Diamonds are forever, or at least this is what the most important players in this industry want us to believe. Nonetheless, since they are for ever, we have to be very careful when shopping around for the best diamonds we can afford. It matters less if you want an engagement ring or an anniversary present or you are just seeking for a profitable investment, as diamonds can be the perfect choice in many such situations. Whatever the reason you need a diamond for, you have to study the influence of each of the 4Cs on the quality of the stone, in order to be able to find the best possible option.
First of all, you need to understand that the 4Cs are the factors that determine a series of further properties of a diamond such as brilliance, scintillation and symmetry. The 4Cs stand for carat weight, cut, clarity and color, each of them being measured on a specific scale with multiple grades. Each of them matters, but the most important of all is the combination between them, as the beauty of a diamond is rather an optical illusion than a mix of perfect features. You can obtain a perfect diamond to fit into your budget, but you have to be able to perform a thorough comparison of multiple gemstones, in order to find the one that shines more brilliantly than all others in the same price range.
Diamond Basics
The carat weight is the measure of a diamond’s size. The bigger it is, the more expensive the gemstone. Nonetheless, very small variations in diameter can provide buyers a great saving opportunity, as a viewer can’t see the difference with the naked eye, while the price difference can be huge. Many people prefer to choose a smaller carat weight, so that they can put more money against other features such as clarity and cut.
The clarity is a measure of the diamond’s purity. The more flaws and inclusions a gemstone has, the lower its clarity. However, it’s worth mentioning here that flawless diamonds are extremely rare, so you shouldn’t even think about getting one. Besides, you don’t need such a high level of purity, as diamonds graded SI1 or SI2 can also appear perfect to the naked eye of the untrained observer. Only experts can detect such inclusions and imperfections, and only under 10x magnification. If your goal is to find a gorgeous engagement ring for the love of your life, you may be just fine with a slightly included gemstone.
The cut is another factor that determines how a diamond looks. It is extremely important, because it is directly related to the path of the light through the stone. A perfect cut will give the gemstone its brilliance and scintillation that can attract all the looks. On the contrary, a poor cut may make even a diamond with great clarity and color grades appear foggy and dull, as the light reflects the wrong way. Remember that what our brain sees is always a reflection of the light on the surfaces it comes in contact with.
This is why we can’t see any thing in the dark. Our eyes work like this, and this is the reason why the cut is probably the most important element of a diamond. A good cut leaves room for lowering the clarity grade, thus enabling you to find a better looking stone for less money. Beware though, the cut has nothing to do with the shape of a diamond. It represents the precision with which the facets are polished and cut, so that they are perfectly symmetrical and they form the best angles for a perfect brilliance of the gemstone.
Don’t look for perfection!
Such perfection may help hiding various inclusions, making them invisible to the naked eye. However, since these inclusions do exist, they determine the clarity grade of the diamond, and therefore its market value. At similar clarity grades, two stones can have huge differences in the way they look, due to their cut grade alone. This is why you should rather compromise on clarity, carat weight and diamond color than on the cut of a diamond.
The clarity is a measure of the amount of imperfections and inclusions of a diamond. It has its own grading scale. The flawless gems are extremely rare, thus being also insanely expensive. There aren’t too many people in the world wealthy enough to offer their fiancee an engagement ring featuring a flawless diamond. However, the lower grades are also good, as Very Slightly Included and Slightly Included stones can also look impeccable, yet cost only a fraction of the price of a flawless one.
The color is a measure of the white transparency of a diamond, and it also has its own grading scale. While it is also important, the color is more a matter of personal preference than a sign of good quality. Some people prefer a slightly yellowish color, as these stones look awesome in a yellow gold mount. As a matter of fact, the white diamonds on top of the scale should only be mounted in white gold or platinum. Mounting them in a yellow setting would spoil their charm, as they are going to borrow the yellowish reflections from the metal. Make sure to read all James Allen complaints before making a purchase though.
In conclusion, if you want to be a smart shopper, you have to know your evaluation tools very well. By learning as much as you can about the 4Cs, you are going to be able to know when to prioritize some of these Cs over the others, in order to find the best diamond within your budget. If you don’t feel you can master these concepts, you should probably ask a diamond grading expert to help you pick a good stone. These professionals can recognize an excellent gemstone when they see it, so they can help you achieve your goal of getting the best value for money. If it’s true that diamonds are forever, you should be ready to put some effort into this research. The reward is going to be worth the pain, that’s for sure. Go to this Social profile to stay up to date on the latest diamond developments.
