Education
The four "C"s of diamonds are Carat, Colour, Clarity, and Cut. These four attributes are what puts desirability and price on a diamond. Only natural, untreated diamonds can be graded this way.
Carat is the unit of weight measurement used for diamonds. A Carat or "ct." can also be expressed in "points"; there are 100 points in a carat. Similarly, one carat is equivalent to 0.2 grams. Diamonds are a very rare natural occurrence and larger diamonds are far more uncommon than small ones, for this reason larger diamonds command higher prices. Because the proportions of diamonds vary significantly, it is incorrect to refer to carats as the "size" of the diamond. Another confusion about carat is the other jewellery term "karat" or "kt" which refers to the gold content of metals.
Colour refers to the absence or degree of presence there is of yellow or brown tint in a diamond. The scale used is alphabetical and begins with the letter "D" which is perfectly colourless and moves down the alphabet to "Z" which is strong yellowish or brown. The less colour present in a diamond the more rare it is and desirability and price follow. D through F are considered colourless; G to I are near colourless; J-L are faint colour; M-O have light colour. Yellow or brown diamonds can pass the grade of Z, when this happens they are called fancy yellow or brown diamonds and have their own grading system. Diamonds of other colours such as blue, pink, red, purple and green also exist; they are all so rare they are fancy colours regardless of the saturation of colour and have their own grades.
Clarity is the absence or degree of presence of clarity characteristics in a diamond. Diamonds were formed billions of years ago about 140 to 190km beneath the earths crust. Carbon was subject to extreme pressure and heat then forced at great pressure to the earth in kimberlite or lipidolite pipes. Due to these tretourous and unstable conditions diamonds frequently contain evidence of their formation called inclusions. These inclusions vary in severity from pinpoint specs to major fractures protruding to the surface. The scale used is based on 10x magnification and starts at "FL" (flawless and free of inclusions) and goes to "I3" (heavily included). The fewer clarity characteristics a diamond contains the more rare and expensive it is. The scale is shown below.
Cut is a measure of the angles, symmetry and proportions that were polished onto the diamond. Cut is not to be confused with the shape of the diamond such as round, oval, princess, etc. The way diamonds are cut has evolved dramatically since its beginning, we now uses mathematics to perfect the way light enters and leaves the diamond to be the brightest and have the most sparkle possible. There are over 25 different attributes to a single cut grade. Different angles create different effects. Often, cut is an overlooked diamond quality that can hinge the price and look very different. When diamonds of similar clarity, colour and carat vary in price it is necessary to have them inspected by a graduate gemologist for the explanation.
At Savoy's Jewellers our Graduate Gemologists select only the best diamonds for our clients. We are also aware of things that are overlooked in the four Cs, such as fluorescence. Come in and speak to us to find your perfect symbol of eternity.