The Four C's

Diamonds, the hardest and most romantic of all gemstones, are graded by the “4Cs.” The 4Cs are: color, clarity, cut, and carat weight. The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) created this International Diamond Grading System in 1953. The 4Cs are accepted by virtually every jeweler in the country as the standard for diamonds.

Color
The best color for a diamond is none—it is absolutely colorless. The GIA color scale ranges from D, which is colorless, down to Z, which includes diamonds that are light yellow and brown in color. Diamonds that are outside this range and are more vivid in color (blue, pink, green, etc) are categorized by the GIA as colored diamonds known as "Fancy Colors." Grading colored diamonds is done by highly specialized GIA gemologists, who examine the diamonds by comparing them with comparison masters to ensure balance of color value. This rating system contains nine-tiers; from Faint to Fancy Vivid. Tracy Allen recommends buying a stone of J color or better. Tracy also does not deal with stones that have been color-treated in any way.

Clarity
A diamond's clarity is determined by viewing it under 10-power magnification. A flawless diamond has no natural "birthmarks", called inclusions, or surface irregularities, called blemishes. The most valuable diamonds have no imperfections at all. Keep in mind that a higher clarity stone is not always the most beautiful. Inclusions not visible to the naked eye really do not change the look of the stone they just add to its price and rarity.

Cut
The cut of a diamond refers to it's proportions, finish, symmetry, and polish. These factors determine the fire and brilliance of the diamond. Brilliance is the amount of light reflected to the eye. Of the 4Cs, this is the only one that is influenced by people, the rest come from nature. The importance of cut is that it allows light to reflect at an optimum level, making the diamond more beautiful in its fire and brilliance. Diamonds are normally cut with 58 facets, or separate flat surfaces. The facets are determined by a mathematical formula that places the angles at precise relation to each other to increase a diamond's beauty.

Carat Weight
The weight of a diamond is expressed in carats. The larger a diamond, the more it weighs. One carat is divided into 100 points. Therefore, a diamond weighing a half a carat weighs 50 points or .50 carats. Points are usually not used to describe weights over 1 carat. The rarity of a diamond is greatly affected by its size. A 1.00-carat diamond is far more valuable than a .50-carat stone.

Tracy can work personally with you to ensure that you get the right stone for your budget and taste. As a trained and experienced Graduate Gemologist, she is the expert that can make your dreams come true!