Learn about the 4 C's of a diamond quality.

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Home > Men's Jewelry Articles > 4C's of Diamond Quality

4C's OF DIAMOND QUALITY

Diamonds are graded by four characteristics: cut, carat (weight), clarity, and color. All four of these properties determine how much a diamond is worth.

Cut - Diamond cutting is the art and science of creating a gem-quality diamond out of mined rough stone. The cut proportion of a diamond describes the manner in which a diamond has been shaped and polished from its beginning form as a rough stone to its final gem proportions. The cut of a diamond describes the quality of workmanship and the angles to which a diamond is cut.

Shape - Round brilliant diamonds are commonly cut with 57 facets (polished faces), counting 33 on the crown (the top half), and 24 on the pavilion (the lower half). The better proportioned these facets are on the diamond, the more light will be reflected back to the viewer's eye. Cut also refers to the shape such as:

Emerald	Heart	Marquise	Oval	Pear	Princess	Radiant	Round

Carat - The carat weight measures the mass of a diamond. One carat is defined as a fifth of a gram. The point unit is equal to one one-hundredth of a carat (0.01 carat, or 2 mg) is commonly used for diamonds of less than one carat.

Clarity - Clarity is a measure of internal defects of a diamond called inclusions. Inclusions may be crystals of a foreign material or another diamond crystal, or structural imperfections such as tiny cracks that can appear whitish or cloudy. The number, size, color, relative location, orientation, and visibility of inclusions can all affect the relative clarity of a diamond. Those that do not have a visible inclusion are known as "eye-clean" and are preferred by most buyers, although visible inclusions can sometimes be hidden under the setting in a piece of jewelry. Most inclusions present in gem-quality diamonds do not affect the diamonds' performance or structural integrity. However, large clouds can affect a diamond's ability to transmit and scatter light. Large cracks close to or breaking the surface may reduce a diamond's resistance to fracture.

Diamonds are graded on a scale ranging from FL - IF flawless (perfect) to I2 - I3 imperfect (included).

Color - Diamond colors generally range from D - X for white and yellow diamonds. D is the whitest. Around S they become "Fancy" yellow Diamonds. One can also find green, pink, red, blue and brown diamonds - though these are usually irradiated.