4Cs of Diamonds

When making high value purchases, consumers expect to know about the size and quality of what they are buying. Diamonds are no different.

The sparkle, or ‘brilliance’ – and, therefore, the value – of a diamond is determined by the interaction of the 4Cs of diamonds. This is the international diamond grading system of CUT, CARAT, COLOUR & CLARITY.

These 4Cs of diamonds are outlined in great detail later on this page.

DIAMOND QUALITIES AT THE DIAMOND JEWELLER
We offer a variety of different diamond qualities in our jewellery items at The Diamond Jeweller.

H-I/I1-I2
COLOUR H-I – This is a white diamond which has no noticeable colour tint to the naked eye unless compared to higher colour diamonds alongside.
CLARITY I1-I2 – Imperfections in the diamond can only be seen in the diamond if closely examined with the naked eye from a distance of 6 inches or less.
Diamonds of this quality represent excellent value for money. This is the standard quality of diamonds you would find in a high street jewellers shop.

H/SI
COLOUR H – A white diamond with no colour tint to the naked eye.
CLARITY SI – SI is an abbreviation for “Small Inclusions”, which are visible only under 10x magnification.
Some of our items of jewellery carry an H/SI grade whereas some of our diamond engagement rings and solitaire pendants are more specifically graded as H/SI2 and H/SI1. H/SI1 is better than H/SI2, although in reality there is very little difference between the grades, and much is determined by your available budget.
Diamonds of this quality are beautifully white and eye-clean.

G/VS
COLOUR G – A bright, white diamond which is completely colourless to the naked eye.
CLARITY VS – VS is an abbreviation for “Very Small Inclusions”, which are visible only under 30x magnification.
Some of our items of jewellery carry a G/VS grade whereas some of our diamond engagement rings are more specifically graded as G/VS2 and G/VS1. G/VS1 is better than G/VS2, although in reality there is very little difference between the grades, and much is determined by your available budget.
Diamonds of this quality provide outstanding beauty and are an excellent investment if your budget allows.

Of course, diamond grading is not limited to the above grades. For those customers seeking even higher graded certified diamonds, it is usually possible for us to provide these. Please either email us at info@thediamondjeweller.co.uk or call on 0845 355 1164.


FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE 4Cs OF DIAMONDS
The information below will provide you with further insight into the 4Cs of diamonds.

CUT
This most commonly refers to the shape of diamonds. Different shapes of diamonds contain different numbers of facets. The most common shape of diamond are round brilliant cut diamonds, which constitute around 70% of the total market. However, other shapes of diamonds are becoming increasingly popular such as princess cut diamonds and emerald cut diamonds, for example.

These are the most typical shapes of diamonds available today -

ROUND BRILLIANT CUT - The most popular of all diamond shapes, accounting for around 70% of the world diamond market. The oldest cut of diamond, and the cut which displays most sparkle.





PRINCESS CUT - Square in shape, princess cut diamonds are second in popularity and provide excellent sparkle with their 76 facets.






EMERALD CUT - Rectangular in shape, emerald cut diamonds are step-cut. They have fewer facets and so provide a more understated look and finish. Due to the transparency of these diamonds and open table, it is important to buy into higher clarity grades.




MARQUISE CUT - Elongated with pointed ends, marquise cut diamonds are relatively new to the market and have 56 facets.






PEAR CUT - Often also called 'teardrops', pear cut diamondshave 58 facets, with a single pointed end and are excellent for diamond engagement rings.






OVAL CUT - An excellent alternative to round brilliant cut diamonds, oval cut diamonds have 56 facets and emit superb sparkle.






HEART CUT - The ultimate symbol of love, heart cut diamonds, by their very nature, are few and far between in supply, and only accessible to the very best professional diamond specialists.





CARAT
The word “carat” is taken from the carob seeds that people once used in ancient times to balance scales. This was standardised in 1907, when one carat became 0.2 grams. Furthermore, one carat is divided into 100 ‘points’. Therefore, 25 points is ¼ carat, 50 points is ½ carat and so on.

Diamonds are rare. The larger the diamond, the rarer it is. Larger diamonds, therefore, typically have a greater value per carat. For that reason, the price of a diamond rises exponentially with its size. That is not always to say, however, that the larger the diamond, the more valuable it is compared with a smaller diamond.



COLOUR
The most valuable diamonds are colourless. They allow the most light to pass through the diamond and create the most brilliance. However, very few diamonds are colourless, so most diamonds will have some yellow on them – the less yellow, the better. The colour scale goes from D to Z, with D being the most white and Z being the most yellow.



CLARITY
All diamonds – except internally flawless diamonds – have inclusions. These can be tiny carbon spots, air pockets or other naturally occurring phenomena. The fewer inclusions there are in the diamond, the fewer barriers there are to optimum light refraction, and so the greater the brilliance – and value – of the diamond. Diamond clarity ranges from diamonds without any flaws through to those flaws that are visible with a magnifying glass, to those that are visible with the naked eye.



THE 5TH C – CERTIFICATION
Some of our items of diamond jewellery at The Diamond Jeweller are accompanied by an independent diamond grading certificate to provide customers with complete peace of mind in the quality and integrity of their purchase. These items are usually made in 18kt and platinum. For more information on certified diamonds, please click here.