Carat

Diamond Carat Weight refers specifically to the weight of a diamond. A metric carat is equal to 200mg. You may also hear the carat weight of a diamond referred to as ‘points,’ and one carat equals 100 points.

While the carat weight of a diamond is an accurate measurement of its weight, it doesn’t always translate to how big or small it looks to the eyes. This is because when you view a diamond, you look down at it from above. The diamond’s cut and measurement across the top, along with its sparkle, all affect how big it looks.

Cut

The quality of a diamond’s cut is potentially the most important of the 4Cs. It’s the cut of the diamond that most often determines its beauty and allure. The quality of a diamond’s cut is measured by the balance of all its measurements, which combined produce the most light possible through the top of the stone. If the cut is too shallow, light is lost through the bottom, and if it is too deep, light escapes through the sides of the stone.

The cut of a diamond can affect how big or small it looks, its color, and the way it sparkles when worn.

Color

Rather than measuring how colorful a diamond is, its color grade measures its lack of color. This is because the most desirable diamonds are diamonds considered most white. The color scale of diamonds starts at D and ends at Z, with D being the best possible rating and Z being the lowest possible rating.

When you see a diamond with color, it will generally appear as light brown or pale yellow. While the highest-rated diamonds are considered colorless, a diamond with a little color can add warmth to the stone, giving it more sparkle and making it appear more attractive.

Clarity

Almost all diamonds, except the very finest, will contain tiny imperfections, and clarity is the measurement used to define how perfect a diamond is. Almost all imperfections present in diamonds are only visible at a microscopic level. However, too many slight imperfections can affect a diamond’s color rating and how light escapes from the diamond.

The clarity rating of a diamond is the easiest to visually see and understand, and jewelers often describe the imperfections in a diamond as clarity characteristics, blemishes, or inclusions.