A guide to the 4 Cs

Cut

Diamonds are renowned for their ability to transmit light and sparkle so intensely. diamond’s cut as shape (round, heart, oval, marquise, pear), but cut actually mean how well a diamond’s facets interact with light. Cut is the factor that fuels a diamond's fire, sparkle and brilliance. An important aspect of the allure of diamonds is the way they sparkle. Precise artistry and workmanship are required to fashion a stone so its proportions, symmetry and polish deliver the magnificent return of light only possible in a diamond. Achieving the best cut for a diamond reflects in the stone’s final beauty and value. 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.

CLARITY

Clarity refers to the presence of imperfections (usually natural) in a diamond. All diamonds contain some degree of imperfection, and are graded using a diamond clarity scale that runs from FL (meaning flawless) to I (meaning easily visible imperfections).

COLOUR

The diamond colour has a big impact on its appearance. Due to the many prismatic facets a colourless diamond will have much more "fire" ( will reflect more light ) . If colour is present in the diamond this ability to reflect light will be reduced. The diamond colour scale begins at D (colourless) and ends at Z (light yellow)

CARAT

carat size is the unit of measurement used to indicate the weight of a diamond. Since 1913 carat weight has been measured compared to the metric system with one carat equaling 0.2 grams. One carat weighs 1/5 of a gram and is divided into 100 points, so a diamond weighing 1.0 ct. is referred to as one carat.