Understanding the 4 Cs of Diamonds
The world of diamonds is just as remarkable as the stone itself. What you see is a perfectly cut and polished precious rock that draws instant attention with its sparkle. But diamonds aren’t just about their shine. From mining the rough stone to turning it into a timeless piece of jewellery, several careful considerations are made throughout the process. With a view to standardise the diamond grading system across the world, the Gemmological Institute of America (GIA) established the 4 Cs: cut, clarity, colour and carat.
By evaluating these four criteria, you can determine the quality of the diamond. While knowing the 4 Cs is imperative for diamond traders, it is also beneficial for buyers so that they have a fair understanding of the stone they intend to purchase from the standpoint of price and quality.
1. Cut:
The cut of the diamond is its most prominent aspect that dictates how its facets interact with light. The cut refers to the shape of the diamond its proportions, facet structure, symmetrical features, fire and brilliance. An expertly cut diamond will be well-proportioned with perfect finishing and emit maximum sparkle. The GIA has set a scale from Poor to Excellent to determine the cut quality and grade it accordingly.
At Dharam Export India, we understand that the cut is the most crucial component while choosing a diamond. Our craftsmen handpick each diamond and give it a desirable cut with complete precision to ensure its facets disperse light in the best possible manner.
2. Colour:
The colour-grading of diamonds categories them on the basis of their shade – from the extremely rare colourless diamonds to the warmer whites that have a tinge of yellow. The GIA has specified a grade from D to Z, where D is the most colourless and Z shows a noticeable yellow colouration. Any other naturally occurring colours are then grouped as Fancy Colours.
While the prices may differ on the degree of colouration, Dharam Export India takes pride in all the shades of natural diamonds. We believe that each hue is unique on its own and may suit a particular wearer more than another brighter shade.
3. Clarity:
The tremendous heat and pressure natural diamonds undergo for several years during their formation impacts their overall quality. This organic process results in ‘inclusions’, which are internal characteristics of the diamond, and ‘exclusions’ that are external characteristics. The clarity of a diamond refers to its natural inclusions that evaluate the lucidity of the diamond. GIA’s clarity grading chart factors in these blemishes and ranks them from ‘FL’ meaning flawless to ‘I2’, which means Inclusions 2.
Although many of these blemishes are invisible to the naked eye and can only be identified upon magnification, they tend to affect its dispersion of light and thereby its quality. At Dharam Export India, we carefully inspect each of our diamonds to ensure they have the least number of inclusions that do not compromise the structural stability of the diamond.
4. Carat:
The carat refers to the weight of a diamond and should not be confused with its size. A one-carat diamond weighs 200 milligrams or 0.2 grams. Each carat can be further subdivided into 100 ‘points’ in order to make a precise measurement up to the 100th decimal place.
As bigger diamonds are rare to find and are generally more desirable, the price of the diamond increases based on how much more it weighs. However, two diamonds of equal carat weight can have quite a difference in prices and value based on the other 3 Cs: Colour, Cut and Clarity.
Diamonds By Dharam:
Diamonds are nature’s gleaming gifts to us, and at Dharam Export India, we ensure they shine to their maximum potential. We meticulously follow the 4 Cs to rank and rate our diamonds in the most authentic and impartial manner. Our transparency enables our clients to make an informed decision while purchasing these precious stones.