The most important things to consider when purchasing diamonds are the 4C’s. The 4C’s interact with one another as a comprehensive whole, not only making up the actual beauty and structure of the diamond but also to serve as the universal method used to assess the quality of a diamond. These are the most vital characteristics to understand when making a diamond purchase to ensure that your diamond is of the highest quality it can be.
The first C and often regarded as the most important is the diamond cut. Of the 4C’s, the cut has the greatest influence on the diamond’s beauty and sparkle, as it is based on the quality of the angles, symmetrical facets, proportions, fire, brilliance, and details of the finishing. All of these factors are going to impact the diamonds ability to sparkle along with the appeal of the diamond. The grades of the scale go from ideal, excellent, very good, good, fair, or poor. Of course, the ideal and excellent diamonds are going to be cut at angles for maximum fire and brilliance. The cut is referred to as the most significant component of the diamond as it influences the performance of the other C’s as well, for example, even a diamond with a flawless clarity grade with absolutely no blemishes or inclusions can be glassy or dull looking if the cut is too shallow or deep. Finding the right balance between a shallow and deep cut is what produces the most superior sparkle; however, this can be dependent on the diamond and who cuts it.
The second most important C is diamond colour. This is based on how white or colourless a diamond is and is closely considered in the valuation of a diamond. The grades range from D to Z with D being the most colourless giving the diamond a pure icy look and Z possessing a brown or yellow tint that is fairly noticeable. Most of the time, the price is going to reflect the grade of the diamond. A helpful hint when purchasing a diamond is to understand that a diamond’s price will decline or increase in alphabetical order, D being of the highest quality as well as being extremely rare, is the prime diamond colour money can buy but as the alphabets get closer to Z, the more budget-friendly diamond prices get. The naked eye is not going to be able to tell the difference in the diamond colour therefore only certified grading professionals should determine a diamonds colour grade. As mentioned earlier, the brilliance of a diamond is created by the way that the diamond is cut, therefore, it is a good idea to review the diamond very closely and ask an expert to assist you. This is the best way to make sure that you are not paying too much for the diamond based on the grade of the colour as this is something that will not go unnoticed by a professional. You do not want to spend a hefty amount on a diamond that is going to distract you from itself or interfere with the reflection of the light.
The third of 4C’s is diamond clarity. Diamond clarity is the assessment of all the small imperfections such as blemishes and inclusions that the diamond has. Depending on how dark the blemishes are, the size of the blemishes, and the location of the blemishes, all of the imperfections that the diamond might have are going to interfere with the light when it is passing through the diamond. This means that the beauty and brilliance of the diamond is dulled and therefore, it is no longer considered to be a high-quality cut. However, the reality is that due to inclusions/internal defects of the diamond not being visible to the naked eye, the diamond’s beauty is not affected to a high extent, it is mainly something that will impact the clarity grade and influence the price of the diamond. To find out about the imperfections of the diamond you are purchasing, you will need to ask a professional to look at the diamond ring to see if it is eye-clean, this is because the certificate is not going to be able to tell you everything about the blemishes that can impact the appearance and brilliance of the diamond clarity. Although, it is important to remember that diamonds are formed underground and they go through enormous amounts of pressure and heat hence natural inclusions and blemishes are inevitable.
The fourth and final C is a diamond carat. This term is often misunderstood as it refers only to how much the diamond weighs, not the size, there might be two diamonds that are 2 carats in weight, but they do not necessarily have to be the same size. If you are comparing diamonds, it is worth knowing that that along with the carat weight, you should consider the cut as well, this is because a higher carat weight diamond with a poor cut can look smaller than a diamond with smaller carat weight and an excellent cut. Carats tend to have the biggest influence on diamond prices largely due to marketing and pop culture. An important tip when considering carat weight is to keep in mind the ring size. The smaller the finger, the larger the diamond will appear; therefore, you do not have to opt for higher factor diamond carats, furthermore, it is in your best interest to consider an expert’s advice to choose the best carat weight for you.
If you still have questions, The Diamond Guys are a trust diamond company with expert diamond merchants that are willing to assist you through every step of your journey to find the right engagement ring for your partner.
