Unveiling the Four Cs: A Comprehensive Guide to Your Next Diamond Purchase

I’m sure you’ve heard this term more times than you can count, but do you understand the 4 C’s and why they are so important? Knowing the characteristics of each 'C' is crucial when purchasing a diamond. It’s easy to get lost in the fine details, but keep in mind many of those are only noticeable by professionals. Below I’ve highlighted the key points you should know before making this special purchase.

Please refer to the Anatomy of a Diamond to better understand certain terms throughout this post; most importantly table (A), depth (B), and culet (D) .

Carat

Many believe this to be the size of the diamond, but it is actually the overall weight from the table (A) down to the culet (D). Diamond shape, cut, depth, and carat weight all play a vital role in determining how big it will appear. For example both radiants and emeralds have a rectangular shape, but when comparing a 1 carat radiant to a 1 carat emerald, the emerald will appear larger than the radiant from the top view. This is because radiants have more weight distributed in their depth (B) while emeralds have more weight distributed on their table (A). Certain carat weights are considered to be magic sizes for their desirability – 1.00 carat, 1.50 carats, and 2.00 carats. Although it is difficult to visually distinguish a 0.99 carat diamond from a 1.00 carat, the price difference can be significant, especially regarding natural diamonds.

We recommend focusing more on the proportions that draw your attention more so than the exact carat weight because everyone has different finger shapes and sizes.

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Cut

Several consider this as the shape of the diamond, but it’s much more than that. It refers to the symmetry and proportion of the facets, which determines how the diamond will sparkle and interact with light. This ranges from poor to excellent; fair being the lowest recommended cut, while excellent (also referred to as ideal) is going to be that super sparkly diamond that can catch someone’s eye from a far if the light hits it just right. If a diamond's depth (B) is cut too deep or too shallow, light escapes making the diamond lose sparkle. If the stone is cut correctly, the light bounces back toward the eye through facets creating the brilliance and fire that makes diamonds so highly sought after.

We recommend good, very good, or excellent  as they will all have beautiful brilliance and sparkle.

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Clarity

This refers to the absence of internal inclusions and surface blemishes and is graded from flawless to included. Simply put, it’s how “clean” the diamond looks. Many people want that nearly perfect VVS1 diamond, while others prefer visible inclusions that add a little character to their stone and make it easily recognizable.

FL — extremely rare, less than 1% of all diamonds

IF — no internal inclusions, but might have small surface blemishes; also rare

VVS1, VVS2 — tiny inclusions that are difficult to see even under magnification

VS1, VS2 — a few more inclusions than VVS1-VVS2, but they can still be difficult to detect without magnifying

SI1, SI2 — several inclusions visible under magnification and sometimes visible to the naked eye

I1, I2, I3 — heavily included and detectable with the naked eye

Basically, any diamond that is VS2 and above will be considered “eye clean”, meaning you can’t spot imperfections without magnification. Remember earlier when I said don’t get caught up in the fine details? In my career I’ve seen tons of people get fixated on comparing a VS to a VVS, but it’s oftentimes extremely hard to differentiate the two even when they are side by side. Because of this, my team thinks the sweet spot is the VS1-VS2 range, where you get the perfect combination of appearance, quality, and price.

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Color

This refers to the lack of color present in a diamond. The scale starts at D (colorless) being the most expensive and goes all the way to Z. I consider fancy colored diamonds like champagnes or blues “off the charts” because they cannot be graded on the traditional diamond scale.

D E F — Colorless

G H I J — Near Colorless

K L M — Faint

N to Z — Very Light

Of course colorless diamonds are often regarded as the best, but we think near colorless is equally beautiful. Particularly if you’re setting your diamond in yellow gold, you will pay more for a colorless stone that will inevitably pick up some yellow hues from the gold surrounding it. Because of this, we recommend anything G and above. Once you drop down to the faint category, you will start seeing some yellow undertones in the stone. If you want an antique vibe, faint or very light might be perfect for you.

Fun fact — Sydney’s favorite color is a G.

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It’s important to remember that no two diamonds are the same. We always recommend choosing the diamond that “speaks” to you because everyone has their idea of what the “best” diamond is. Try not to overthink the little details because at the end of the day it’s going to be beautiful and one of a kind just like you!

If you want to dive even deeper into the 4 C's, we are happy to answer any questions you have. Please email us at sydney@shopdauvi.com and we will get back to you as soon as we can.