Diamond quality
Diamonds and the 4C’s
This is the universally accepted guide to diamond quality. Defined by four categories Cut, Colour, Clarity and Carat weight. Each is used to grade a diamond.
Cut – The cutting of a diamond sets alight its sparkle and fire. A well cut diamond will reflect the light exquisitely within its well proportioned facets. From the rough diamond to finished article over 50% can be cut away to obtain its brilliance. Diamonds are cut into variety of shapes:
Colour – Diamonds are generally assumed to be an icy white colour but they do exhibit hints of colour and are graded by the GIA official scale D–Z (applies only to white diamonds). D being the rarest, most highly sought after and hence the most expensive. Descending the scale each letter denotes a fractional change, they begin to show hints of yellow, brown, or grey making the diamond appear murky. (Wondering what happened to A,B,C? They left them free in case they ever found a whiter diamond!).
