Diamond Color Cut Clarity Guide

In the report the main factors that determine the cost of polished diamonds are three of the 4cs cut carat color and clarity.

Diamond color cut clarity guide.

The importance of diamond clarity is affected by the other diamond qualities such as shape and size. The color grade is more important than the clarity grade because cushion cut diamonds tend to retain a lot of color. If while shopping for a diamond you are ever given a color range e g. The rapaport report displays a price for a combination of diamond color and clarity with a weight range of 0 01 to 5 99.

Color clarity cut and carat weight. A lower color diamond with a higher cut grade will have more sparkle and visual appeal than a higher color diamond with a lower cut grade. A chemically pure and structurally perfect diamond has no hue like a drop of pure water and consequently a higher value. Fl or flawless is the highest grade for clarity.

In step cut shapes such as emerald cut and asscher cut diamonds the shallow pavilion and open table accentuate the clarity of the stone and can make characteristics more easily visible. Every diamond certified by the gia undergoes a thorough independent evaluation. So the larger the diamond you buy the higher the color and clarity grades you should look for. The larger the carat the more obvious the other qualities become.

There s no question. A stone much larger than one carat should usually have a clarity of vs2 or higher and preferably a color grade around g or h. If you don t want any hints of color look for a cushion cut diamond with a color grade of h or above. For example look at this 1 carat vs2 clarity excellent cut d color round brilliant cut diamond from james allen.

Interestingly the diamond color evaluation of most gem quality diamonds is based on the absence of color. Understanding what diamond color means helps in choosing the right diamond. Gia created the first and now globally accepted standard for describing diamonds. Radiant cut diamonds have lots of facets and angles which means imperfections are generally not visible.

While a d color diamond is undoubtedly the best in terms of color the difference in price between a d color diamond and a diamond with a lower color grade but near identical appearance can often be huge. Carat color cut and clarity working together. G h as opposed to a specific grade the diamond is not certified by gia. Here you will learn how gia diamond grades are established and how those grades affect the diamond s price.

While flawless and colorless diamonds are extremely rare cut determines a diamond s true value. Today the 4cs of diamond quality is the universal method for assessing the quality of any diamond anywhere in the world.