How Do Cut, Color, Clarity, and Carat Affect a Stone’s Brilliance?

Overview | Cut | Color | Clarity | Carat

Are you looking for the perfect diamond, but don't want a jeweler to take advantage of you? Before you start shopping, take time to learn the "4Cs" of diamonds: Cut, Color, Clarity and Carat. Armed with this knowledge, your diamond buying experience will be much more enjoyable.

The 4 Cs

Cut	The best cut is neither too deep nor shallow; the better it is, the more brilliant the stone.
Color	The whiter a diamond’s color, the more brilliantly it will shine.
Clarity	Clarity means purity and the more pure a diamond is the rarer it is as well.
Carat	Carat also determines rarity: the larger the stone, the harder it is to find.

If you have any questions regarding diamonds, or the diamonds that Houston Jewelers carries, please feel free to call or email us.

CUT

Overview | Cut | Color | Clarity | Carat

The cut of a diamond is the most important characteristic of the "4Cs" and the hardest to judge. It doesn't refer to the diamond's shape, but rather its reflective qualities. The proportions of a diamond, as well as its polish and precision of faceting, determine the sparkle, fire and brilliance of a diamond. The cut can also influence a diamond's perceived size and, to some degree, its apparent color.

To maximize a diamond's brilliance, it must be cut in a geometrically precise manner. Above is an example of how a finely cut diamond will reflect light. The most noticeable features of the cut are symmetry, polish and faceting; however, equally important are percentages for depth, height and angles. With properly aligned facets, light will enter the diamond and reflect back through the upper crown of the diamond. Diamonds that are cut too deep or too shallow leak light through the side or bottom, resulting in less brilliance and value.

COLOR

Overview | Cut | Color | Clarity | Carat

A diamond's color, graded on a scale from D (colorless) to Z (light yellow), refers to the absence or presence of color in a diamond. As a rule, the closer a diamond is to colorless, the more valuable and beautiful it is. Truly colorless stones, graded D, are extremely rare and very valuable.

Many diamonds appear to be colorless, or white, although when comparing diamonds side by side you may see that they actually have subtle yellow, brown or even gray tones. Diamonds were formed billions of years ago under intense heat and pressure, and traces of other elements may have been incorporated into their atomic structure accounting for the variances in color. A single change in color grade can significantly affect a diamond's value. Generally, the presence of color makes a diamond less rare, as well as less valuable. However, "Fancy colored" diamonds, which come in vibrant colors such as red, green and blue, are highly prized and extremely valuable.

Color Grading Scale

D-F	Colorless, perfect or almost perfect color.
G-J	Near colorless, good to very good color. This diamond may "face up" colorless when mounted.
K-M	Light but noticeable yellow, brown or gray tint. May "face up" near colorless when mounted.

CLARITY

Overview | Cut | Color | Clarity | Carat

Clarity is an indication of a diamond's purity. Most diamonds contain tiny traces of minerals, gasses, or other elements that are almost always trapped inside during the crystallization process. These natural identifying characteristics, known as inclusions, are sometimes referred to as birthmarks. The "birthmarks" may look like tiny crystals, feathers, or clouds, and are what make each diamond unique. Most inclusions are not visible to the naked eye, so jewelers use a magnifying loupe to reveal any imperfections. The visibility, number and size of the inclusions help establish a diamond's clarity grade. The fewer and smaller the inclusions, the more rare and valuable the diamond. Less than 1% of all diamonds are internally flawless (IF) and possess no inclusions.

The following are abbreviations for terms that are used worldwide to describe the clarity of a diamond as established by the Gemological Institute of America:

GIA Clarity Grading Scale

FL, IF	FL means “Flawless”. It will be impossible to find any inclusions or blemishes in this diamond, even under 10 x magnification. IF is "Internally Flawless”, meaning identifiable inclusions cannot be found inside the diamond, up to 10x magnification. However, minor external blemishes can be observed.

VVS1, VVS2:	Extremely difficult to find any inclusions, even under 10x magnification. VVS1 and VVS2 are "Very, Very Slightly Included."

VS1, VS2:	Typically clean to the naked eye, and moderately difficult to very difficult to find inclusions with 10x magnification. VS1 and VS2 are "Very Slightly Included."

SI1, SI2:	Should be completely to almost completely clear to the naked eye (eye clean) when viewed from the top. Fairly easy to find imperfections with 10x magnification. SI diamonds are "Slightly Included."

I1, I2, I3:	Borderline "eye clean"; to fairly easy to find imperfections with the naked eye; to obviously noticeable inclusion. Very easy to find imperfections with 10x magnification, down to no magnification necessary at all. I1 through I3 diamonds are "Included."

CARAT

Overview | Cut | Color | Clarity | Carat

The standard unit of measure for diamonds and other gemstones is the carat. A one carat diamond weighs 1/5 of a gram, or 1/142 of an ounce. Carats are further divided into points, with one carat equaling 100 points. Therefore, a 50-point diamond weighs a 1/2 carat; a 25-point diamond weighs a 1/4 carat, and so on. But keep in mind that bigger doesn't necessarily mean better. A large stone will not be very valuable if it is poorly cut or a low grade of color.

Due to the rarity of larger gemstones, the price per carat for a diamond can increase exponentially with size. A one carat diamond typically costs 3.5 to 4 times what an equivalent 1/2 carat costs, and the same goes for subsequent increases in size.