Diamond Grading | The 4 C’s Explained

Diamonds are the most popular gemstone option for engagement rings. They are the hardest of the precious gemstones and when cut well they display beautiful sparkle and brightness.

When it comes to purchasing these precious gems, it's crucial to make an informed decision to ensure you get the best value for your investment.

Before I get into what specs you should be looking for in a diamond, I’ll explain the 4 C’s of diamond grading so you have a rough idea of how it all works.

The four C’s of diamond grading are: Cut, Colour, Clarity, and Carat Weight.

GIA diamond certificate

Diamond Cut | The Sparkle Factor

The cut of a diamond refers to how well it has been shaped, faceted and polished to maximize its brilliance and sparkle. An excellent-cut diamond reflects light internally and projects that light back through the top of the diamond. Creating a play of light known as brilliance or in laymen’s terms; sparkle.

A diamond's cut is considered the most important of the 4 Cs, as it influences its overall appearance. After all, no one wants a diamond that doesn’t sparkle!

The cut grading covers the proportions of the diamond's facets and impact how effectively light is reflected and refracted. The ideal proportions vary depending on the shape of the diamond.

 A well-cut diamond should have a precise polished surface to allow light to pass through without being distorted.

Diamond Colour | How white or yellow

Colour in diamond is graded from D moving down the alphabet. D to G are considered white or colourless, H to J will have a slight tinge of yellow. K to Q are a pale yellow brown colour and T to Z are bright yellow which are also known as canary yellow diamonds.

Diamond colour grading chart: Image - Set Together Jewellery

Clarity: Natural inclusions

Inclusions are natural imperfections that look like small white or black specs within the diamond. A Flawless diamond have no inclusions visible under a 10x magnification lens. They are rare hence come with a hefty price tag. VS1 – VS2 have very tiny inclusions that are not visible to the naked eye, these inclusions can be observed through a microscope. SI1 – SI2 have slight inclusions that can sometimes be seen with the naked eye. I1- I3 have a lot of inclusions that can be seen clearly with the naked eye. I recommend staying away from anything below an SI2.

Diamond clarity grading chart: Image - Set Together Jewellery

Diamond Carat Weight | The Initial Statement

Everyone has heard of a one carat diamond, it seems to be the end goal for a well rounded engagement ring.

Carat in diamonds and gemstones is a measurment of weight and it determines the size of your diamond. It is the first thing noticed in an engagement ring. One carat is equal to 0.2grams and a well cut 1ct round diamond will measure 6.5mm in diameter.

1ct pear EVS2 diamond set into a platinum ring: Image - Set Together Jewellery

A common sense approach to diamond buying

 All the factors above determine the price of a diamond. A D colour diamond will be more expensive than an E or F and an internally flawless (IF clarity) diamond will be more expensive than a VS2 or SI1 diamond.

The common-sense approach to take when buying diamonds is to sacrifice a bit of colour and clarity for size because let’s face it, size matters. It’s better to get a 1ct E-VSI diamond then a 0.8ct D flawless diamond for the same price.

Cut is very important, so watch out for diamonds with a poor cut or polish grading.

Also be wary of diamonds that have strong fluorescence, this makes the diamond appear cloudy in daylight. Faint fluorescence is okay.

If you are in search of a diamond engagement ring and are unsure where to start or you have researched your way into confusion, send me an email and I’ll be happy to help bring some clarity to the situation 😊