THE 4 C’s The four factors that influence the value of a diamond:
Color Grading Scale
Diamonds are available in a spectrum of colors including red, purple, pink, green, orange, yellow, blue, brown and black. The rarest of all of these is the red diamond. These extremely unusual and unique diamonds are termed "Fancy Colors" and are graded based on the hue, tone and saturation of their color. The more saturated the color, the more rare, and of course the higher the price.
The color scale below reflects how closely a diamond approaches the colorless range.
Clarity Grading Scale
Most diamonds have internal "birthmarks" known as inclusions, and external markings called blemishes. These characteristics are evaluated under 10X magnification by trained diamond graders and the diamond's clarity is determined based on the number, nature, size, location and color of each characteristic. Clarity characteristics can also be used to differentiate one diamond from another. A diamond's inclusions are like fingerprints, making each stone one-of-a-kind. Flawless diamonds are free of inclusions and extremely rare. Because of this they command the highest prices, however, most diamonds have minute inclusions that cannot be seen without the aid of magnification. These minute, strategically placed inclusions can reduce the cost of the diamond without detracting from its beauty or quality.
Carat
Diamonds are weighed on a scale of metric carats, abbreviated "ct." It is equal to approximately 1/5 of a gram (or 1/142nd of an ounce) . A carat is broken down into 100 points, just like a pound is broken down into 16 ounces. When you see a diamond weight of 1.45 carat, that means one carat and 45 points.
The higher the diamond's carat weight, the rarer it is. Diamonds are bought and sold on a pricing concept known as "per carat." When diamonds size increases, the price per carat increases simply because larger stones are rarer. This means that a diamond that weighs 2 carats will be worth more than twice as much as a 1 carat diamond.
Cut
Many people think that the term cut, however the term actually refers to a diamonds proportions. Gemologists evaluate a diamonds proportions, including depth, diameter and the uniformity of its facets. These are important characteristics that control brilliance, durability and other desirable qualities we look for in a diamond.
A good cut vital to a diamond's beauty. Even a diamond with outstanding color and clarity will not sparkle and shine intensely if its proportions don't interact with light as they should.
