What does the 4Cs of diamonds stand for?

They are the carat, cut, color, and clarity. When buying a diamond, the relevance of these parameters is very high since they influence the quality and the beauty of the diamond. In this article, you will know what these 4Cs are. So, keep reading.

The first ‘C’ is the carat weight of the diamond. One carat is about 200 milligrams so a diamond with less than one carat is usually the equivalent of one one-hundredth of a carat (2 mg, or 0.01 carat). Generally, the diamond’s price per carat increases directly proportional to the diamond’s carat weight. The larger the size of the diamond means the higher the cost. Hence, this factor should be adapted to the preferences and the budget.

Perhaps, the cut of a diamond is the most important of the 4Cs and can improve the overall quality, value, and beauty of that diamond. There will be a less sparkle if the diamond has a poor cut and might not show the full actual visual size to the weight ratio too. This is frequently the case with the USA-based diamonds that are under the expensive “hearts & arrows” or the “ideal” diamond cut. These cuts are set to its proportions that allow the visual size to be impaired when there’s a comparison of a diamond cut to another set of proportions.

Color is another important factor of a diamond. The color ranges from the whitest “D” to the most yellow “Z.” The first 5 colors belong in the “white” range, while the next three belong to the “light-tinted” range and “tinted” range from L down.

Your personal preference and your budget will determine the diamond color of your choice. However, don’t go for the color below the “K” color range if you plan to get a diamond set in white metal. The “H” color range is the borderline for the eye that doesn’t perceive any diamond “tints.”

The fourth important factor is the clarity. It ranges from internally flawless (IF) through VVS1, VVS2, VS1, VS2, SI1, SI2, I1, I2 to I3. The ‘V’ stands for ‘very’, the ‘S’ for ‘slight’, and the ‘I’ for ‘inclusion.’

Diamonds from SI2 below will not be eye-clean. This means the flaws or imperfections will be seen with the naked eye. Once within the I2 to I3 imperfection the refractive qualities of the diamond will be impaired too. Imperfections can be colored as well as kept to white and can be situated on the side or in the center of the diamond. In this way, it will influence the value of the diamond. 

Lastly, there is a 5th important factor when buying diamonds; that is the confidence that you have for yourself and your supplier. Best of luck in buying your diamond jewelry. May you find the one that best suits your personality and budget.