Diamond Quality... Understanding
Cut, Clarity, Carat & Color

In order to assess diamond quality you would need to have some understanding of the 4 C's: cut, color, clarity, and carat weight.

Cut

All diamonds (colorless or colored) must be cut accurately and with good proportions by an experienced gem-cutter. Cut is the most important C out of all the 4 C's because the quality of the stone depends on it.

A good and clean cut for diamonds is vital to achieve maximum brilliance and fire. If a stone is cut too shallow or too deep, the light escapes before it can be reflected. This causes the diamond to look dull or dead without fire and sparkle.

On the other hand, if a stone is cut with best proportion and correct symmetry, the light is reflected from one side to another. This gives the diamond the characteristics of life, fire and lustre.

Color

Colorless diamonds are measured according to a color grading scale that uses letters to represent the color quality. These letters range from D - Z (D is truly colorless & Z is the light Yellow, which is less desirable).

However, with some colored diamonds this color grading scale does not apply. Colored diamonds are measured by the brightness of their color and the saturation (intensity). A fancy deep colored natural diamond is extremely rare and would be more valuable than a faint colored natural diamond.

Clarity

Clarity is another important diamond quality factor to be taken into consideration when shopping for loose diamonds.

It tells us how clear the diamond is inside and outside. In other words, how many internal inclusions and blemishes (surface impurities) does the diamond have, and what kind of inclusions are they, and what impact would they have on the value of the diamond.

These imperfections include black and white spots, cracks, feathers, pits, etc. These internal and external inclusions (impurities) prevent light from passing through the diamond. As a result, the diamond loses lustre and sparkle.

Carat (Stone Weight)

A diamond's weight is measured in carats, the more the carats the bigger the stone. Carats affect the price of a loose diamond tremendously.

Remember though that size is not equal to quality. Diamond quality is based on the combination of all the 4 C's. Therefore, when it comes to the quality of diamonds size does not really matter.

If you have your facts right, you shouldn't get robbed by some dishonest dealer just trying to make a quick buck out of you.

Before you conclude a diamond transaction, first shop around, ask questions. Don't be afraid, buying natural diamonds is a huge investment. Therefore there should not be any room for costly mistakes.

Return to the top of Diamond Quality page

Go from Diamond Quality to Loose Diamonds home page