Understanding Diamonds
Diamonds are graded using a system that judges the stone on its cut, color, clarity, and carat weight – commonly known as the “four C’s.”
Diamonds of high quality and size are often sold as “certified diamonds” and come with a certificate that proves the stone’s value. Even non-certified diamonds, however, should be evaluated using the four C’s to help determine cost.
In the following section, you will learn what each of the C’s means and how it affects the value of the diamond. Although it takes a trained eye to actually see the qualities described here, knowing what they mean can help you make a good choice in selecting your diamond
Shape
As the name suggests, shape (round, princess, radiant, etc.) describes a diamond’s form, primarily as viewed from above. All diamond shapes have different attributes, but overall the beauty of the individual shapes is a matter of personal taste.
Cut
The cut of a diamond determines its brilliance. Put simply, the better a diamond is cut, the more sparkle it will have.
Colour
A diamond’s colour grade actually refers to the lack of colour. In other words, diamonds that are white, containing little or no colour, receive higher quality grades than those with visible colour.
Clarity
Almost all diamonds have tiny imperfections. Diamonds with few or no imperfections receive the highest clarity grades.
Carat Weight
This is the term with which people are most familiar, but bear in mind that carat is specifically a measure of a diamond’s weight.
Certification
Unbiased diamond grading reports are offered with every Joe’s Jewellery diamond.
