Diamond Education

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Get To Know Your Diamond

Understanding the 4 C’s of Diamonds Shopping

You may have heard about the 4 C’s when it comes to diamond grading and shopping, but if you haven’t, we’ve got it all covered here and are always available to answer your questions.  The 4 C’s refer to the four characteristics that grading labs review when determining the quality of a diamond.         The 4 C’s include – Cut, Color, Clarity, and Carat.  Here is a quick overview of each that will better equip you when shopping for your perfect diamond.

Diamond Anatomy & Cut Quality

The cut of a diamond is usually referred to as one of, if not the, most important C’s.  The cut of a diamond determines how much fire (flashes of color) and brilliance (white reflective flashes) that the diamond presents.  A diamond that is not cut to the proper proportions will lose a lot of it’s life and appear dull and dark.

 

Diamond Cut Grade Descriptions

 

The GIA Cut grade is different than the grade of Symmetry and Polish on your grading report.  Unlike Symmetry and  Polish, which are graded for every diamond, the GIA Cut grade is only used for the standard round brilliant.  The cut grades a diamond receives range from Excellent (EX), Very Good (VG), Good (G), Fair (F) and Poor (P).

A diamond with an Excellent cut grade is very bright.  The diamond will display an even pattern with an attractive contrast between light and dark areas.  This allows the reflections to appear balanced and crisp.  An Excellent cut diamond will show off the most fire, which are those flashes of color that diamonds are famous for.

A diamond that receives a Good cut grade doesn’t appear quite as bright.  The reflections aren’t as sharp and there’s more darkness or dullness in the diamond. While this diamond will still have some fire, it will be quite less than that of an Excellent cut diamond

The Poor cut grade diamond will show significantly more dark areas or dullness.  A diamond that receives a Poor cut grade will show little to no fire at all.

At Lu’el Young, we suggest staying with a cut grade of Excellent or Very Good so that you get the most brilliant looking diamond.

Clarity

A diamond’s clarity refers to the amount, type and placement of clarity characteristics, often referred to as “inclusions”.  A diamond can range from Flawless or Internally Flawless down to Included.  It is not necessary to have a Flawless diamond, but it is important to know the differences and distinctions between the levels and grades of clarity.

Diamond Clarity Descriptions

Below is the Diamond grading scale and what each clarity grade means.

FL (Flawless)

  • These diamonds have no internal or external characteristics
  • Fewer than 1% of all diamonds cut receive a FL clarity grade

IF (Internally Flawless)

  • An Internally Flawless diamond is a diamond that is free from any internal characteristics, but has very few small surface blemishes. These blemishes are only visible to the trained eye under magnification

VVS1, VVS2 (Very, Very Slightly Included)

  • VVS diamonds have extremely small characteristics that can be found inside the diamond.  These internal characteristics are difficult to find, even with the trained eye under magnification.
  • VVS clarity diamonds are rare and the result is an absolutely eye-clean diamond

VS1, VS2 (Very Slightly Included)

  • These diamonds that receive an VS clarity grading have minor inclusions that are challenging (VS1) or moderately difficult (VS2) to see under magnification at 10x
  • The diamonds in this clarity range tend to be very popular for their clean appearance and more affordable pricing.

SI1, SI2 (Slightly Included)

  • Inclusions in these diamonds are noticeable to the untrained eye under magnification.  
  • SI1 diamonds may appear eye-clean and can offer the greatest value if carefully selected with the hep of a gemologist
  • SI2 diamonds may have inclusions that are visible without magnification; depending on the placement and color of the inclusion.

I1, I2, I3 (Included)

  • Diamonds with a clarity grade of “I” will most of the time have obvious inclusions visible to the untrained eye.
  • In many cases these inclusions can negatively impact the diamond’s beauty.
  • Lu’el Young does not sell any diamonds with a clarity of I for engagement rings.  We may offer a limited selection of diamond fashion jewelry 

 

Color

Diamonds come in a wide array of different colors but usually when we think of diamonds, we think of the clear, or colorless diamonds.  That is where the color scale begins.  Each diamond is viewed and graded upside down in specific conditions so the grader can determine the body color of the diamond. 

Diamond Color Descriptions

Each diamond graded by an independent laboratory will receive a letter grade ranging from D (the highest) to Z (the lowest).  The higher the color grade, the more rare it is.  Any diamond with a grade lower than Z is considered a Fancy color diamond.  Fancy color diamonds are graded differently because the rarity increases with more color

  • D,E,F –  These diamonds are considered Colorless diamonds.  The untrained eye will not be able to detect any color when viewing these diamonds
  • G,H,I,J – These diamonds fall into a Near Colorless category.  These diamonds will range from a barely perceivable warmer color in a diamond graded G, to a slightly warmer, more noticeable yellow body color in a diamond with a J color grade.
  • K,L,M – These diamonds are categorized as Faint.  These diamonds will show a more noticeable yellow or brown color to them, especially when viewed or compared to Near Colorless, or Colorless diamonds.
  • N-R – These diamonds fall into a category as Very Light.  These diamonds still show even more noticeable color and are not often found in jewelry stores.
  • S- Z – Diamonds that have color in this grade range will have a clearly yellow or brown tint to them. 

Our favorite color grade is G.  When you shop for and select a diamond with a G color grade, you are getting a diamond that has no real distinguishable difference from a colorless diamond once mounted.  But, because it falls into the Near Colorless category, the price drops and you get a better value!

 

Carat (Size)

When discussing a diamond’s carat, it important to remember that it is the weight of the stone, not necessarily the size.  This is important to remember.  Just because a diamond might weigh a little more, does not mean it will be a better diamond.  A diamond that weighs more but is cut poorly will lose a lot of the weight in the depth of the stone and negatively affect the diamond’s beauty. 

More on Diamond Carat

There are a few things to consider when shopping for the right diamond.

  • Look for diamonds that are a little bit less than those 1/4 carat increments.  These diamonds are always a little less expensive and you get virtually the same look.  For instances – if you are looking at diamonds in the 1ct. range, you may want to consider diamonds that weigh 0.90ct. – 0.99ct.  The same would be true if you are considering a 1.50ct. or 1.75ct. diamond.  Look for those diamonds weighing 1.40ct – 1.49ct. and 1.70ct – 1.74ct. respectively.  Prices tend to jump once the weight crosses those 1/4ct. thresholds.
  • Remember the Fancy shape diamonds we discussed earlier?  Those typically cost less per carat than a round brilliant diamond with equivalent characteristics.  
  • One more thing to consider when deciding which carat weight to buy are the size of the band that the diamond will be set in.  A 1ct. diamond on a petite 1.80mm solitaire will look larger than if it is set in a 3mm wide solitaire.  

Diamond Shape

Although the shape of the diamond isn’t necessarily a grading factor, it is an important factor to consider when shopping for diamonds.  Some diamonds are less expensive depending on their shape than others, while other shapes command premium prices. 

 

More On Diamond Shapes

Round brilliant diamonds are considered the standard diamond shape.  They have been developed over many years to have the ideal proportions to present the most brilliant flashes of color with a perfect balance of white and dark patterns.  All other diamond shapes are referred to as “fancy” shape diamonds.

Round diamonds are typically priced a bit higher than the other fancy shape diamonds.  There are good options to consider when trying to stay within a budget while keeping the same ring design in mind.  A cushion cut diamond can be a good alternative to a round brilliant.

There are other factors to consider when shopping for specific diamond cuts.  For instance, you may want to look at a higher clarity grade when shopping for princess cut, emerald, and asscher cut diamonds.  These diamonds all have very large tables which allow you see more of the inside of the stone.