THE FOUR Cs

 

The Four Cs is a term you often hear in the diamond industry. There isn’t much mystery behind it – it simply stands for the four characteristics that define a diamond: carat, clarity, color and cut. Not surprisingly, as a diamond’s grade rises, so does its price. But don’t let a diamond’s grade scare you away from owning it – here are a few insider tips that may convince you that chasing a D IF isn’t the only option out there.

 

 

Cut

 

The cut, which is entirely different from the shape, of a diamond is more important than any of the other Cs when assessing its beauty. The cut alone affects the look of the diamond and how much it sparkles. If a diamond is cut to the right proportions, light will radiate from its top, otherwise referred to as the table. If the proportions are too shallow, light will seep through the bottom. And if they are too deep, light will be lost through the sides.

 

The 88 Cut is not graded for cut by the GIA as it is not a traditional round brilliant cut. Notwithstanding, using a proprietary method formulated for cutting of 88 Cut diamonds, highly qualified and specially appointed diamond cutters take maximum care to ensure the optimum placement of facets for the 88 Cut’s signature sparkle and shine.

 

Although the 88 Cut is not evaluated for cut quality, in general, the cut grade is the result of several influential elements, which are explained in the following glossary:

 

Brilliance: Light reflected outward through the table.

 

Fire: Colored light reflecting outward from inside the diamond; greater color dispersion occurs – and the amount of fire is maximized – as the cut grade improves.

 

Scintillation: Light flashing as a diamond is turned and tilted. This is a fancier way of referring to the amount of sparkle in the diamond. 

 

Weight ratio: The width of the diamond’s surface in proportion to its weight.

 

Polish: A measure of the kind of polishing job done on the diamond’s facets and how visible the polish marks are, along with the sharpness of the facets’ edges. As you might expect, polish plays a major part in how freely light moves through a diamond, so it’s important to avoid diamonds with poor and even fair polish grades if you don’t want to end up with a lifeless stone.

 

Symmetry: The precise positioning (or lack thereof) of a diamond’s facets. Symmetry plays a huge role in diamonds that have very high clarity and is less relevant in those with lower clarity.

 

Girdle: The outer rim of a diamond

 

Crown: The upper part of the diamond, above the girdle

 

Pavilion: The lower part of the diamond, below the girdle

 

Culet: The small facet at the base of the pavilion

 

Table: The large flat surface on the top of the diamond

 

 

Color

 

In white diamonds, the term “color” describes how white the diamond is. Diamonds that are whiter will have better color grades. Color, the way we understand it, is not desirable in white, or colorless, diamonds because any trace of color is typically yellow when it appears in a white diamond. Color grades range from D, which is the highest grade possible as it means it is completely colorless, to Z, the lowest as it shows obvious yellow.  Diamonds from K to Z will show a yellow gradient that intensifies as the letter grades move forward. 

 

While the difference in price may be startling between D and J color diamonds, the actual variation in color that appears within diamonds falling at the extremes of this range is visibly subtle. In fact, to see the contrast in color, the diamonds are grouped into similar color categories. To identify color in diamonds that are in the D-E-F range, you should compare those diamonds face-down against a white background under a good light source.

 

D-E-F is a colorless (white, no yellow) range.

 

G-H-I-J is a near colorless (nearly white, very little yellow) range.

 

K-L-M is a faint yellow range.