The best and most well-known gemstone of all, diamonds have become increasingly popular these days. The ultimate gemstone is used in wedding rings to represent endless love or used as gifts/jewelry to be given to loved ones. But the diamond is so much more than its eternal beauty. Cut, Color, Clarity, and Carat Weight are 4Cs for assessing the quality of loose diamonds.
Cut
Of all the 4Cs, diamond cut has the greatest effect on its beauty. Extracted from mines, a diamond looks more like a piece of crystal or sandblasted glass. It is cut and polished by gemcutters to give a captivating look to the eye. We can divide diamond cuts to several types including Princess, Radiant, Heart cut, Oval, Asscher, Emerald, Cushion, Round, Marquise, Pear, Half Moon, Triangle, Straight Trillion, Curved Trillion, and Calf.
Color
Just like any other gemstone diamonds come in different colors. Colorless diamonds are the rarest. While most diamonds may appear to be colorless (white), Vivid yellow and a Fancy Deep brown or Intense blue radiant have also been found. Hope diamond and The Tiffany Yellow Diamond are among the most famous colored diamonds in the world. Yellow, blue, and black diamonds have become increasingly popular in recent years.
Clarity
Clarity is another factor that determines the quality and price of a diamond. Diamond Clarity is a way to measure its internal flaws. A diamond with decent clarity and without any flaws (known as inclusions in the diamond world) fetches a high price due to its radiance and brilliance. The general diamond clarity scale is shown below:
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- Flawless – Most rare of all this category of diamonds are completely flawless with no internal or external flaws.
- Internally Flawless – Have external flaws but have no internal.
- VVS1, VVS2 – Very, Very Slightly Included.
- VS1, VS2 – Very Slightly Included.
- SI1, SI2 – Slightly Included.
- SI3 – Slightly Included to Included.
- I1 – Included.
- I2, I3 – Included. Included diamonds are the lowest quality of diamonds and should be avoided.
Carat
The hardness, brilliance, and sparkle of diamonds make them unsurpassed as gems. This special jewelry stone is measured in carat which is equal to 0.2 grams. Carat weight is also among the most important 4Cs of diamond. Most popular since the epic time diamonds are regarded as a symbol of love, care and as a perfect gift for your special someone.