Ellis Jewelers - The Four C's Of Buying A Diamond

	When you first start to shop for a diamond, you will learn that no two diamonds are exactly alike. The Four C's are the specific criteria that jewelers use to grade diamonds. It is important to know and understand this criteria in order to find a diamond that is right for you. The Four C's include Cut, Color, Clarity and Carat Weight. Together these four things create the unique characteristics of each individual diamond.
Cut is the most often misinterpreted of the Four C's. The diamond's sparkle and brilliance relies heavily on its cut. The cut of a diamond does not mean its shape. Cut refers to how a diamond is proportioned. The angles cut in a diamond determine its ability to reflect light, which gives it brilliance. When a diamond is cut properly, light enters through the table, goes through the pavilion, and reflects from one side to the other before reflecting back out through the table again. In a poorly cut diamond, light escapes out from the sides or the bottom instead of reflecting back out of the table. As less light reflects out of the diamond, the brilliance is decreased.

The color of a diamond refers to the saturation of color, or the depth of color in a diamond. The G.I.A. color grade scale divides diamond color into 22 grades ranging from letter D (colorless) through Z (light yellow). Colorless diamonds allow the most refraction of light, which is why
	they are so much more desirable. Off white diamonds have a tendency to absorb light, reducing brilliance. To the untrained eye, it is often very difficult to notice differences in diamond color, especially when the stone is mounted. Almost all diamonds show a slight trace of color, with the exception
of the D grades. When choosing a diamond however, typically grades D to G appear to be colorless to the untrained eye, even though color graduations do exist and are measurable. Not all color is bad! Diamonds also are formed in a wide range of naturally fancy colors, such as red, blue, pink, and green. Fancy colored diamonds are graded on a completely different color scale. These diamonds are very rare and very expensive.

Diamonds are crystals that have been formed under exceptional amounts of stress by the forces of nature. Because of this, they have characteristic imperfections, blemishes, and inclusions. There are two basic types of flaws found in diamonds:

External Flaws (Blemishes): These are surface flaws which include bumps, scratches, nicks, and pits. External flaws are the result of wear and tear on the diamond or from damage caused during cutting.

Internal Flaws (Inclusions): These are interior flaws which include mineral deposits (dark specks), bubbles, and feathers. Feathers are most often caused by breakage in the diamond’s chemical structure.

These flaws are all taken into consideration to determine the diamond’s clarity. The smaller and fewer the inclusions, the more light is able to pass freely through the stone, increasing its brilliance. The larger and more abundant the flaws, the lower the clarity grade.

So what clarity grade is right for me?

Grades FL through SI affect only the diamond's value, not the unmagnified appearance of the diamond.

If you are concerned mainly with price, then consider selecting a diamond in the VS or SI grade. If you are more concerned with balancing price and quality, then a diamond in the VVS or VS grade would be your best choice. If price is of no concern then you may wish to select a diamond from the FL through VVS grades.

FL	Flawless: No external or internal flaws -- EXTREMELY rare and VERY expensive.
IF	Internally Flawless, external flaws (blemishes) only, no inclusions. Again, rare and EXPENSIVE.
VVS1 and VVS2	Very Very Slightly Included (two grades). Minute inclusions very difficult to detect under 10x magnification.
VS1 and VS2	Very Slightly Included (two grades). Minute inclusions invisible to the naked eye and seen only with difficulty under 10x magnification.
SI1, SI2, SI3	Slightly Included. Minute inclusions difficult to detect under 10x magnification.
I1, I2, and I3	Included (three grades). Inclusions visible to the naked eye (no magnification required).

A carat is a unit of measurement used to weigh a diamond. One carat is equal to 0.2 grams or 200 milligrams. The process through which diamonds are formed is a very rare occurrence. Typically, the natural materials needed for this process are found only in very small quantities. Therefore, the larger diamonds are rare and have a greater value per carat. The price of a

diamond rises exponentially to its size.

What Size Diamond Should I Buy?
Deciding on what carat weight is right for you involves balancing quality and size. If you prefer a high quality diamond, then you may decide to take a step down in carat

weight to reach your budget. If you prefer a larger diamond, consider stepping down a grade in clarity or color.

Knowing the Four C's makes shopping for a diamond easier; however it is not enough to price a diamond accurately. There are at least thirteen factors that affect diamond value, just to mention a few: fluorescence, table percentage, symmetry and girdle width. However, knowing the Four Cs is a great way to learn the basics.