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Each diamond is unique and has specific qualities that set its value and there are various factors that influence the price of a diamond. Each person also has different tastes and standards when it comes to choosing the diamond of his/her choice and also depending on his or her budget.
There were no specific standards as to know the quality of diamonds until the middle of the 20th century. At present, there is a globally accepted standard for assessing diamonds. These are the 4Cs of Diamonds: Cut, Color, Clarity, and Carat Weight. These 4Cs of Diamond are the most important characteristics of a diamond that you need to understand before and while making a purchase. They are known universally which can help customers pick the specific diamond of their choice.
Cut
A diamond’s cut is the biggest factor that influences its value and beauty. It is also the most complex and difficult to quantify and analyze. The more precise a cut is, the more fascinating it is to the eye.
The different factors that affect the cut grade of a diamond are the symmetry of the arrangement of facet, the quality of polish on these facets, the girdle thickness, and the weight of the diamond as opposed to its diameter.
Color
Diamonds have different colors. Diamonds may be yellow, pink, red, or blue in color. Many people think that diamonds are white colorless in color because that is the typical color of diamonds seen in jewelry shops. The lighter the color of a white diamond is, the higher is its grade and value because a structurally perfect and chemically pure diamond has no hue and is similar to a drop of water. In effect, the evaluation of a diamond’s color is usually based on the absence of color.
It’s quite challenging to distinguish colors in a diamond especially for untrained eyes that’s why in order to measure the degree of colorlessness of a diamond, it needs to be observed under controlled and precise conditions.
Clarity
A diamond’s clarity depends on the presence of imperfections in a diamond. Almost all diamonds have small imperfections which are called inclusions when found inside the diamond, and blemishes when found on the surface of a diamond. These imperfections are caused by the amount of pressure and heat in depths of the earth where diamonds can be found. The more imperfections a diamond has, the lesser brilliance it will have because the flaws hinder the path of light through it.
Carat Weight
Carat refers to a diamond’s weight and not its size as opposed to what many people believe. Carat is a unit of weight used to measure diamonds. A carat is measured in metric carats where a carat is equal to 1/5 gram and can be subdivided into 100 points.
As the carat of a diamond increases, the price increases too because larger diamonds are rare and desired by many.
Most people think that a diamond’s value depend on its carats but remember that all the 4Cs actually determine the value of a diamond.