The Four Cs of Buying a Diamond
Before reading any further, it is important to note that although the majority of these features and recommendations are for all diamonds, there are a few with specific number values that are only applicable for round cut diamonds.
Also, these are just recommendations. Of course, you will have to go with how much your budget will allow, but at least you will have a sense of how to maximize your dollar.
The four C’s, or the most important features one should be looking for, are explained first and following are less important but important nonetheless features. The four C’s constitute of Color, Cut, Carat, and Clarity.
Color
The color of the diamond is graded on a scale from D to Z, with D being absolutely colorless and Z being almost a gray hue. Color grade is important because the diamond acts as a prism that divides the light into a spectrum of colors and reflects the light as flashes known as fire. Basically, the better the color grade, the more colorful the fire will be.
Here is the breakdown of color grades:
D: No color
E: Colorless. Only very little traces of color can be found by a gemologist.
F: Very slight color detected. Again, only by a gemologist
G – H: Almost colorless. The color is only noticeable when they are compared to better diamonds.
I-J: Again, almost colorless, however the color can be slightly noticeable
K-Z – Don’t even bother with these. Most jewelers probably won’t even sell these types of diamonds.
Cut
Possibly the most important aspect of the diamond, the quality of the cut determines the brilliance of the diamond, or the brightness that comes from the very heart of the diamond. A diamond with a quality cut will reflect the light that enters the diamond back toward the eye of the observer. However, a poorly cut diamond will leak out light from the sides or bottom rather than back to the eye.
Here is the breakdown of cut quality:
Ideal: An ideal cut maximizes the amount of brilliance in the diamond. Thus, it is the most expensive cut possible.
Premium: Very similar to the ideal cut, the premium cut tries to maximize the amount of brilliance at a lower cost.
Very Good: Very good cut diamonds sacrifice a slight bit of brilliance with the size. The size of the diamond will be slightly bigger; however the brilliance will be slightly less as well.
Good: Good cut diamonds reflect much of the light that enters the diamond, however even more brilliance is sacrificed for the size of the diamond.
Fair and Poor: These diamonds reflect only a small portion of the light that enters, however the size of the diamond is much bigger as well.
Carat
Carat is the weight or the size of the diamond. The higher the carat number, the bigger the diamond will be. However, bigger is not always better. If the hand of the person that is going to be wearing the diamond is small, a smaller carat size will look better. The small hands will make the smaller diamond look bigger. If the diamond is too big on the hand, it just looks clumsy.
Clarity
Clarity grades determine how much flaws a diamond has. These grades take into account how many scratches there are on the surface as well as how many flaws are in the interior of the diamond. Of course, the fewer flaws the better, however it is important to note that these grades assume that the diamond is under a 10x magnification. Sacrificing on clarity a little bit to meet your budget wouldn’t hurt the quality of the diamond as much as it would if you had sacrificed the cut or color grade. Here are the grades for clarity:
F: Flawless. There are no internal OR external flaws.
IF: Internal Flawless. Like the grade suggests, there are no internal flaws but there are some external flaws.
VVS1-VVS2: Very Very Slightly Included. This has two grades and these diamonds have flaws but are very difficult to detect under magnification, even by gemologists.
VS1-VS2: Similar to VVS1 and VVS2, Very Slightly Included diamonds have flaws that are difficult to detect, but not as hard as VVS diamonds.
SI1-SI2: Slightly Included diamonds have flaws that are more easily detectable under magnification.
I1-I2-I3: Inclusion diamonds have flaws that are not only detectable under magnification, but they are detectable by the human eye as well!
Polish/Symmetry
Polish refers to the quality of the finish on the facets, or the smooth, flat faces on the surface of the diamond.
Symmetry refers to the proper alignment of the diamond’s sections, the proper shape for the cut, and the uniformity in size and angles of similar facets. Basically, how symmetrical the whole diamond is.
These two factors are rated using the same scale:
EX: Excellent
VG: Very Good
GVG: Good to Very Good
G: Good
FG: Fair to Good
F: Fair
FP: Fair to Poor
P: Poor
Generally speaking, you wouldn’t want to go below a G rating. Anything above that is acceptable and downgrading on the Polish/Symmetry rating a bit can ease up on the wallet a little. Or, you can use that money to bump up one of the four C’s listed above.
Table
The table refers to the flat surface at the top of the diamond. The table percentage is the ratio of the size of the table with that of the diamond itself. The size actually is determined by the cut of the diamond. Some people like bigger tables and others like smaller ones; it really depends on the buyer or receiver of the ring. However, if you need numbers, you want to shoot for somewhere between 51.4% to 62%
Depth
Depth refers to the height of the diamond. The depth percentage refers to the proportions of the diamond and this is an important factor because it affects the amount of light that is reflected out. When looking for a diamond, you want to aim for somewhere between 59% and 63%.
Fluorescence
Fluorescence is referring to the color of light that the diamond emits when ultraviolet light is shown upon it. Usually, the less color the light has (blue for example), the higher the value of the diamond. Coloration of reflected light usually is not a problem for human eyes, but picky buyers can get diamonds that emit no color when reflecting light. However, there are some people who actually like the fluorescence to have some tint, so if that’s the case you’re in luck because you can save a couple of dollars that way.
These are some basics factors to a diamond you should be considering when you are out looking to buy one. Of course, the perfect diamond is always contingent of how much money you can spend, but the breakdown of grades should give you an idea of where you can sacrifice a bit and where you don’t want to at all.
Again, the recommendations, especially of depth percentage and table percentage refer to a round cut diamond. When it comes to princess cuts or other different types of cuts, the values will obviously change.
Also, if you must remember one thing, the most important features of a diamond are the four C’s: Cut, Color, Carat, and Clarity.
