Four Cs of Diamonds

Cut

Cut is a diamond’s most important characteristic. This is the art and skill and care the diamond cutter takes in polishing the rough diamond into the finished polished stone. It has the greatest overall influence on a diamond’s beauty. It determines what we generally think of as sparkle or brilliance. Shapiro Diamonds Strives to sell diamonds that are as close to ideal or Excellent as possible within your budget. The reason is simple: of the Four Cs, no other characteristic has a greater influence on a diamond’s appearance and a diamonds overall value. Learn more about Diamond Cut…

Color

Color refers to a diamond’s absence of color. This is sometimes called the “whiteness” of a diamond. A color grade of “D” is the highest possible color grade found any diamond that has been discovered to date. A color grade of “Z” is the lowest color. The less color a diamond has, the higher its color grade and the rarer it is. Shapiro Diamonds strives to sells diamonds with a color grade of J or higher, with color that is typically undetectable to the eye.

The most common color presented in diamonds is a pale yellow color. For the purest, whitest look, select a diamond with a color grade of D-F, Completely Colorless. This grade is exceptionally rare and accounts for only a very small percentage of all diamonds mined today. For an excellent value diamond with little or no noticeable color, select a diamond color grade of G-I, Near Colorless. Color will be extremely difficult to detect unless it is compared side-by-side against diamonds of better grades. This is an excellent value, truly beautiful diamond. Both Colorless and Near Colorless diamonds will appear absolutely beautiful on the finger

Carat Weight

Carat is a measure of a diamond’s weight; however it may not accurately reflect a diamond’s actual size. We use a diameter measurement or length and width measurement in millimeters to evaluate a diamonds physical size. It is important to measure the distance across the top of the diamond as this is how we view a stone when it is set into a ring. Even though we use carats to weigh and represent a diamonds size, it does not always reflect the actual size of the physical stone.

It is therefore possible to have a diamond of a lower carat weight, with a larger measurement than a diamond with a larger carat weight and a smaller measurement. Traditionally when you purchase a diamond with the accurate millimeter measurement for the specific carat weight you have selected it is then that you have achieved the Ideal Cut or Excellent Cut grade for the diamond. This will allow the diamond to have the maximum amount of sparkle or brilliance achievable in only a tiny percentage of the world’s best polished diamonds. Learn more about Diamond Carat Weight…

Clarity

Clarity represents the number and size of the tiny imperfections that occur in almost all diamonds. These tiny imperfections can be referred to as inclusions, flaws, pinpoints, among other technical names. These naturally occurring imperfections may be white, clear, grey or black in color. Most of these imperfections are invisible to the naked eye, (many are microscopic), and do not affect a diamond’s beauty in any way. The smaller and less visible the imperfections are, the higher grade the diamond receives and the more desirable, and valuable the diamond becomes.

Flawless and Internally Flawless (FL, IF) diamonds are exceedingly rare and are generally reserved as collection items, not worn as jewelry. Diamonds with some slight imperfections which are not visible to the naked eye, (VS1, VS2, and SI1) are excellent value for diamond engagement rings. These diamonds are substantially less expensive than the VVS clarity diamonds, yet will many will appear “flawless” to the naked eye. Clarity will not affect the sparkle, brilliance and fire of the diamond and, of the four Cs, has the least impact on a diamond’s appearance. Shapiro Diamonds strives to help our clients balance the Four Cs to find the best value and the most brilliant diamonds in our extensive diamond inventory. Learn More about diamond Clarity…