If you have started searching for an engagement ring an engagement ring, you have probably heard of the 4 C’s- color, cut, clarity, and carat- but you might not understand why they are import for the diamond engagement ring buyer. In this article, we will explain the 4 C’s and how each of them impacts rarity of the diamond.
The first C is color, and refers to how colorless a diamond is. Non-fancy diamonds range in color from colorless to a pale yellow. The clearer a diamond is, the rarer it is. Fancy diamonds, which are diamonds that are non-white or go beyond a pale yellow, are not graded on the same scale. There are two ways to grade diamond color. The American Gem Society (AGS) grades color on a scale from 0 to 10, with 0 being colorless and 10 being a light yellow or light brown color. However, labs use a D to Z alphabetical scale, with D being colorless and Z being a light yellow or a light brown.
The second C is cut. Many people mistakenly believe that cut refers to the shape of the diamond, but cut actually refers to how a diamond’s facets interact with the light. Like color, AGS grades cut on a scale of 0 to 10, with 0 being ideal and 10 being poor.
The third C is clarity. Clarity refers to the absence of inclusions in a diamond. Diamonds are examined at 10x magnification and are graded on an industry standard clarity scale. The scale is: Flawless, Internally Flawless, VVS1, VVS2, VS1, VS2, SI1, SI2, I1, I2, and I3.
The final C is carat. Carat refers to the weight of a diamond. Each carat is .200 grams and carats can be further subdivided into points.
The four C’s are useful to help you determine what you should pay for a diamond, but the perfect ring for you might not have a clear, colorless diamond with an ideal cut. In fact, you might not even choose a diamond as the main stone for your engagement ring. A professional jeweler, like the ones at Business name in New Jersey, can help you choose an engagement ring that will be perfect for your fiancée and become an heirloom for later generations.
