The 4 C’s of Buying a Diamond

Diamonds have been a favorite of jewelry lovers for centuries, but many people don’t know how to judge the quality of a diamond.  The GIA (Gemological Institute of America) is the world’s foremost authority in diamond grading.  The GIA is an unrivaled source for accuracy and integrity in diamond grading and a leader in gem education and research since 1949.

The Four C’s

A diamond’s characteristics are broken down into the Four C’s: Color, Clarity, Cut, and Carat Weight.  Depending on how a diamond gets rated in each category affects the price of the diamond.

Color

The color category evaluates color on a grading system.  The less color, the higher the grade.  The scale begins with D (colorless) to Z (light yellow or brown).

Clarity

Evaluating diamond clarity involves determining the number of inclusions and blemishes that are visible under 10x magnification.

The GIA clarity scale contains eleven grades:

-Flawless (FL) & Internally Flawless (I1)

-(Very) Very Slightly Included Diamonds (VVS, VS1, VS2)

-Slightly Included Diamonds (SI1, SI2)

-Included Diamonds (I1)

-Heavily Included Diamonds (I2, I3)

Cut

You may think that the cut of a diamond is about the shape, but it is more about the brilliance and the way it interacts with light.  The GIA only provides a cut grade for brilliant round diamonds on a scale from excellent to poor and incorporates the diamond’s fire, scintillation, durability, weight ratio, polish, and symmetry.

 

Carat Weight

Diamonds are measured by the carat weight by using a highly precise electronic scale rounded to the nearest hundredth of a carat.  A simple explanation, there are 100 points to a carat like 100 pennies to a dollar.

The overall size of the diamond and evaluating the other three characteristics of a diamond will drastically affect the price.

 Commitment

Sullivan’s S&S Jewelers has added a fifth “C” that stands for Commitment. It is important to work with a jeweler committed to you as a customer.. beyond the purchase of your diamond.  We select our diamonds for their superior quality and maximum value for our customers.  Along with building a lasting relationship, our team is an experienced source that you can go to for all of your jewelry needs.

When you decide to purchase a diamond, you now know how diamonds get evaluated.  To learn more about diamonds, please check out the GIA link on our website and follow the four links to get an explanation and video of each of the four aspects of a diamond.

For more information on diamonds, view our website.