4 Cs: The Four Integral Facets of a Diamond

Normally, people like to know a few things beforehand about products they are going to purchase. But, when that product is a diamond, buyers don’t feel comfortable with nothing less than extensive knowledge. Now sadly, it’s not possible to imbibe every information on a mineral overnight. It needs disciplined research and that may take longer than you expect. Besides, as a buyer, you need to absorb only a few details that will insure the purchase.

The 4 Cs of a diamond is the bit about diamonds that every buyer must have some awareness on. The 4 Cs of a diamond are- color, clarity, cut and carat.

Color: Though all achromatic diamonds may seem identical, they are not, when looked through a magnifier. The difference in color is too fine to be discerned by inexpert eyes. In theory, diamonds are graded based on these four units of measurement. A diamond color scale rages from D to Z. While D is the top of the range colorless variety, stones towards the other end of the scale are graded inferior. A gentle tinge of yellow, gray or brown is observed in stones with color between N and Z. Up until R, everything looks pretty translucent, until magnified 10 times.

Clarity: The clarity scale of a diamond is slightly shorter, but has significant gradation. The top of the line is FL or flawless. Stones of FL clarity has no blemishes and inclusions whatsoever. They are the rarest kind of diamond mined. Each grade of clarity is divided into two or more subsections. Some are very slightly included while those towards the bottom of the pillar are visibly included. However, it does not make much of a difference to untrained eyes because a diamond looks like a diamond after all, in whatever state it may be.

Cut: The cut of a diamond is not just about the shape, but also its reflectivity. The quality of cut determines how brightly it will shine. An excellent grade cut sparkles a stone better than a poor grade cut.

Carat: The weight of a diamond is measured by the unit of carat. While the measurement is used to compare sizes, it is also a contributing factor to the price. The greater the carat of the stone is, the costlier it gets. To avoid the price-by-size equation, manufacturers are now resorting to cuts to give the stones a larger appearance without having to price it steeply.

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