What Are The 4c’s, How Much Do They Cost?

1)  Cut

A diamond’s cut is the most important of the 4c’s. It is essential to a diamond’s look in terms of sparkle, fire, and even size. Cut refers to a diamond’s symmetry, proportion, and polish, not to a diamond’s shape. The degree of symmetry, proportion, and polish determine how brilliant a diamond will shine and how large a diamond will appear for its carat weight. In some cases, a high carat (heavy) diamond with a low-grade cut can look smaller and less beautiful than a high-grade cut, lower carat (lighter) diamond. Meaning the cut of the diamond has a direct impact on how big the diamond will look. This is contrary to the belief that how big a diamond is, is only determined by its amount of carats. Brilliance is determined by the amount of light transmitted through the face of a diamond and how sparkly the light will reflect off of its facets. While this is largely due to symmetry, proportion and polish, the number and quality of facets also have a major impact on this aspect of a diamond’s appearance. Facets are the symmetrical arrangement of cuts which together contribute to a diamond’s brilliance. The ideal amount and type of facets will change depending on the proportions and shape of a diamond. For an example, round, oval, pear, and marquise shaped diamonds typically have between 55 – 58 facets, while a radiant shaped diamond typically has 70 facets. Does this mean radiant cut is the most brilliant? No, facets are just one piece in the scope of aspects a diamond’s cut impacts. The combination of all aspects described above determines the diamond’s cut grade (see the image below). I recommend, no matter what color, clarity, or carat you purchase, purchase a diamond with at least a cut grade of very good. You may even want to move up to excellent, this over all other C’s, is not the one to cheap out on.

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2)  Color

The diamond’s color is the second most important element of the 4c’s. This element is more simply understood, as the highest quality diamonds are completely colorless, while those of lower quality have noticeable color. Just to cover my bases, this is different if you are looking for pink, blue, or red diamonds, but as the vast majority of gentlemen are looking for white, we will stay on this topic. Diamond color is graded through comparing a sample diamond to a master stone set of diamonds. The master stones are selected based on exhibiting the very least amount of color in each diamond color grade. The diamond color grading scale goes from D – Z. Colors ranging from D – F are classified as colorless and G – H nearly colorless. The grades of color that you will want to consider will typically range from F – H. Staying within this range of color will maximize the appearance of a diamond and give you the most for their money. Anything above color grade F is not necessary as it will be a nearly unnoticeable difference and significantly increase the price. Below color grade “I” will have more noticeable color making the diamond appear slightly yellow. Diamonds with color grade K – Z, gentleman should not consider for their engagement ring.

One very important note is to make sure that your center diamond’s color is matched by all other diamonds on your engagement ring. For an example, if a gentleman’s center diamond color is grade D, and the halo of diamonds around the center stone are grade K, the ring as a whole will not look consistent. Depending on the difference in color between the diamonds, the beauty of the ring can be completely ruined. Be sure to talk to the person you are purchasing your ring from and ensure the ring you are purchasing follows this guideline.

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3)  Clarity

Diamond clarity is known as the least important element in choosing a diamond. Gentlemen, please do not confuse least important with not important… Clarity is ranked upon assessments of imperfections on the surface and inside a diamond. Surface flaws are referred to as blemishes, while internal defects are known as inclusions. Inclusions are solids, liquids, or gases that are trapped within a diamond that are visible through, or without, magnification. These inclusions can cause a diamond to appear cloudy or present dark spots. Surface flaws are cracks or scratches on the surface of the diamond that can come naturally or unnaturally (human error). Clarity is known as the least important C due to the fact that many times inclusions and surface flaws are not visible to the naked eye. Also, even if visible to the naked eye when very closely inspected, these flaws can be hidden if the diamond is very well cut. A well cut diamond will sparkle so brightly people will not be able to see the flaws. It is important to note that a diamond’s clarity does become more important as diamond sizes go up because it becomes easier to see into a diamond face. Gentlemen who are on a smaller budget can save money by purchasing a diamond with SI1 (slightly included) clarity grade as long as their diamond’s cut and color grade are as recommended above. I strictly advise to not go below grade SI1 as you will be able to see imperfections despite a diamond’s brilliance. Gentlemen who have a larger budget but would like to get the most for their money should stick to a diamond clarity grade between VVS2 – VS2. Diamond clarity grade VVS1 and above is not needed and you will be wasting money that could be better spent on improving one of the other 4c’s.

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4)  Carat

Last but not least, and the C that is best-known, is carat. A diamond’s carat is often misunderstood as many people believe this C completely determines size. In fact, carat only refers to a diamond’s weight. Size (visually) is determined by a combination of cut and carat. As explained earlier, a high-carat diamond with a poor cut grade may look smaller than a diamond with a lighter carat weight and a better cut. Carat, not to be confused with karat, which refers to gold’s purity, is measured in grams. 1 carat is equal to 0.2 grams or about the weight of a single paperclip. Gentlemen, carat is the C I will not make a recommendation on. This C is completely determined by your budget. Instead, I will advise you on the process to use when choosing your diamond based on the 4c’s. First, choose the grade you want for cut, color, and clarity. Once you know what grade you would like for each of the other C’s, choose the maximum carat weight diamond that will fit within your budget. For an example, if a gentleman’s budget for his center stone is $10,000and he decides he would like his diamond’s cut to be excellent, color to be G, and clarity to be VS1. What is the maximum carat diamond he can purchase within his budget? It depends on the shape of the diamond, but he should be able to get close to 1 carats. If a gentleman would like to increase the carat of his diamond, he can work backwards by adjusting one or more of the other C grades down.