The 4 C’s

Every round diamond, like a human fingerprint, has certain distinguishing characteristics. The 4Cs—color, clarity, cut and carat weight—are the globally accepted standards for assessing the quality of a round diamond. These four qualities of a round diamond are the key components that impact its beauty and structure.

carat

Carat weight can appear differently across different diamond shapes such as round brilliant, princess, pear, oval, cushion, marquise, emerald, radiant or heart. A diamond may have a higher carat weight without appearing larger and two diamonds of the same carat weight can vary in size if one is cut deeper than the other. In other words, it is important to note that carat weight does not necessarily denote size.
The 4C’s interact with each other within the round diamond. They dictate how the round diamond appears and how high quality it is.
The four diamond characteristics are graded by professionals on a consistent scale, giving you a tool to evaluate round diamonds. By reviewing the 4C’s of a particular round diamond, you can better determine if the round diamond is of high-quality.

color

Color refers to the natural tint inherent in white diamonds. In nature, most white diamonds have a slight tint of yellow. The closer to being “colorless” a diamond is, the rarer it is. The industry standard for grading color is to evaluate each diamond against a master set and assign a letter grade from “D” (colorless) to “Z” (light yellow).

The most critical aspect with Color is to determine if it appears colorless in relation to its setting. You also want to be certain that a round diamond is clear of any tinting that takes away or interferes with white and colored light reflections.
Color is the second most important of the 4Cs because the color grade directly affects the diamond’s appearance. Round diamonds with a poor color grade can appear slightly yellow instead of the desired brilliant white.

clarity

Diamond clarity is a measure of the purity and rarity of the diamond, graded by the visibility of these characteristics under 10-power magnification. A diamond is graded as flawless if, under 10-power magnification, no inclusions (internal flaws) and no blemishes (external imperfections) are visible.

A round diamond with a poor clarity grade has multiple inclusions, which directly affects sparkle. Because inclusions hinder the refraction and return of light, the lower the clarity grade, the cloudier the round diamond will appear.

cut

Cut quality directly impacts the round diamond's beauty and brilliance. A well cut round diamond is luminous and reflects white and colored light back to your eyes. A poorly cut round diamond is dull instead of brilliant.
It is frequently suggested that a high quality Cut above all else is preferred—as this greatly impacts a round diamond’s beauty and brilliance.
If a round diamond is cut poorly, it will appear dull even if it has a high color and clarity grade. If a round diamond is cut well, it will reflect and refract light for maximum brightness and sparkle.

Why is the polish for a Round Diamond important?

The details and placement of the facet shapes as well as the outside finish of the diamond. The facets of the cut diamond are polished so that it reflects and refracts optimal amount of light. It is the polishing of the natural round diamond that determines how much fire, brilliance and sparkle the round diamond will have.

Why is the Symmetry for a Round Diamond important?

Symmetry refers to how precisely the various facets of a round diamond align and intersect. This can include extra or misshapen facets, off center culets and tables, and wavy girdles.
A round diamond with poor symmetry may misdirect light that travels into the diamond, sending it off at slightly wrong angles, and thereby reducing the diamond's brilliance.

The role of Fluorescence in a Round Diamont

Fluorescence is the propensity of a diamond to emanate a (soft) glow when presented to Ultraviolet light (UV light). At the point when UV light hits a round diamond with fluorescent properties, the diamond emanates a glow. Regularly blue, it can likewise be shades of green, yellow, white or red. Fluorescence can happen in various forces. Gemological labs like the GIA rate diamond fluorescence on a scale from "None" to "Very Strong".