All About 4 Cs of Diamond Grading

Joan Rivers once said, “I don’t exercise. If God had wanted me to bend over, he would have put diamonds on the floor” and we totally agree! Loose Diamonds are unique, sparkling, shimmering pieces of gemstones that everyone would love to have in their vanity.

Each diamond is one-of-a-kind, and a miracle of time, and place. GIA created the first, and now globally accepted standard of grading diamonds. Up until the twentieth century, there was no standard grading system. It is important to be informed about the 4 Cs before investing in loose diamonds or diamond jewelry.

Let’s take a closer look at - what the 4 Cs Stand for, below!

Color

Aren’t all diamonds colorless or transparent? Even though we’ve known diamonds as colorless gemstones, each diamond has its unique tinge of shade. The color difference is so subtle in loose diamonds that only a trained eye can identify the difference in the shades of the gem. The color of transparent loose diamonds can be either yellow or brown.

The hue of a loose diamond ranges from D - Z, wherein D stands for the brightest, whitest shade and Z stands for light yellow to brown shade. The whiter or more colorless the diamond is, the rarer and more valuable it becomes.

D - F - In this range, loose diamonds have a whiter, colorless shade to them. They are very rare to find.

G - I - This range represents almost colorless diamonds which still are rare to find.

J - K - Loose diamonds in this range have a slight yellow tinge to them. When these loose diamonds are molded in a yellow gold mounting they seem whiter and brighter because of the surroundings

K - Z - range has yellow to brown shades of diamonds which do not sparkle much compared to the aforementioned loose diamonds. It is advised not to invest money in the K - Z color range of loose diamonds!

Cut

The most important element that makes a diamond twinkle like a star is the cut of the gemstone. Cut determines the brilliance and the fire of loose diamonds. A loose diamond's cut must comply with a strict set of proportions for the gem to radiate the maximum amount of brilliance and fire it is capable of.

The diamond’s cut has 3 primary effects on the appearance :

Brilliance: The brightness created by the combination of all the white light reflections from the surface and the inside of a polished diamond.
Fire: The dispersion of light into the colors of the visible spectrum
Scintillation: The flashes of light and dark, or sparkle, when a diamond or light source is moved

The cut of loose diamonds is the factor that helps in deciding the primary value of the gemstone and hence one should have a little knowledge about it to make an informed decision before investing in loose diamonds or diamond jewelry.

Clarity

Diamonds, while forming inside the earth’s surface, undergo a lot of changes due to high pressure and temperature, leading to certain imperfections which are called inclusions, or fractures. Loose diamonds may therefore have some inclusions. The degree to which these flaws are present in a diamond is referred to as clarity. The imperfections intrude the path of light passing through the gem. Loose diamonds with numerous or severe inclusions or blemishes have lower brightness. Clean diamonds are extremely valuable and rare, and they are much desired.

The GIA approved clarity grading that a jeweler follows is mentioned below.

FL - Flawless - No inclusions or blemishes are in/on the loose diamond.
IF - Internally Flawless - No inclusions, only blemishes are visible to a skilled grader using 10x magnification.
VVS1- VVS2 - Very very slightly included - Inclusions are difficult for a skilled grader to see under 10x magnification.
VS1-VS2 - Very slightly included - Inclusions are clearly visible under 10x magnification but are usually eye-clean.
SI1-SI2 - Slightly Included - Inclusions are noticeable to a skilled grader using 10x magnification. Inclusions may also be visible to the naked eye.

Carat Weight

The unit of measurement that the jewelry industry uses is called carat weight. One carat is equal to 0.2 grams. While a diamond's carat weight is connected to its size, the weight does not accurately measure the size of a diamond. It is usually advisable to look at the millimeter dimensions rather than the carat weight when determining the size of a loose diamond.

These 4 factors decide the quality of loose diamonds or diamond jewelry that you want to invest in. One should be informed about the 4 Cs to make a better decision from a future perspective. We hope this article was all that you needed to take a step forward and buy your diamond jewelry! Happy shopping!

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