The 4 C’s of BUYING A DIAMOND

CUT:
Many people confuse cut with shape. A diamond's cut is what gives it it's brilliance. When cut to good proportions, the diamond is better able to handle light, creating more sparkle. You do not want the cut to be too shallow or too deep.

COLOR:
The best color for a diamond is no color. A totally colorless diamond allows white light to pass effortlessly through it and be dispersed as rainbows of color. To grade “color” most jewelers refer to GIA's professional color scale that begins with the highest rating of D for colorless, and travels down the alphabet to grade stones with traces of very faint or light yellowish or brownish color.

CLARITY:
Most diamonds contain very tiny natural birthmarks known as inclusions. Basically there are two types of flaws: inclusions and blemishes. Inclusions refer to internal flaws and blemishes refer to surface flaws. Inclusions include flaws such as air bubbles, cracks, and non-diamond minerals found in the diamond. Blemishes include scratches, pits, and chips. Diamonds with no or few inclusions and blemishes are more highly valued than those with less clarity because they are rarer.

CARAT-WEIGHT:
This is the weight of the diamond measured in carats. One carat is equal to 100 points. If a diamond is 75 points, it weighs .75 carat. Carat weight is the easiest of the 4Cs to determine. But two diamonds of equal weight can have very unequal value, depending on their other characteristics.


Fine quality can be found in diamonds of all shapes and sizes. And a fine quality diamond is a little extra weight she'd be pleased to put on.