The 4 C's of Rare Diamond Grading

With the value of a rare diamond you can rest assured that in the area of diamond grading, there is nothing left to chance or approximation. It is very much an exact science, which rests firmly on pillars that are known in the industry as the 4 C’s... Cut, Clarity, Colour & Carat.

CUT

It is the cut that enables a diamond to make the best use of light. When a diamond is cut to good proportions, light is reflected from one facet to another and then dispersed through the crown or the top of the stone. If the cut of the diamond is too deep, some light escapes through the opposite side of the pavilion or bottom. If the cut is too shallow, light escapes through the pavilion or bottom before it can be reflected.

CLARITY

A diamond’s clarity is determined by the number, nature, position, size and colour of internal characteristics called ‘inclusions’ and surface features called ‘blemishes’. Clarity is measured on a scale ranging from pure (flawless) to heavily included (I-3).

COLOUR

Rare stones of exceptional colour – pink, red, blue, green or yellow are known as fancies and are graded as follows: Faint, Very Light, Fancy Light, Fancy, Fancy Intense, Fancy Deep and Fancy Vivid.

CARAT

Carat is the unit of weight for all gemstones. One carat is subdivided into 100 ‘points’. Therefore, a diamond weighing 75 points is ¾ carat in weight, or 0.75ct.