When buying diamonds, quality is the first thing that comes to our minds. While it is right to stay focused on the quality of the stone when buying a diamond, there is more than just that. In fact, the matter of quality is a little complicated in diamonds. There are four factors that essentially determine the quality of a diamond. They, as some of you may know, are referred to as the 4 Cs. The 4 Cs of a diamond are its cut, carat, clarity and color. These four aspects make the right guiding principles for diamond shopping.
Cut: The cut is what determines the two most important factors of a diamond, its style and beauty. Ideally, a diamond can be shaped in many cuts, some of which are princess cut, round cut, oval cut, cushion cut, emerald cut, heart-shaped cut and more. These are some of the classic styles. Whichever of the available cuts you choose, you need to be absolutely certain that it is cut to perfection. The cut of a diamond is graded by its symmetry and reflectivity. An ideal cut causes the light to bounce off the sides and enter from the right surface and exit through the right side. A diamond can appear cheap and dull because of a poor cut.
Carat: Carat is the measuring unit used to weigh a diamond. Ideally, a bigger diamond is a better buy. So, higher the carat is, the better investment it makes. Anything that is above 24 carats is graded top-class. Be that as it may, affording a 24 carat diamond is a ludicrous option for most. So, aim for something more practical and doable.
Clarity: Diamonds below the Fl class often feature imperfections. The flaws may not be visible to naked light or in ambient light, but they are there. Clarity of a diamond refers to how transparent or included a gem is. The higher the clarity of a stone, the pricier it is. Normally, those between VVS and SI1 are good to go with, if you have a budget to mind. They still have inclusions, but extremely minor ones.
Color: A diamond is graded by the presence or absence of color in it. Color is lent to gems by the presence of trace substances. The more colorless a white diamond is, the more precious it is. The color scale of diamonds start from D and ends in Z. This doesn’t however apply to colored diamonds.
