If you’ve heard of diamonds, there’s a good chance you’ve heard of the 4Cs. They’re the most common determinants of diamond quality, and the subject almost immediately comes up when talking about engagement rings. But how much do you really know about them and how they interact with one another?
The 4Cs stand for diamond cut, diamond color, diamond carat, and diamond clarity. While each of these is an essential determiner of quality on its own, they also work in conjunction together. The goal is often to find a ring with the right balance between the 4Cs.
If you live in downtown Toronto it can be helpful to visit Downtown Toronto jewellery stores in person to actually see the impact they have. Here, we’ll explore how each of these affects a diamond’s quality and how they are impacted by each other.
Cut
The cut of a diamond refers to the quality of the angles, proportions, facets, brilliance, fire, and finishing details. Basically, it has a direct and perhaps the most significant impact on the beauty of a diamond. The cut quality is a big determiner of how a diamond reflects light back to your eyes, also known as a diamond’s sparkle. However, color and clarity also affect this ability.
If a diamond cutter’s goal is to get the maximum carat, it may impact how they cut the diamond and reduce the light reflection. Alternatively, a diamond can also be cut to improve clarity.
Diamond cut is usually graded on a scale of ideal, excellent, very good, good, fair, and poor.
Color
The color refers to how colorless the diamond is. This is graded from D to Z, with D being the most colorless, and the color gradually increases until Z, where there is a noticeable brown or yellow tint.
However, the diamond’s cut and carat can affect the appearance of a diamond’s color. Another factor outside of the 4Cs that can affect this is the diamond shape.
Carat
The carat refers to the weight of a diamond. Contrary to popular belief, carat weight is not a reference to the size of the diamond. For example, a diamond that is one carat weighs 0.2 grams. But depending on the shape of the diamond and the way it has been cut, diamonds of equal carat weight may have different sizes.
Clarity
The clarity refers to how clean the diamond is of blemishes and inclusions. There are 10 grades for a diamond’s clarity, ranging from flawless to inclusions 2. It’s less important to focus on a particular grade, but more important to review the diamond in person to see if there are noticeable imperfections.
Imperfections can interfere with light as it passes through the diamond, affecting the beauty and brilliance of the diamond. When choosing a diamond, the prime goal is to select one that is eye clean and isn’t experiencing interference with the light reflection due to inclusions.
We hope this helps explain the differences between the 4Cs so you can make the best decision when shopping for a diamond.
Read Also: How To Choose The Right Gemstone For Your Wedding Ring
