Diamonds 4Cs, No 6Cs
- C-1 Cut this is the influence of how a diamond gets its sparkle.
- C-2 Color we are talking a lack of color the clearer the better.
- C-3 Clarity often invisible to the naked eye clarity is about micro imperfections transparency.
- C-4 Carat this is about the total wright unmounted in an object.
- S-1 Shape there are 10, plus fancy's covering many unique shapes like trapeze and trillion.
- C-5 Certification (see diamond certification)
- C-6 Cost always watch the cost keep these life extras in proportion to your life.
- GIA Gemological Institute of America
- EGL European Gemological Laboratory diamonds
- AGS American GEM Society
- IGI International Gemological Institute
- Diamond High Council HRD Hoge Road voor Diamant / Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC)
- FL - flawless
- VVS – small inclusions invisible to the naked eye
- VS - sub-divide into VS1 / VS2 no visible inclusion to naked eye able to read under magnification
- SI – sub-divide into SI1 / SI2 visible under magnification some clouding might be prevalent
- I – blemishes visible to the naked eye
- Depth Percentage This has to do with the cut, we use a round stone here, this is the measurement of the total stone height from the culet bottom flat to the table, surface or top of the stone, you are looking for just under 60% here to the total stone diameter around the most outer girdle diameter.
- Table Percentage This has to do with the cut, we use a round stone here, this is the measurement largest flat area on all stones named the table, so you are looking for 53% to 58% the total stone diameter around the outer girdle diameter.
- Girdle Thickness The girdle is the outer most edge a flat, it is the widest outer circumference of the stone and it can be rough, polished or faceted. You measure its short height.
- Culet Size The culet is the bottom point protector for the diamonds integrity, it is cut as a bottle flat and is measured during grading of the stone. The culet runs parallel to the stones table or flat top.
- Faceting This is where a stone is being polished, it is when two flat surfaces of two different angles come together, this is to see how close they are polished to the finest finish.
- Polish This refers to the smoothness of each facet on the stone, smoother the better, however under magnification, surface defects from polishing may appear, these disrupt the light pattern as the rays enter and exit through the stone.
- Symmetry This is all about how well the diamonds facets align and intersect, You are looking tfor perfect matches here or near perfect, these can often be misaligned having the angles off slightly and the result is a reduction of the diamonds brilliance.
- Fluorescence This is about placing the stone under an ultraviolet or black light. You want the stone to have little to none of this, so no fluorescence is best here as it is considered to be a flaw in the stone if this fluorescence appears.
- Comments about the stone This is just a place for the gemologist to share additional information not covered in the report like say pinpoint inclusions clouding additions and such.
Diamond 4C's, No 6C's
Cut-Color-Clarity-Carat the 4-C’s an “S” and 1 more C of the diamond selection
We share additional information C-5 Diamond certification special section pullout:
There are many other grading services, both being regional and global, so we just shared some that were easy to confirm as being in the business of helping diamond owners in need to accurate quality diamond and some laboratory diamond grading services.
Diamond Clarity Chart:
How to know a diamond
Polished stone and diamond terminology and all of what a natural or laboratory diamond grading service will be sharing in there report.
Cut We are looking for a brilliant diamond cut here, you want exceptional brilliance 57 facets plus the bottom culet or 58 facets in total.
Color We are actually seeking a lack of color, looking for colorless here.
Clarity Rating the inclusions, internal characteristics, surface defects, blemishes, visual to the eye or by a magnifier, you are looking for solids, liquids or gases trapped in the stone as it forms.
Carat Weight This is a measurement of how much a stone weighs, a metric carat 200 milligrams can be sub-divided into 100 points to allow for the finest in measurements to the hundredth decimal place. Example ½ carat is .50 points, a 1 ¼ carat diamond is 1 carat and .25 points, they are the same thing.
Shape & Style The shape & style refers to the physical form of the stone and each shape or style when light is placed through the stone, even an exact in appearance set of stones to the human eye the light shows that they are not identical they are made differently, there are no two exact diamonds known.
Measurements This is the dimensions of the stone measured in millimeters, there are charts showing how to measure each diamond shape cut.
Footnotes about the stone This might be as an example where the certification shared the use of clarity enhancement treatments.
Plot of both internal and external inclusions This is a set of standard diamond shape blueprints where the gemologist draws in crystal, cloud, feather and natural flaws inclusions and the likes as they appear under eye visual or magnification, they are documented onto these blueprints.
Diamond Grade Report Number This is a number issued to all reports as part of the certificate to allow the holder, buyer or seller of the report or having the stone in hand the ability to look up the number and confirm and verify its the stone. The report number is etched into the physical stones girdle.