Diamond Grading System (The ‘4 Cs’)
“The eyes themselves had the rare quality of chatoyance. When jewels have chatoyance the colour in the lustre changes with movement in the light, and the colour of this girl's eyes seemed to vary between a light grey and a deep grey-blue”.
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James Bond, Diamonds are Forever
Each diamond is the product of a unique set of conditions and the value of each particular diamond varies according to its specific characteristics.
The ‘4 Cs’ is the generally accepted standard for evaluating diamonds, measuring Colour, Clarity, Cut and Carat.
Below is a brief guide to the '4 Cs', what they refer to and consist in, for your reference.
Colour
The grade of colour, either the relative ‘whiteness’ (or lack of colour is an indicator of its purity and its value), or the rarity and desirability of fancy colours.
Clarity
The relative freedom of a diamond from inclusions (internal characteristics) and blemishes (external characteristics). The fewer inclusions and blemishes present, the purer and more valuable the diamond.
Cut
Diamonds famously sparkle in the light, transmitting its beams with bursts of differing intensity that vary from one diamond to another. The 'cut' of a diamond refers to this propensity.
Carat
The carat is the weight of the diamond.
Though each 'C' provides valuable information about your diamond, the overall value is provided by taking these four characteristics together.
