Cut, Clarity & Color in Diamonds Explained

Many women love diamonds in their jewelry.

Although diamonds are often referred to as a girl's best friend, many people are quite clueless about them. The quality of diamonds are often divided into four well-known categories: color, cut, clarity and carat. These sub-categories of diamonds are also important factors in determining the price of a diamond.

Color

The color of diamonds actually refers to how "colorless" they can be. The less color--or yellow tint--in the diamond, the more valuable it is. The color of diamonds are graded on a scale starting with the letter D. Diamonds within the D range are diamonds that are colorless. Z diamonds, at the end of the scale, are considered to have a visible yellow tint and are often considered undesirable.

Cut

The cut of the diamond does not refer to the shape of the stone (round, princess, emerald, etc.). The cut refers to tiny facets--58 to be precise--carefully cut into each diamond. These precise cuts are made to define and improve the brilliance and sparkle of the diamond. When a diamond is found, it is typically a rough, misshapen stone. Cutting the diamond perfectly will bring out its shape and shine. A poorly cut diamond can completely ruin the scintillation and fire of the diamond; whereas a perfectly cut diamond will enhance the sparkle and fire--and make it worth much more money.

Clarity

The clarity of the diamond refers to how flawless the diamond is when viewed through 10 x magnification. Flawless diamonds are incredibly rare, making them worth a lot of money. However, even diamonds with slight imperfections can still be costly. Diamonds are graded on a scale starting at FL (flawless) and include 10 other types of grades. The last grade L3 (Included), meaning there may be large inclusions, perhaps chips, that may be seen to the naked eye.

Carat

The carat is perhaps one category that many people know about and regard as the most important part of the diamond. However, that's not necessarily true. Carat refers to the size in weight of the diamond. A carat is divided into 100 points; therefore, a one and a half carat diamond would be written as 1.50 ct. The reason why the carat weight should not be the most important aspect of a diamond is because you may be compromising quality for quantity. Although a larger carat diamond may turn heads, if the quality if poor everyone will be able to tell. It's best to purchase a diamond within your price range that balances both size and beauty.

Colored Diamonds

Although diamonds with a colored-tint are deemed undesirable, there are exceptions. Colored diamonds are naturally colored and can often be extraordinarily expensive. Diamonds can come in many different colors, with yellow (or a canary diamond), pink, red and blue most often the most popular.

References

• Gemological Institute of America: About the Four Cs