The 4 Cs of Diamonds

It’s vital and sensible to learn about dia-monds before you purchase one.Diamonds are complex, with many at-tributes that affect their overall beauty and quality. Diamonds are distinguished according to the principle of the four C’s. We recommend focusing on the features that matters most to you, and choose a diamond that satisfies your individual stan-dards for beauty and value. The 4 Cs of diamonds are: Cut, Clarity, Colour and Carat Weight. Read further to discover important dia-mond buying information

Introduction & Index

that includes descriptions of the various diamond cuts, clarity, colour and carat weight.You also have access to a diamond ex-pert, who will walk you through the dia-mond selection process and answer any questions you have. Enquire online, or give us a call on +27 21 418 0341

Diamond Cut

A diamonds’ cut unleashes its fireWhen it comes to grading diamonds, the “Cut” exhibits the diamond’s refractive qualities and refers to the angles and proportions — not the shape (e.g., round, heart, pear etc.)The diamond industry uses the word “cut” in two different ways. First, it’s used to describe the shape of a diamond (for example, an “emerald cut” diamond). The second way “diamond cut” is used is to describe the refractive qualities of a diamond ie. How well the diamond is cut and therefore, how much brilliance and fire it has.The diamond’s proportions are crucial in defining the stones’ beauty and final value. A diamond’s cut quality is a fine balance of proportions and angles.

As shown in the images below, when a diamond is well-cut, light enters through the table and travels to the pavilion where it reflects from one side to the other before reflecting back out of the diamond through the table and to the observer’s eye. This light is the brilliance we mentioned, and it’s this flashing, fiery effect that makes diamonds so mesmerizing.

Because cut is so important, several grad-ing methods have been developed to help consumers determine the cut of a particular diamond. In general, these grades are:

Excellent –The perfect cut which offers exqui-site brilliance and fire Very Good – Refracts most of the light that enters the diamond, producing superior fire and brilliance.Good – This is not good at all, the diamond will have incorrect proportions and will not sparkle as it should.Fair & Poor - Allows most of the light enter-ing the diamond to escape from the sides or bottom. Appears dull and lifeless, even to an untrained eyes.

ClarityDiamond Clarity Refers to the Ab-sence of Inclusions and BlemishesMost diamonds contain some inner flaws, or inclusions, that occur during the creation pro-cess. Clarity may be also referred to as “purity” in the diamond trade. There are two main types of flaws namely inclusions (found within the diamond) and blemishes (found on the surface of the diamond), which affect a diamond’s clarity to varying degrees.

Inclusions are flaws such as cracks, air bubbles and other minerals found within the diamond. Blemishes are scratches, pits and chips and can even transpire from the cutting process the visibility, number and size of these inclusions determine what is called the clarity of a diamond. Diamonds are examined for flaws and inclusions under 10 x magnification. Clarity grade descriptions:

IF (Internally Flawless): no internal flaws, but some surface flaws.VVS1-VVS2 (Very Very Slightly Included 1 and 2): Tiny inclusions very difficult to detect under 10x magnification by a trained gemmologist. VS1-VS2 (Very Slightly Included 1 and 2): Tiny inclusions seen with some difficulty under 10x magnification. SI1-SI2 (Slightly Included 1 and 2): Tiny inclusions visible which start to become easier to spot under 10x magnification. Still invisible to the naked eye.I1-I2-I3 (Included 1, 2, and 3). Inclusions visible under 10x magnification as well as to the human eye.

While the presence of these imperfections lowers the clarity grade of a diamond, they can also be viewed as proof of a diamond’s identity. Think of it as a “diamond fingerprint.” Since no two diamonds are exactly the same, comparing the uniqueness of your diamond’s clarity characteris-tics with the plot provided on the diamond certif-icate offers assurance that the diamond you pay for is the same diamond you receive.

Colour

Diamond Colour Actually Means Lack of ColourThe best colour for a diamond is no colour at all. A totally colourless diamond allows light to pass through it easily, resulting in the light being dis-persed as the colour of the rainbow. Colours are graded from totally colourless (D) to light yellow (Z). The differences from one grade to the other are very subtle and it takes a trained eye and years of experience to colour grade a diamond.

Colour grades of G, H, I, and J are considered near-colourless, and can offer excellent values.

Carat – Weight

Diamond carat weight is the mea-surement of how much a diamond weighs. One carat is equal to 200 milligrams, or 0.2 grams. The word “carat” is taken from the carob seeds that people once used to balance scales, the original unit of measure for diamond traders. Two diamonds of equal carat weight can have very different costs based on other factors (such as cut, colour, and clarity)

Remember that carat is a weight and should be considered in conjunction with two other criteria:Diameter in millimetres across the top of the diamond.

Proportions of the diamondIf the diamond is cut correctly, the size in mm will correspond to the weight in carats. For example, a 1Ct diamond, should be around 6.5mm in Diameter but you will find some 1Ct diamonds which are 6.2mm in diameter. This means that the diamond is too deep and holding too much weight in the bottom.

To choose the best carat weight of diamond, consider the size of her finger, the size of your set-ting, and your budget. If a large carat weight is important to you, yet you’re working within a strict budget, consider a diamond with lower colour and clarity grades.

Diamond prices increase exponentially in certain weight categories, contact us to find out a little more about this. You can also use our Diamond Search to find the best option to suit all of your needs including price.Keep in mind that the smaller the finger, the larger the diamond will appear. A 1.5-carat diamond solitaire looks much larger on a size I finger than a size M.

Not all settings will suit all diamond sizes or shapes. Ask your Romain Diamonds expert +27 21 418 0341 for help. If you need a custom ring created, Romain Diamonds can accommodate almost any request with our Build Your Own Ring facility.