The Four C's

Learning the four C's of diamonds - carat weight, clarity, color, and cut - will provide you with a good base understanding of how to select a diamond. In fact, it is impossible to determine the value of a particular diamond without considering all four C's.

Carat Weight

As with any precious stone the larger a diamond is, the more valuable it is.

A diamond's size is measured in carat weight. Each carat is equal to 100 points. A 75-point diamond is the same as a .75 carat diamond, also referred to as a ¾ carat stone. Diamonds of equal size may vary widely in value and brilliance based on their qualities of clarity, cut and color.

Clarity

Like any natural occurring substance, diamonds contain identifying characteristics. While these natural phenomena - called - inclusions may not be visible to the naked eye, they can usually be seen through a jeweler's 10x magnifying loupe or microscope. Mirroring nature, these inclusions often look like tiny crystals, clouds or feathers. The size, nature, color, location and amount of inclusions determine a diamond's clarity grade and affect it's cost.

Very Slightly Included - Some minor imperfections, only visible under magnification.

Included - Many inclusions, visible to the naked eye. This diamond will appear cloudy and dull.

Color

Diamonds are graded by color starting at D and continuing through the alphabet. Most people choose diamonds between the grade D to K, because they appear white when mounted. After the grade of Z, diamonds are considered 'Fancy Colored' and can command as much as colorless diamonds. The color spectrum includes red, blue, pink, orange and green.

Cut

A well-cut diamond will sparkle, reflect light and maximize brilliance. Most diamonds are not well cut since the diamond cutters are paid to retain weight. These "swindled" diamonds are cut out of proportion and weigh more than a properly cut diamond should.

At San Francisco Diamond Exchange, we pride ourselves on stocking well-cut diamonds so our customer gets the best value for their money. For those of you who want the very best, we also carry ideal cut diamonds. Frankly, it is extremely difficult for the human eye to discern between very well cut and ideal cut. So, in some cases, a very well cut diamond can be a better value than ideal. With the extra money you save on cut, you can get a larger or whiter diamond.