What Would You Think is the Most Important “C” is in Diamonds?

The C that we are referring to are the 4C’s, Color, Clarity, Carat weight and Cut and the  answer to this question may depend on who you ask. If you had ask someone in the older generation, like your parents, they will more than likely say that it is color and clarity and that the higher color and clarity will make the diamond look better. Those that may be younger and computer literate will more than likely say that it is cut although they may sometimes confuse cut with shape. Others may insist that size is the most important aspect. It may well be a balance of all these factors. Let us break this down.


Color as the chart indicates goes from D-Z, what we consider as white or colorless to yellow. Color in a diamond is like taking several glasses of water and consecutively adding drops of coffee, one in the first cup two in the second and so on.  As you can see from the picture of the Master Color set, color is actually very subtle and if viewed separately is impossible for most people to define the exact color. It is a lot harder when mounted and even harder when the diamond ring is worn for a time and is covered in soap film or hand lotion or the like. This is generally the usual condition of most of rings. For a lot of people the practical choice for the color grade is G-I but it is a preference choice and some may want a higher color while others may settle for a lower one.



Clarity grades will run from Flawless to I3 (imperfect) as the chart shows. In clarity we are dealing with the presence or absence of imperfections. If a diamond is strictly graded that is and SI2 or better when viewed from the top will generally not show any imperfections visible to the naked eye. Most consumers may not have enough experience with diamonds and may not even be able see the imperfections even in the imperfect range. It is best to use a microscope to be able to choose which clarity grade fits most comfortably with you.

Carat weight is just that, it is weight in carats, a one carat being 0.2 grams in weight. It defines size relatively, where a deeply cut diamond will look physically smaller than a diamond that is cut shallower even though they weigh the same in carats. The choice of size is definitely a major deciding factor for most but it does not have to be the largest.

And then there is Cut which in our opinion is the most important because it defines the true beauty of the diamond if it is cut properly. Cut is not defined as the shape of a diamond such a round brilliant cut or a Princess cut, it is proportion as the chart shows. A well cut diamond such as an ideal cut one will turn the diamond into a mirror where all the light that is entering the diamond from the top is returned directly back to you. This is what creates the brilliance and beauty in a diamond. There are also colored sparkles that are accompanied with the brilliance due to the dispersion of light much like a prism breaking light into different colors which we define as “fire”. Together the balance of these two characteristics is what makes a diamond truely beautiful.


If we were now to rate the level of importance of the 4C’s we would say that cut is first because it would determine the amount of brilliance and sparkle. If you have an ideal cut diamond it will have greatest brilliance and sparkle regardless of the color, clarity or carat weight. The second choice for most people is probably size because they will usually have had a desired size in mind for a while. A one carat diamond is usually the most sought after size in the world. Most will want a one carat sometime in their lifetime. Other may get larger because they can afford it. Color and clarity may be equal in the order of choice. Color is fairly evident to some people but most have difficulty seeing the first seven grades (D-J) once it is mounted and worn for any amount of time.  As for the clarity grade to see the imperfections usually requires the use of a magnifier to see the flaws in an SI2 or better grade. Most consumers after understanding the details of the 4C’s would most likely answer that they would first want the most “sparkly” diamond and they would then would juggle the rest of the C’s to fit their intended budget. So there you have it. Any question?


Mahalo,
Russell Oshita
The Diamond Specialists Inc.
Our website: www.thediamondspecialistsinc.com
Email me: russell@thediamondspecialists.com
Email me:inquiries@thediamondspecialists.com
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