The 4 C’s of Buying Diamonds
Choosing a diamond is not as easy as it seems. Most people would think it is about choosing the shiniest one. Although it may be tempting, that is not the case! There are four important qualities to look at when choosing a diamond. More importantly, they are characterized as the 4 C’s. The 4 C’s are Carat Weight, Color Grade, Clarity Grade and Cut Grade. Diamond prices take all four qualities into consideration. Below the four C’s are further described:
Carat
- To begin, the carat is the weight of the diamond. One carat equals 200 milligrams. The weight can be described with several labels. One of these labels is the use of points. Diamonds are divided into 100 points. For example .50 carats may also be a fifty-point diamond. Decimals also work, such as stating it is .50 carats. The higher the weight of the carat the better. Prices increase as the weight of the diamond increases.
Color
- When looking at color, the ideal diamond will have an absence of color. A pure diamond does not have any color at all. All other diamonds may have near colorless or very light colors. You may measure color on a scale from D-Z ending at brown colors. Faint Color is the middle of the scale. The obvious brown diamonds are very distinct. Those will clearly fall under the Z category. The clearer the diamond the higher the price
Clarity
- Next, Clarity refers to the blemishes or impurities on the diamond. The scale has six categories ranging from Flawless to Included. Included means there are obvious imperfections. This is the least desired characteristic. The more pure the diamond can be, the better. Blemishes may lower the price. Some blemishes may not be obvious so they can be manageable.
Cut Grade
- Lastly, Cut Grade has a lot to do with the way the shape is able to transmit light. This is the hardest quality to examine. Three things to take a closer look at would be brightness, fire, and scintillation. Brightness measures the way that white light is transmitted from the diamond. Fire is how well the light can transmit all the colors of the rainbow! Scintillation is the most fun. It is how much a diamond sparkles. Everyone loves a good sparkle!
All of the previously mentioned qualities are important to take into consideration while buying diamonds. This is because each ‘C’ influences the price! Every diamond will be unique and will have its own characteristics. It is all about finding one in your budget that you love. Now, it is time to go shopping to see for yourself! If you are in the Pittsburgh area, come on down to Sparklez Jewelry and Loan to find a diamond you love at an amazing price.