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Jewelry Education

Diamonds 101

Everyone has heard of the 4 C’s. These are the categories that determine the value of your diamond. We’d like to make these terms easy to understand.

Carat

This is the term used for the weight of your stone. Carat weight of a diamond is like cents to a dollar. A quarter of a carat is like twenty-five cent to a dollar etc.

Color

Diamond color varies from stone to stone. The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) is the grading system used worldwide. GIA color grade starts with D as a colorless diamond. As the color reflects more yellow through the stone the grade of the stone is lower. D.E.F are termed as colorless, G through J are termed as near colorless, lower grades vary from faint yellow to light yellow.

Clarity

The natural inclusions in the stone determine the clarity in your diamond. Inclusions are either black carbon spots or white “feathers” that show up inside diamonds. The fewer inclusions the better the grade of diamond. Clarity is graded with 10x magnification of the stone. Flawless stones are rare. GIA rates clarity grades in diamonds from Flawless to Imperfect 3.

Cut

This term refers to the proportions of the stone and not the shape. No matter the shape, round, marquise, princess, pear, or emerald cut, the way the diamond is cut determines its’ brilliance. A correctly cut stone will disperse light more evenly and appear to be brighter.