The 4 C's

     All diamonds are precious, but the most valuable are those combining the highest qualities of carat, clarity, cut, and colour – the four C's. Our consultants will help you make an informed decision about which combination of the four C's makes a diamond just right for you.

CARAT

     A diamond or gemstone's "Carat" designation is a measurement of both the size and weight of the stone. One "Carat" is a unit of mass that is equal to 0.2 grams (200 milligrams or 3.086 grains) or 0.007 ounce. A carat can also be divided into "points" with one carat being equal to 100 points, and with each point being 2 milligrams in weight. Therefore, a 1/2 carat diamond would be 50 points, a 3/4 carat diamond is 75 points, and a 2 carat diamond is 200 points.

CLARITY

     The chart explains the GIA grading system for inclusions and imperfections. Considerations in grading the clarity of a diamond include the type of stone, point size and the location of inclusions. Inclusions that are near to, or break the surface, may weaken the diamond structurally, therefore reducing its value significantly. On the other hand, it may be possible to hide certain inclusions behind the setting of the diamond (depending on where the inclusion is located), thus minimizing any negative impact of the inclusion.

COLOUR

     In determining the colour rating of a diamond, the Gemological Institute of America uses a scale of "D" to "Z" in which "D" is totally colourless and "Z" is yellow. The colour chart explains the GIA grading system for clear (not fancy-coloured) stones.

Diamond Colour Designations

* D, E, F - colorless (white)
* G, H, I, J - near colourless
* K, L, M - faint yellow or brown
* N, O, P, Q, R - very light yellow or brown
* S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z - light yellow or brown

CUT

     When a diamond has a high quality cut (ideal cut), incident light will enter the stone through the table and crown, traveling toward the pavilion where it reflects from one side to the other before bouncing back out of the diamond's table toward the observer's eye . This phenomenon is referred to as "light return" which affects a diamond's brightness, brilliance, and dispersion. Any light-leakage caused by poor symmetry and/or cut proportions will adversely affect the quality of light return.