4 C’s of Diamond Grading

If you’re in the market for affordable diamond jewelry, it’s important to know some of the basics so you can confidently make informed purchases. The 4 C’s of diamond quality were created by the Gemological Institute of America. These have become the industry standard for evaluating diamond quality. Master these basic concepts, and you’ll have a better grasp of the product when you make your next diamond jewelry purchase.

Color

Though diamonds come in many colors, the most desirable diamonds have no color at all. GIA has developed a color grading system D through Z, colorless to light color, respectively. By examining diamonds in highly controlled environments, gemologists are able to assign each stone a grade. Diamonds that have less color carry more value, with colorless diamonds being the most prized.

Clarity

Firstly, no diamond is absolutely perfect. That’s because Diamonds can have any number of inclusions (internal characteristics) or blemishes (external characteristics). Gemologists examine diamonds under 10x magnification to assign a grading system from “flawless” to “included”.

Cut

There are many shapes in which to cut diamonds. However, experts determine the quality of any cut by the diamond’s ability to reflect light through its facets. By evaluating the “brightness”, “fire” and “scintillation”, gemologists assign a rating of “excellent” to “poor”.

Carat

A diamond’s carat measures how much a diamond weighs. According to GIA, a metric “carat” is defined as 200 milligrams, and each carat can be subdivided into100 points.

Finally, you can read more about diamond quality and grading at the Gemological Institute of America’s website.