A DIAMOND's 4 C's

There are 4 things that one has to look at when looking for a diamond, when getting an appraisal, and when getting insured in case you were to need a replacement. These things are known as the diamond's 4 c's. What do the diamond's 4 c's stand for? They stand for carat weight, color, clarity, and cut.

What... in the world is that? you may be thinking. Don’t worry about Googling it up because we’ve got the answer to that question covered.

No ring is exactly the same, and a diamond's 4 c's are some of the distinguishable factors in a ring. This is what people look for to assess the quality and value of a ring.

You may be thinking that it’s not important to know what a diamond's 4 c's are, but if you were to walk into your local jewelry store, you will be able to communicate exactly what type of ring you’re looking for.

1. CARAT WEIGHT
You probably hear the word “carat” often, especially in movies where one of the girls gets engaged and her friends start asking how many carats her ring is.

Gia shares, “Diamond carat weight is the measurement of how much a diamond weighs. A metric “carat” is defined as 200 milligrams.”

The higher the diamond carat weight, the higher the value of your ring. That’s why when you hear that a ring is a high number of carats, it impresses people.

Why is it that the value goes up if the carat weighs more? Well, the higher the weight, the bigger the diamond, and bigger diamonds are rare, therefore more expensive and valuable.

2. COLOR GRADE
Color grade depends on the lack of color of your ring. Which ring color values more? The more colorless your ring is, the higher its value.

All diamonds are pretty colorless, but some do have a sort of hue that makes it look a little yellow. It’s not too noticeable, but if you were to compare it to a pure white diamond, then you can tell. Even then, some of the hues are indistinguishable unless you’re a professional.

A diamond that’s as clear as ice has a high value.

3. CLARITY GRADE
Diamonds are not perfect. They sometimes have imperfections, or 'birthmarks'. Clarity grade, according to Lumera Diamonds, “refers to the degree to which these imperfections are present.”

The less you can see the birthmarks, the better because the value is higher. You can't really see a lot of the imperfections and blemishes unless you’re a professional diamond grader.

4. CUT GRADE
While seeing the word ‘cut’ in cut grade may have you believing that it’s the shape of the diamond, it’s actually something more unexpected. The cut is how well the diamond interacts with the light.

Diamonds transmit light, so in order to get the most sparkle out of a diamond, its symmetry and proportions needs to be perfect. The polish of the ring, obviously, will also help.

The value of a ring is high if it has an even pattern of dark and light areas, reflects white light, creates rainbow colors, and sparkles.