THE 4C'S
CUT, CLARITY, COLOUR, CARAT
— the Four C’s: color, clarity, carat and cut —
a universal language for evaluating diamonds & determined its rarity and value.
Established by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA)
CUT
CUTTING-EDGE CRAFTSMANSHIP
N ° 1
Diamond cut specifically refers to the quality of a diamond’s angles, proportions, symmetrical facets, brilliance, fire, scintillation and finishing details.
These factors directly impact a diamond’s ability to sparkle, along with its overall aesthetic appeal. The GIA diamond cut chart grades diamond cut on the scale of Ideal, Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair and Poor.
CLARITY
CLARITY MADE CLEAR
N ° 2
Diamonds, like anything else borne out of nature, will have birthmarks, known as inclusions. Natural diamonds have been created by extreme heat and pressure deep within the earth, billions of years ago.
This organic process means that just about all diamonds contain internal features, for example traces of minerals or uncrystallised carbon, called inclusions.
GIA Diamonds range from the very rare FL (flawless internally and externally) to I, signalling a number of more significant inclusions and blemishes.
COLOUR
THE COLOUR SCALE
N ° 3
A diamond’s colour is determined by the natural hue of a stone. Though we often think of diamonds as colourless, most have a yellowish tint. The less colour a stone has, the rarer and more desirable a diamond becomes. Experts measure this against a D-Z colour scale that depicts a gradient from the purest white (D) to its lesser valued coloured counterparts (Z). Find the perfect shade for any occasion with our expert guidance.
CARAT
THE WEIGHT OF LUXURY
N ° 4
Carat refers to the weight of a diamond, one carat is equivalent to 0.2 grams.
Carat alone does not determine the value of a stone, as large diamonds are more rare and desirable, they are more valuable, but two diamonds of equal carat weight may have different values based on the other factors.
Clarity, colour and cut must all be taken into consideration before a diamond’s worth can be determined.