The 4 C's - A Guide To Choosing a Diamond For Your Engagement Ring

Some years ago, the public had little protection when buying diamonds and had to rely purely on the advice of their jeweller. However, since the introduction of Independent Certification, buyers can now rely on a specification created originally by the GIA (Gemological Institute of America) which standardised the grading of diamonds and is now accepted the world over. The 4 C’s consist of carat, colour, clarity & cut.

CARAT

Diamonds are weighed in carats. One carat is divided into 100 points so a diamond smaller than a carat if often referred to as a ’50 pointer’ for example when describing a diamond that weighs 0.50ct. However, the carat weight is not necessarily an indication of size as two diamonds may weigh the same but are different diameters. For example, when we are buying 1ct brilliant rounds we come across stones that vary in size from 5.85mm diameter up to 6.7mm, so always check the dimensions on the certificate.

COLOUR

Diamonds are graded from D being colourless white through to Z which are tinted. Generally we recommend D-H to customers wanting a white stone, but you should not overlook I or even J for larger stones as they offer great value and can still appear white.

CLARITY

Most natural diamonds contain tiny flaws or blemishes which are invisible to the naked eye, but can easily be seen at x10 magnification with a jewellers loupe. There are 11 classes of clarity ranging from IF (Internally Flawless) to I3 (Obviously Included). Generally an Si2 diamond will appear ‘flawless’ to the naked eye, but lower grades may not be quite so clean.

CUT

The cut of the diamond is often under rated by laymen as it is the final cutting and polishing of the stone that determines it brilliance, sparkle and radiance. Cut grades range from Excellent to Poor. You may see stones referred to as ‘Triple X’ which means excellent cut, polish and symmetry and are highly prized as being the ideal combination.

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