Diamonds. You know what they look like, but few actually understand the collaborating components that make diamonds. Unless you deal with diamonds daily, you may not be aware of diamond criteria, and more importantly, how that diamond criterion translates to value. Educating yourself on the four C’s of diamond criteria is where to start if you are ready to learn about diamonds.

Many people tend to purchase diamonds without really knowing what they are  looking at. When shopping for diamonds there are several key factors to keep in mind that will help you choose the right diamond for you and your lifestyle. Diamond quality is measured on a grading scale based on four main criteria: color, clarity, cut and carat weight. Knowing these factors will ensure that you get exactly what you want.

The four C’s of diamond grade are color, clarity, cut, and carat.

Color

You have possibly seen colored diamonds before, maybe in pink, blue, green, or red. Those colors are artificial because naturally colored diamonds are pretty rare. You will see natural color diamonds in browns and yellows. Those are the most common nature-made colors found in diamonds. In the 50s, the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) created a color scale that begins at D and ends at Z, grading colorless to light yellow diamonds. It is an industry-standard for grading these precious stones.

It starts with colorless at the letter D, and ends at Z, which looks a bit dingy, not those vivid yellows that come to mind. The average person, when looking for a diamond, wants something that looks colorless and clear. The color scale begins at D instead of A to avoid confusion with the older diamond grading system, which used A, B, and C. The scale starts with colorless, or letter D, then E and F have slight color. G through J are considered near-colorless, and K through M has some faint yellow, and so on.

Clarity

Clarity is a big influencer in diamond value. How internally clean the diamond is determines the clarity. Diamonds do have imperfections, and those can look like different things. Sometimes a feather, which is what they call it. Other times, it may look like a crack or pieces of salt. Any of those imperfections can take away from what most people appreciate about diamonds. Some don’t mind those clarity characteristics. However, most prefer diamonds to be shiny, brilliant, and clean. Clarity is the part that deals with cleanliness. The cleanest diamonds are internally flawless. That means that they shouldn’t have any imperfections on the inside of the diamond.

Cut

The cut showcases a diamond’s characteristics, displaying its refraction, brilliance, and fire. These are all things people love about diamonds, and they are all highly influenced by the quality of the cut. As the scale goes, with fair and even poor cut diamonds, you can see a difference. They start to look flat and just don’t feel very brilliant. The cut grading is simple. It goes from excellent, very good, good, fair, then to poor.

Carat

The last of the four C’s is carat, and it’s the most straightforward of them all. Carat is a unit of weight equalling 1/5 of a gram or 200 milligrams. It’s used for gemstones because it’s a tiny increment of weight. A one-carat stone is most common because it is an agreeable size that most people don’t find too large or small, but just right. The carat is a simple category because it is essentially the weight of the stone.

There are endless opportunities when you look for the perfect way to mesh all of these criteria together, creating your dream diamond.

When it comes to buying diamonds, you want to make sure you’re getting the best quality. The last thing anyone wants is a diamond that’s too expensive or not high-quality enough. By understanding what makes one more valuable than another. Using this information when shopping, helps you make a purchase with confidence knowing that the stone you choose is perfect. When you know how to choose a diamond, it will be an investment that lasts for generations. You’ll never have to worry about upgrading or getting rid of your engagement ring when the latest trend comes in style. Diamonds are forever! Make sure you consider all aspects before making such a commitment.