At DePriest Robbins, extra time is taken to educate you on the 4 C’s of diamonds- cut, clarity, color and carat. As graduate a graduate gemologist, Stephanie has decades of experience to share that will help you become a knowledgeable buyer.

 

Color

The subtleties of diamond color are undetectable to the untrained eye, but make a large difference in both quality and price. Color is measured on a D to Z scale by examining a stone under controlled lighting.

Clarity

A diamond’s clarity is the lack of inclusions or blemishes. This is rated on 11 grade scale.

• Flawless (FL) No inclusions and no blemishes visible under 10x magnification
• Internally Flawless (IF) No inclusions visible under 10x magnification
• Very, Very Slightly Included (VVS₁ and VVS₂) Inclusions so slight they are difficult for a skilled grader to see under 10x magnification
• Very Slightly Included (VS₁ and VS₂) Inclusions are observed with effort under 10x magnification, but can be characterized as minor
• Slightly Included (SI₁ and SI₂) Inclusions are noticeable under 10x magnification
• Included (I₁, I₂, and I₃) Inclusions are obvious under 10x magnification which may affect transparency and brilliance

Cut

The cut of a diamond is more about how it interacts with the light than about its shape. Excellent workmanship is required to cut a diamond into its ideal shape for maximum light transmission and sparkle. To judge this, we look at:

• Brightness: Internal and external white light reflected from a diamond
• Fire: The scattering of white light into all the colors of the rainbow
• Scintillation: The amount of sparkle a diamond produces, and the pattern of light and dark areas caused by reflections within the diamond

Carat

Carat is the C that most people are familiar with- this measures the diamond’s size.