The diamond engagement rings are popular for proposing marriage to your partner. They are also a significant investment that you make for the sake of your partner. The people who are buying diamonds for the first time need to know the different aspects that are related to diamonds which are the 4 C’s.
The 4 C’s of the diamond which are the colour, cut, carat and clarity are the main determinants of the price and quality of the diamond. Also, the type of diamond, whether it naturally mined or created in a laboratory will also influence the cost of the diamond. So before you buy any diamond jewellery, make sure that you make an informed choice by reading and researching about the 4 C’s. Here’s what you should know.
And to fully appreciate the 4Cs, we have to first understand who came up with this grading system for diamonds. This gives us a better understanding of how reliable the 4Cs are in determining the quality of diamonds.
Regulatory Body for Diamond Quality Assessment
GIA stands for Gemological Institute of America. As of today, it has 14 locations that are spread across 13 countries worldwide. It has 10 campuses, 9 laboratories, 4 research centers, and 1 regional branch.
Since it was founded in 1931, it has trained more than 365,000 students. The graders, researchers, and educators that come from GIA are regarded as the world’s experts on gemonology.
GIA is committed to protecting diamond buyers. This is why it came up with the Diamond 4Cs and the International Diamond Grading System™. These are universal standards by which all diamonds are judged.
When diamonds are submitted to GIA for inspection and analysis, there is no appraisal value is stated. The goal of GIA reports is to offer technical information about the diamond’s dimension, quality, and characteristics.
So if the diamonds don’t get appraised, why are diamond certifications important? Well, first of all, it’s proof that the diamond has been tested and is confirmed as a natural. Aside from that, it is also a testament to the diamond’s quality. Finally, it helps put a diamond buyer and a diamond seller on the equal ground since the report is done by a third-party institute.
Universal Measure of Diamond Quality
The 4 Cs of diamonds are color, cut, carat, and clarity, and they are the main determinants of the price and quality of the diamond. Understanding the 4Cs of diamond quality will help you better understand what are good diamonds. It will also help you make wiser and better decisions once you purchase your diamonds.
Cut
Among the 4 C’s, the cut of the diamond is probably the most important aspect of the diamond because it determines the brilliance of the diamond. A diamond that is cut well will reflect most of the light from the top part of the diamond and not let the light escape from beneath. As a result of this, a well cut diamond will appear brilliant to the eye. The precision with which the diamond is cut will affect how captivating it is to the human eye.
Colour
Diamonds are usually colourless but may exhibit a slight yellowish hue because of the presence of certain gases. However, when it comes to diamonds it is very difficult to tell the colours apart. Therefore, whenever you buy diamonds that are naturally occurring or lab created engagement rings, always compare them side by side to see the difference in colour. Colourless white diamonds are very rare and therefore will cost more than the ones with a slight yellowish tinge. There are other types of coloured diamonds, such are blue, pink and red, which are known as fancy diamonds and have a separate grading different from the one used for colourless diamonds.
Clarity
Clarity refers to the flawlessness of the diamond and is one of the main determinant of the cost of the diamond. Most of the times diamonds have certain irregularities and inclusions within their structure which is only visible under magnification. Diamonds which are clear and flawless are extremely rare and therefore very expensive. However, most blemished inside a diamond are not visible and therefore it is very difficult to tell one diamond apart from another without the use of a GIA grading scale.
Carat
The most objective C when it comes to diamonds is the carat of the diamond. Carat is essentially the weight of the diamond. 1 carat is 100 points and therefore 50 points is ½ carat. Larger the diamond, more will be its carat and more will be its cost.
All the 4 C’s of the diamond determine the expense of the diamond jewellery and with the advent of lab grown diamonds, buying gifts for gf has become more affordable.