The 4 C’s of Diamonds: Cut, Color, Clarity, & Carat Weight

The 4C’s are very important to grading diamonds, and GIA (Gemological Institute of America) created these as a universal method for establishing the quality of any diamond, natural or lab. This is also easily explained to a consumer, to create a seamless diamond purchasing experience. See below for details on each of the 4 C’s of diamonds:

Carat:

Carat weight of a diamond is a measurement of the diamond’s weight. One carat is equivalent to one-fifth of a gram (0.20 g). Once a diamond is cut, the carat weight defines the size of the diamond, with larger diamonds being more expensive than smaller diamonds. If the diamond is smaller, you may hear the term “points”. One point is referred to as one hundredth of a carat (0.01). That means, a 20-point diamond would be (0.22 carats).

Clarity:

Clarity is used to define how many inclusions or blemishes are present in the diamond. For laboratory grown diamonds, these inclusions occur during the growth process. Lower clarity diamonds mean that more imperfections are found in the diamond and would result in a lower cost. The clarity grading ranges are as follows: Flawless, Internally Flawless, Very Very Slightly Included (VVS1, VVS2), Very Slightly Included (VS1, VS2), Slightly Included (SI1, SI2), and Included (I1, I2, and I3). Given the lower costs of a lab grown diamond, it is more feasible to purchase higher clarity diamonds, and therefore the included clarity range is rarer.

Color:

A diamond without inclusions or impurities is defined as a colorless diamond. Nitrogen may cause yellow or brown tones in the diamond, but with CVD process, this is less frequently an issue unless intended. Color is graded on a range of letters from D to Z, with D being colorless and Z meaning lighter yellow or brown. See below for the full range of colors by definition:

Colorless to Near Colorless: D, E, F, G, H, I, J

Faint: K, L, M

Very Light: N, O, P, Q, R

Light: S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z

The following color scale was developed by GIA (Gemological Institute of America) in the 1940s to standardize diamond color grading from an international perspective. These color distinctions between each color grade is subtle and most likely will not be noticeable to the untrained eye.

Cut: 

The cut of a diamond is a measure of the quality of shape, geometry and overall finish of the diamond. Round brilliant diamonds are the only diamonds that receive formal cut grades on a scale from Ideal to Poor. See below for the scale of cut in a round brilliant diamond:

Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair, Poor

With lab grown diamonds, given the accessibility and affordability, it is less likely that Fair or Poor would be purchased for a fine and high jewelry piece.