Diamonds 101: Cut, Color, Clarity, and More
If you’re in the market for a diamond engagement or wedding ring, you’ve entered a world with its own vocabulary of jewelry-related terms—the Four Cs (Color, Cut, Clarity, and Carats), inclusions, points, certificates, and more—all expressing different facets of diamond quality and authenticity. Here then, in dazzling simplicity, are the basics you need to know before shopping for diamond jewelry.
Diamond Cuts
When dealers refer to the cut of a diamond, they are describing the way the stone is faceted, not its shape. Here are some fast facts about diamond cuts:
- Brilliance: Master cutters know how to cut facets in patterns that reflect the maximum amount of light, or brilliance, from the diamond. Facets that are too shallow or deep diminish the stone’s brilliance.
- Grades: The American Gem Society Diamond Grading Scale grades diamonds on a scale of 0 to 10, with 0 representing a rare ideal cut, and 10 representing the most inferior cut.
- Comparing cuts: Skillful cutting is one of the most influential factors in determining a diamond’s beauty, but a less than perfectly cut stone can still be gorgeous. Compare different grades of cut diamonds to determine the importance of this feature in determining how the stone looks to you.
Diamond Colors
Diamonds come in a variety of colors, and those colors contribute to the stone’s overall value. Here are some important facts about diamond color:
- The color range: While most diamonds appear colorless, or with slight yellow or brown undertones, diamonds also can be pink, purple, green, black, blue, or—the rarest of diamond colors—red.
- Color and value: Generally, the more colorless a diamond, the higher its perceived beauty and value.
- Color Rankings: Different organizations have different diamond color rankings. The following table shows how two societies—the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) using letters, and the American Gem Society (AGS) using numbers—rank stones.
AGS GIA Ranking 0–1.0 DEF Colorless 1.5–3.0 GHIJ Near Colorless 3.5–4.5 KLM Faint Yellow 5.0–7.0 NOPQR Very Light Yellow 7.5–10.0 STUVWXYZ Light Yellow N/A Z+ Fancy - Comparing color: Most reputable jewelers keep on hand a set of Masterstones (real diamonds in the full color range) to help reveal subtle differences in the diamond colors. Those subtleties may be so minor that they mean less to you than a better cut or a larger stone.
Diamond Clarity
The term clarity refers to the number, size, location, and nature of inclusions—tiny traces of minerals, gasses, or other impurities—within the diamond. Here’s what you should know about clarity:
- Rarity: All but the rarest of diamonds has inclusions, making those that don’t the most pure and valued stones. Like fingerprints, inclusions can help identify one diamond from another under magnification.
- Clarity ratings: Clarity does impact diamond value. Both the GIA and AGS offer unique rankings that rate clarity on scales with ranges from flawless to heavily blemished. Those scales are too detailed to offer here, but you can find them on the societies’ websites.
- Clarity and appearance: Many stones contain inclusions that are invisible to the naked eye. Assess each stone individually to determine the visual impact of its blemishes.
Carat Weight
A diamond’s weight is measured in carats; the more carats, the larger the stone. Despite their “wow” factor, larger diamonds aren’t always more valuable. When it comes to carats, here are some points to consider:
- Carats, points, and weight: A diamond’s weight is measured in carats, with one carat divided into 100 points. The average size of a diamond engagement ring sold in the U.S. is 75 points, or .75 carats in weight.
- Scale-weight versus stated weight: Many jewelers “round” diamond weights, so a “.25 carat diamond” might actually weigh 23, 24, or even 26 points. Reputable jewelers carry scales that measure down to .002 carats. Ask jewelers how they determined the weight of the stones you’re considering.
Overall Value and the Four Cs
When it comes to diamonds, cut, color, clarity, and carat weight each plays its own role in determining the beauty of the stone. Together, however, the Four Cs combine to distinguish the overall value and rarity of one diamond from another. A larger diamond with a yellow undertone, for example, might be less valuable than a smaller, more colorless one. To determine how each of these factors might weigh in your own shopping decision, check out the completely customizable diamond-pricing tool online at www.idazzle.com.
Diamond Certificates of Authenticity
You don’t have to be a diamond expert to know what quality ratings a diamond has earned. Any reputable jeweler should provide you with a diamond certificate that states the authenticity of the diamond and its ratings for cut, color, clarity, and carat weight, along with other distinguishing characteristics. These certificates are produced by independent and objective labs that evaluate stones, rather than sell them. If your jeweler cannot provide you with a certificate for the stone you’re considering, it’s advisable to consider a purchase elsewhere.
Many couples follow an unwritten rule that says a diamond engagement or wedding ring should cost “two months’ salary,” so it’s a major purchase. Be sure that you love the look of your diamond, but also check its certificate to determine that its Four Cs of cut, color, clarity, and carat weight justify its cost. You need to be sure you’re getting the jewelry you want—and the quality you’re paying for. Happy shopping!
