The 4 C's

Cut

The cut refers not to the shape of the diamond, but to the angles and proportions of a diamond. Most diamonds are cut with a full 58 sides (facets) which allows the diamond to sparkle to its full potential. The more facets a diamond has, the more light will reflect off one another, giving the diamond more life. If the cut of the diamond is too deep, some light will escape through the opposite side of the diamond. If the cut of the diamond is too shallow, the light escapes before it can be reflected against other facets.

Colour

The best colour for a diamond is to have no colour, completely colourless. Diamond Colour Grading is scaled from the totally colourless to light yellow. The scale starts at the letter 'D' colourless, and ends at 'Z' being very yellow in colour.

The difference in colour between one grade and another are very subtle, as can be seen by the number of grades within any one category.

Clarity

This term refers to the number of inclusions in a diamond. An inclusion is a natural element that appears whilst diamonds are formed in the earth, hundred and hundreds of years ago. A diamond that is virtually free of any inclusions (known as flaws) is of the highest quality, as there is nothing interfering with the passage of light coming through the diamond. To determine a diamonds clarify, it is viewed under a 10 power magnifying loupe, so that all of the inclusions are visible to the naked eye.

Carat

This refers to the weight of the diamond measured in carats. One Carat is divided into 100 points, so that a diamond of 25 points weighs .25 carats (¼ of a carat). Just like there are 100 pence in a pound, there are 100 points to every carat. The size of the diamond is the biggest factor in determining the value of a diamond but the quality and colour of the diamond will also be a very important.