How to Evaluate a Diamond
How to Evaluate a Diamond
How to Evaluate a Diamond
The "4C" is used as the evaluation criterion of a diamond. "4C" is the initials of the cut, color, clarity and carat weight of a diamond. You will have an easy access to the value and quality of a diamond according to the "4C" criterion.
CUT
Among the "4C", the most important should be the cut of a diamond as it has the most effect on the fire, or brilliance. Even with excellent color and clarity, a poor cut will make the diamond look dull.
When a diamond is cut to ideal proportion, light will enter in through the top of the diamond, reflect from one facet to another and then reflect out of the top, giving you the most brilliance. When the diamond is cut too deep, the light will escape through the bottom of sides. This will make the diamond lose its fire and brilliance. However, when the diamond is cut too shallow, the light will escape from the sides before it can be reflected. Diamonds cut too cut too shallow will look dark and dull.
Besides that, two key characteristics of a diamond's cut, symmetry and polish, have a significant effect on its brilliance. The facets will maximize the fire and brilliance of a diamond only when they are cut properly and symmetrically. Polish means how smooth those the facets actually are. Smoother faces will reflect much more acutely to maximize the amount of reflection.
So, it's the quality of cut and its final polish that unlocks the hidden beauty.
COLOR
Although diamonds have a wide range of colors, colorless diamonds have traditionally been considered the most valuable. Our ideal diamond will have as little color as possible. Most diamonds appear icy white while many have tiny hint of color, yellow.
Why the less color a diamond has, the more valuable it would be? This is because the absence of color will allows more light to get through the stone. The more light enters, the more light exits. Thus, a higher level of brilliance and fire will occur.
To grade the diamond's color, the letters from D, the best grade, to Z in the alphabet is used as a scale. Only 3(D-F) of the 23 grades are truly colorless. They are always admired for their beauty and rarity. However, besides the more common yellow, there are other comparatively rare colors which are also very valuable, such as pink, blue, green, red and black.
CLARITY
Clarity means the presence or absence of tiny birthmarks, or inclusions from minerals of fractures while the diamond was forming in the earth. Inclusions can affect the beauty of a diamond when they are numerous or large enough to be visible to the naked eye. These visible inclusions can impede the reflections in a diamond and make it sparkle less. Diamonds with less or no inclusions will be more rare and valuable.
To grade the clarity of a diamond, five grades are applied. That is F-IF for flawless or internally flawless, VVS1-VVS2 for very, very slightly included, VS1-VS2 for very slightly included and I1-I3 for inclusions visible to the unaided eye. Diamonds with no inclusions under magnification are extremely rare and are rated F for flawless. Even with a 10x loupe, the diamond's birthmarks in the VVS to VS range can be very difficult to find. It is only when a diamond is graded "I" that it is visible to the naked eye.
CARAT
The weight of a diamond is measured in carats. 1 carat equals to 0.2 gram and is equivalent to 100 points. So a half carat reads.50 points and is written as 50ct, three quarters carats are 75 points and written.75ct etc. Larger stones are always more highly valued, but size should not be the only consideration-clarity, cut and color grade will also influence the value of a diamond.
When we are evaluating a diamond, we should make a whole consideration of the "4C".
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