Diamond Education
The 4 C's
Diamond Anatomy & Cut Quality
A diamond is comprised of the eight main components. They are Diameter, Table, Crown, Table Spread, Girdle, Pavilion, Depth, and Culet. Below is a brief description of each part of a diamond and its location.
Understanding the 4 C’s of Diamonds Shopping
Beautiful. Rare. Cherished. Each diamond is unique and is a miracle of time, place and change. And each has specific qualities that establish its value. GIA created the first, and now globally accepted standard for describing diamonds: Color, Clarity, Cut and Carat Weight. Today, the 4Cs of Diamond Quality is the universal method for assessing the quality of any diamond, anywhere in the world.
Clarity
Natural diamonds are the result of carbon exposed to tremendous heat and pressure deep in the earth. This process can result in a variety of internal characteristics called ‘inclusions’ and external characteristics called ‘blemishes.’
Cut
Diamonds are renowned for their ability to transmit light and sparkle so intensely. We often think of a diamond’s cut as shape (round, emerald, pear), but a diamond’s cut grade is really about how well a diamond’s facets interact with light.
Color
The color evaluation of most gem-quality diamonds is based on the absence of color. A chemically pure and structurally perfect diamond has no hue, like a drop of pure water, and consequently, a higher value.
Carat (Size)
Diamond carat weight is the measurement of how much a diamond weighs. A metric “carat” is defined as 200 milligrams.Each carat can be subdivided into 100 ‘points.’ This allows very precise measurements to the hundredth decimal place.
