Diamond Education

When it comes to diamonds, you have what is called the “4 c's” which is a term that a lot of people have heard at some point. What that’s referring to is a diamond Cut, Color, Clarity and Carat Weight. With that being said something that you are not often told is that Carat Weight and cut are absolutes as one is graded by computer and the other by a scale and never change whereas Clarity and Color are a bit more subjective because these grades are based upon the opinions of professionals who do this on a daily basis and since everyone's eyes are sensitive to different things the Clarity and Color and change depending upon the individual grading it. 

When it comes to Carat Weight:  This simply refers to how much a diamond weighs when you put it on a diamond scale, NOT how big it is. Diamonds are broken down into a point system that mimics money. For instance 100 pennies equals $1, just like 100 points equals 1.00ct. 

When it comes to Clarity: This refers to the natural birth marks or inclusions that every single diamond has when viewed under a 10x magnification. 

You start off on the far right at “I3” the further to the left or closer to “F” you go the harder it is to see the inclusions under 10x magnification therefore the diamond becomes more rare and valuable. However once you get to a certain point on the scale you will not be able to see the inclusion with the naked eye. That point is different for everyone as it all depends upon how sensitive your eyes are to clarity. 

When it comes to Color: This refers to how white a diamond appears. You start off at the letter “Z” and move to the left towards the letter “D”. The closer to the letter “D” you get the more white your diamond will be, therefore the more rare and valuable your diamond becomes. 

But like clarity at a certain point you will not be able to see the difference. For instance if you looked at an “H” color diamond next to an “I” color diamond you probably would not be able to see the difference. But if you look at an “F” color diamond next to an “J” color diamond you will most likely be able to see the color difference. Typically speaking with color it takes about 2-3 shades of color difference before you will be able to see the difference. 

Last but certainly not least is Cut: Oftentimes people think that “Cut” refers to the shape of the diamond, when in reality it refers to the way the light refracts in a diamond. 

If a diamond is cut TOO DEEP that means the top of the diamond also referred to as the “Table”  will appear small, and the majority of the diamond’s weight will be down at the point or what is referred to as the “Culet”. When this occurs the light can’t refract evenly and slips out the side of the diamond giving you what is called a “NailHead” meaning your diamond will be dark and dull. Think of a diamond that weighs 2ct on the scale but looks the same size as a diamond that weighs 1.20ct on the scale.  If your diamond is cut TOO SHALLOW then the diamond will have a really big “Table” and not enough depth causing your light to again not refract evenly and slip out at the “Culet”. This gives you what is called a “Fish Eye Effect” meaning you will have a little bit of darkness around the edges, then a little bit of brilliance, followed by a dark spot in the middle. Think of a diamond that weighs 1.20ct on the scale but looks the same size as a diamond that weighs 2ct on the scale. So you want your diamond to be as close to a “Well Cut Diamond” as possible to maximize the diamond's brilliance, scintillation and sparkle. This will be reflected in your diamond certification as either (Excellent “EX”, or Ideal) depending upon which company grades the stone.