How to Choose Diamond Jewelry Based on the Cs

Diamonds and women have some kind of a love affair. Every woman dreams of having at least one piece of diamond jewelry. If you are looking for any kind of diamond jewelry, a good guide is to start with the 4Cs when choosing your diamond. The 4 Cs are Carat, Color, Clarity, and Cut. Choosing the right diamond jewelry can be daunting to some but with an understanding of the 4 Cs, you can make an informed purchase.

Carat is the standard and objective measurement of diamonds. If you are looking forward to saving on your purchase, you can avoid the magic sizes (e.g. 0.5, 0.75, or 1). For instance, instead of buying a .5 carat diamond, you can save more with a .48 stone. Diamond jewelry is appraised and the carat weight is usually an estimate based on the outside dimensions of the stone. Always keep in mind that diamonds with more weight will also cost more. Engagement rings are sold in .5 to 1 carat, and once again, don’t hit the full magic size to save on your purchase of any diamond jewelry.

Colour. In diamonds, it is hard to find perfectly colorless stones. This is because natural diamonds tend to have brown or yellow tints, but look more icy white. Diamond jewelry with noticeable color (light yellow) are rated ‘Z’ while the colorless ones have a ‘D’ to ‘F’ rating. Diamonds with G to J rating is near colorless, K to M has a faint yellow color, and the N to R rating comes with extremely light yellow color.

Clearness is synonymous with clarity. The natural stones have internal inclusions and external blemishes, as well as other imperfections. Clarity is the measurement of these impurities. It is rare to find flawless diamonds, and since imperfections can only be seen under magnification, the clarity rating will serve as the buyer’s basis. This is the general rule - the higher the number, the lesser is the value of the stone. F1 pertains to flawless diamonds, IF is for internally flawless stones, VVS1 and VVS2 have minute inclusions, while the VS1 and VS2 have minor inclusions. SI1 and SI2 have inclusions that are visible from under the stone, while diamonds with a rating of I1, I2, and I3 have visible and obvious inclusions.

Cut is one of the most important characteristics of the diamond. Cut makes diamond jewelry sparkle and this is what amazes people. The sharpness and cleanest cut is hard to achieve, and it can have a tremendous effect on light refraction and light performance of the diamond. Finely cut diamonds are fiery and clear.

Now that you know the different Cs, you can make the right choice. Picking diamond jewelry is a personal decision. It depends on the personal taste and financial capability of the buyer. Follow the recommendations above, and you can buy the best diamond in the market.

Wait, there is the fifth C which is the diamond certificate. It is sometimes called the grading report because this contains a complete evaluation of your diamond that has been performed by a qualified professional. Listed on the certificate is the recognizable, individual characteristics that each stone bears.