Look at the important characteristics of diamonds

When choosing loose diamonds or a diamond ring, there are four things to remember, the Four C’s: Cut, Clarity, Color and Carat.

CUT:

This is the most important characteristic of a diamond in identifying his fire and brilliance.

The precision of each cut is vital because the more a diamond reflects and refracts light, the better its radiance and intensity. A poorly cut diamond, too (heavy) deeply or too shallow, will allow light to escape through the sides or through the bottom of the stone before it can reflect light back to the surface.

A fine cut diamond, with the correct amount of facets and precision angles in good proportions, will allow the light to rebound freely inside; reflecting from one facet to another until it comes out from the top with all its promised brilliance. A fine cut diamond enhances all of the other characteristics of the stone.

COLOR:

Color is a personal choice: some people like a diamond with an ice-cold whiteness (colorless or near-colorless), while others prefer the golden glow of a warmer color.

Diamonds with no color are very rare and are more expensive than near-colorless diamonds. Diamonds with a vague color are a bit warmer and are more affordable.

For those who want a larger diamond within a certain budget, selecting diamonds with a lower color grade may be the best option! Less color is generally preferred but is rare. Did you know that diamonds exist in every color of the rainbow? These rare fancy colors are, carat for carat, the most expensive objects on the entire world.

Some of the highest prices paid per carat are for colored diamonds. Fancy colors include brilliant yellows, steely blues, soft pinks, fiery oranges and more; there’s even fancy white and black. If the color is natural, as opposed to treated, the prices of these fancies can be extremely high.

Grade	Color
D,E,F	Colorless
G,H,I,J	Near Colorless
K,L,M	Faint Yellow
N,O,P,Q,R	Very Light Yellow
S-Z	Light Yellow

CLARITY:

Clarity refers to how free a diamond is from nature’s “birthmarks,” or little, generally microscopic imperfections that make each diamond unique.

Diamonds are given clarity grades based on what can be detected with ten-power (10x) magnification. If there’s a microscopic piece of dust on a diamond, it affects the clarity grade. Most internal features (inclusions) and external features (blemishes) in the diamond have little or no effect on brilliance and fire.

The next table give you an overview with the different grades:

Grade	Stands for	Description
F	Flawless	Free from all inclusions or blemishes
IF	Internally Flawless	No inclusions visible at 10x magnification.
VVS	Very Very Slightly Included	Inclusions that are very difficult to locate at 10x.
VS	Very Slightly Included	Minor inclusions that are difficult to locate at 10x.
SI	Slightly Included	Noticeable inclusions that are easy to locate at 10x.
I	Included	Obvious inclusions. Easy to locate with the unaided eye.

CARAT:

Although generally thought to refer to the actual size of a diamond, a carat is actually a standard unit of measure that defines the weight of a diamond. One carat is equivalent to 200 milligrams. Carat sizes are also expressed as “points”, with a one carat diamond equaling 100 points, a one-half carat diamond being 50 points, a three-quarter carat diamond being 75 points, and so on.

Since a carat is a unit of measure and not size, two diamonds of the same carat weight may appear to be different sizes depending on how the diamond is cut. Some diamonds will have extra weight on the bottom part (or pavilion) of the stone, and therefore appear smaller. A Hearts On Fire diamond is perfectly cut, and will appear larger than many diamonds of a heavier carat weight.