The 4Cs of Diamonds
- COLOR: A diamond's color is the first thing, along with its size, one notices with the naked eye. The color grade refers to the presence, or lack, of color. Diamonds that contain little or no color receive higher-quality grades than those with visible color.
- CLARITY: Every diamond has a unique fingerprint, unless, of course, it is flawless. Almost all diamonds have tiny imperfections. As gemologists, we can help educate you to understand your diamond and know why it has received its specific clarity grade. Obviously diamonds with few or no imperfections receive the highest clarity grades.
- CARAT: This is the term with which people are most familiar. It is the standard unit of weight for diamonds but is often misunderstood by consumers, who assume a diamond's value is based on its carat weight alone.
- CUT: Proper cutting proportions produce the most beautiful diamonds. The cut of a diamond determines its brilliance. Put simply, the more exacting a diamond is cut, the more sparkle it will have. We are more interested in the beauty of a stone than in retaining extra carat weight.