Diamonds- The 4 C's

CARAT WEIGHT

CUT

The word carat derives from the word carob, a Mediterranean seed, which has an extremely consistent weight for measuring. The greater the carat weight, the rarer and more valuable a diamond becomes. Five metric carats weighs exactly one gram.

Some people want the largest diamond possible. If size is a priority, we can help you classify the proper cut, color and clarity to fit your budget economically, and fit your jewelry beautifully. Many of our engagement rings can fit diamonds up to 5 carats, but each ring has different size constraints based on its size and type of setting. Prong settings can be manipulated to fit virtually any size diamond, but tension-set and bezel set diamonds have more limitations on size.

COLOR

Diamonds range from colorless to yellow or light brown, and are sometimes found in a spectrum of fancy colors. Some fancy colors include yellow, blue, purple and red. Aside from fancy color diamonds, the less color, the rarer the diamond.

D-F: Colorless

G-J: Near Colorless

K-M: Faint Yellow

N-R: Very Light Yellow

S-Z: Light Yellow

After "Z" on the color scale, diamonds become fancy yellow, which are more valuable because of their rarity.

After a diamond is mined, it is evaluated to determine the best possible cut in order to maintain the maximum clarity, color, and carat weight. The term "cut" is often confused with diamond "shape" such as round brilliant or princess cut.

True definition of cut is the quality of the proportions and symmetry of the diamond. Your diamond's proportions make a vast difference on how brightly your diamond shines. An "ideal cut" diamond is one that allows the maximum amount of light to return through the top of the diamond. Factors like depth, table size, crown height and angle, girdle thickness, and more determine the quality of a diamond's cut. Our diamond professionals will be happy to assist you in selecting the best diamond cut.

CLARITY

Diamonds are composed of mostly carbon. During the heating process of a diamond other elements can become trapped inside, giving each diamond its own unique "fingerprint". The trapped elements are called inclusions. Factors such as the size, shape, placement and quantity of inclusions determine the clarity of a diamond.

FL: Flawless- No inclusions or blemishes visible under 10x magnification

IF: Internally Flawless- No inclusions visible under 10x magnification

VVS1-VVS2: Very Very Slightly Included 1, 2- Inclusions are difficult to see under 10x magnification.

VS1-VS2: Very Slightly Included 1,2- Inclusions are clearly visible but can be characterized as minor.

SI1-SI2: Slightly Included 1,2- Inclusions are noticible to a skilled grader.

I1-I3: Included 1,2,3- Inclusions are obvious and may affect transparency and brilliance.