Diamond Ratings And The Four Cs

By Grace Jennings

Before you shop for diamonds, you need to know diamond quality before you decide whether your purchase is a good one or not. Price is based on quality but you must first understand what to look for. The most important thing when you judge a diamond is to understand the four Cs. They are cut, color, clarity and carat.

You have to examine a diamond carefully if you want to tell what its quality is. After you purchase a diamond, you'll also need to take care of it to maintain its beauty and quality.

Diamond Cuts

The diamond cut is comprised of two particular qualities that make up its appearance: its make and shape. A diamond's shape depends somewhat on its original form, of course, but a round brilliant cut is considered most desirable. This type of cut is made with 58 facets, which gives a diamond its most brilliant look. Marquees, princess and radiant cuts are also considered of higher value than other shapes.

The quality level of workmanship is referred to as the make of a diamond cut. Better make results in dazzling, sparkling diamonds of a higher quality. The most beautiful diamonds rank high in this regard.

A Diamond's Color

Diamonds come in all sorts of colors, not just the common white we all tend to think of. Diamond color is categorized using an alphabetical list which ranges from the letters D through X, for white and yellow diamonds, such that D represents the whitest color and growing into fancy yellow color at S. Diamond colors E and F are generally admired for their excellence and beauty while J to M are regarded as desirable colors for larger diamonds. Diamonds treated with radiation are often found in green, pink, red, blue, and brown colors.

Clarity Of A Diamond

Clarity is an important component to diamond quality. The most desirable diamonds are flawless or perfectly clear, both inside and on their surfaces. Next in quality are diamonds that are internally flawless, but that have some minor blemishes on the surface. If diamonds have inclusions so that they are less clear, or if the inclusions can be seen with the naked eye, they rank lowest on clarity scales.

Diamond Carat Size

Last but not least on the list is diamond carat weight. A carat measures the size of a diamond and of the four Cs on the diamond, it's considered last because the other three on the list are considered more important. Still, carat weight is also important because it plays a significant factor in diamond price.

Carats are usually measured in points. Therefore, one carat is given 100 points, while half a carat is given 50 points, and so on. This means that a diamond's price can vary greatly for as low as 5 to 10 points. That's why you must know just how big a diamond is in exact carats and therefore points.

If you consider the four Cs of diamond quality before you buy, you will have a much easier time determining how much the diamond you are considering is worth. In addition, this knowledge will give you what you need to make an informed buying decision so that you get the best value possible for what this most precious treasure is going to cost you.

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