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Jewelry & Watches
The Four Cs (Cut, Color, Clarity, and Carat Weight)
Diamonds are like fingerprints, in that no two are alike. The four Cs - Cut, Color, Clarity and Carat Weight-identify unique characteristics that give diamonds their individuality. Each plays an important part in the quality and cost of your diamond
Cut
Many people confuse the cut with the shape. Cut refers to the placement and proportion of the facets, or surfaces. The facets reflect light and contribute to the diamond's sparkle. Cut gives your diamond its fire and brilliance. When a diamond is cut to good proportions, light reflects from one facet to another then radiates through the top of the stone. If the cut of a diamond is too deep, some light escapes through the opposite side of the pavilion. If the cut is too shallow, light escapes through the pavilion before it can be reflected, thus reducing brilliancy. Whichever shape you choose, you want the cut to maximize the diamond's brilliance. You'll be happy to know, you don't have to be an expert to judge the quality of the cut. Hold two diamonds side by side under a bright light. In general the one with the most fire has the better cut.
Color
The color grade of a diamond refers to the degree of color present in the diamond. Most diamonds have at least a trace of yellow, brown or gray body color. With the exception of a few fancy colored diamonds in deep shades of blue, red, purple and pink, the colorless grade of diamonds is the rarest. Everything else being equal, other than the fancy colors, the closer a diamond is too colorless, the more valuable it is. The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) created an alphabetic color grading scale for diamonds. Diamonds with the least amount of color are classified as D. Going down the scale, the diamonds with the most color given a Z rating. Most of us cannot tell the difference between an F color diamond and a G color diamond-until you see the difference in price. Small changes in color can result in large changes in the price. Most jewelry stores sell diamonds in the F to L color range. If you purchase diamonds graded D to G in color, you may want to set the stone in white gold or platinum to enhance the stone's beauty. If you purchase a diamond in the H to L in color, set the stone in yellow gold to give the stone a more colorless feel.
Clarity
Due to minute traces of minerals trapped in a diamond during the crystallization process, every diamond is unique. These natural characteristics, called inclusions or blemishes give the diamond its own individuality. Clarity refers to the number, color, size, and position of inclusions. To determine a diamond's clarity grade, it is viewed under 10-power magnification by a trained diamond grader. A flawless diamond has no external blemishes or inclusions. The closer to flawless a diamond is, everything else being equal, the greater the value of that stone. Under the GIA rating scale, most diamonds sold in jewelry stores are between SI1, and I1 in clarity.
Carat Weight
A diamond's weight is the simplest of the 4 Cs to measure. A carat is equal to 0.2 grams. Each carat is divided into 100 points. A quarter carat has 25 points or written as 0.25 carats. Carat weight has no bearing on a diamond's cut, color, or clarity.Things to consider: The cut contributes most to the brilliance of stones. If a stone is highly discounted, it likely has a poor cut. The differences in color ratings is minute, however the price is not. In terms of clarity, most diamonds have blemishes or inclusions. Choose a diamond with its imperfections hidden deep in the stone or that can be hidden by prongs or bezels. For most guys, it comes down to this: First consider the stones you feel good about and that you think will please your fiancée the most. Then choose the ring that gives you the best of 4 Cs for the money.