for unproportional cut is to retain as much weight as possible (remember-you are paying for weight). Diamond like this must be sold with considerable discount. My personal opinion is to avoid such stones. How do we know the stone is cut for weight? Look at the report that must come with the diamond report. If the cut is rated ideal, excellent or very good; then there is no problem. Anything under this needs proper examination. Look at the paragraph “girdle “. This is the place where most weight is usually added. Sometime up to 20%.Girdle must be described as thin or medium. The most important thing to remember when it comes to a diamond's carat weight is that it is not the only factor that determines a diamond's value. In other words, bigger does not necessarily mean better.
Color- Diamonds are found in nature in a wide range of colors, from completely colorless (the most desirable) to slightly yellow, to brown. So-called 'fancy color diamonds' come in more intense colors, like yellow, blue, green and pink, but these are not graded on the same scale. The best color for diamond is the lack of it. Color is an important quality but it is a bit overrated for non investment stones. Color is graded with the letters of the alphabet from D (ABC is skipped) being the whitest or more precise the most colorless to Z being rather yellowish. On the GIA grading scale, D-F are considered colorless, G-I near colorless and any grade J or below shows an increasingly yellowish tinge. The color of a diamond is best observed when it is placed table down on a piece of pure white paper and viewed through the side of the pavilion. The difference between two neighboring colors is completely undetectable for non specialist. Stones up to I and even J are perceived as white if there is no whiter stone next to them to compare. Color is a natural property of the diamond and although it greatly affects the price it should not be considered a shortcoming. Beyond the preference for a whiter stone, the color of a diamond does not affect its brightness or sparkle. The whiteness of the diamond is more important in case of pave set melee (smalls) where they must blend with the white metal around them. My advice is: for non investment diamonds go for colors G or H. Beautiful stones, great value for money.
Clarity is defining the existence (or lack of it) of natural inclusions or fractures in
the diamond visible to a specialist by 10X magnification. Again, important for investment stones and not so for every-day-ring diamond. Clarity refers to the number, position and size of the inclusions that occur naturally inside diamonds. The fewer and smaller the inclusions - the more valuable the diamond. The usual diamond grading information boards used widely by retailers to explain the 4C’s to customers, does not show the actual size and visibility of the different grade inclusions. They are, to say it mild, a bit misleading. The only way for a non specialist to see and assess the clarity is in the real diamond. Inclusions up to VS2 are not visible for non specialist under 10 x magnifications. Inclusions up to SI2 are not visible by naked eye. Inclusions up to SI2 and in most cases SI3 do not affect the overall appearance of the stone. My advice is: for non investment stones go for VS1 to SI2 or even SI3. Often the inclusion is a small dot or fracture on the periphery completely concealable by the setting.
Cut-This is not the shape but rather the proportions, symmetry and the quality of finish of the diamond. May be because it is sometime not mentioned on the main body of the report, the cut is often overlooked. It is though, the most important C. It defines the quality of human intervention on shaping the rough stone to a spectacular brilliant jewel. It can make, on the other hand a piece of fantastic rough material look dull and lifeless. It is not necessary to learn the ideal proportions. You have two definite guidelines. First is the proportion report I mentioned earlier, that must accompany every diamond certificate. The report must say the proportions are very good, excellent or ideal. The second is your eye. Always ask for few diamonds to compare. If you think that the non reflective dull spot in the middle of the bargain stone will brighten up after it is set in your ring, you are wrong. The well cut diamond will reflect light right from the center, and not only from the periphery. You can also use a simple test if the diamond is not set. Draw a short line with a black pen on white piece of paper. Put the diamond next to the line lying on its table (the flat top facet). Now, holding it for the griddle with your fingers or better with a pair of tweezers slide it over the line looking trough the pointy pavilion. If you see the line trough the stone then there is a problem with its proportions or it is not a diamond. With properly proportioned diamond one should not be able to see any trace of the line passing through the pavilion while sliding it over. While color and clarity are big factors in the cost of a diamond, it is the Cut that breathes life, beauty and dazzling brilliance into a diamond.
Other diamond properties are: brilliance, dispersion, scintillation and fluorescence. They are properties discussed in more profound diamond study and do not fit the scope of this article.
Now, in a nut shell:
Try to find balance between the 4C’s that suite your budget.
Concentrate on qualities that count most. In order of importance they are:
Cut
Color/Carat
Clarity
If you have a budget,(which applies to the most cases) you better spend on color or size instead on invisible clarity, especially higher than VS1. I would like to stipulate again that my advice in this article does not apply for investment diamonds bought with intention to sell for profit. Do not compromise the cut for bargain price. Always look at more than one stone. Compare similar size stones with different color and clarity and try to see the difference. If you don’t see it in close look most likely nobody else will. Then buy the cheaper one. Always relay on what you see rather on what you are told or what you read. The diamond is a feast for the eye and seeing it is the only way to appreciate it. Remember: the certificate does not determine the beauty of your diamond.
“The beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”
