Selecting a Diamond

The most important factor to take into account when selecting a diamond is "Do I like it? Do I love it?" Your personal preferences, likes and dislikes should weigh most heavily on your decision. However, there are a few other things to be considered, especially if you are investing a large sum of money on a diamond.

This information is offered as a general introduction to diamond grading, for a more comprehensive understanding you can search online or visit us at J. Shea Jewelers.

The 4 C's

The price of a diamond is based on a combination of Four principle characteristics, also known as the 4 C's.

Carat

Carat is the unit of measurement used to express the weight of diamonds. Many people consider carat the most important factor in selecting a diamond, however a large carat diamond that is poorly cut or has poor clarity or poor colour may not be as radiant as a smaller carat diamond that has a good cut, good clarity and good colour.

Cut

The cut of a diamond is what brings life and fire and sparkle to the stone. A truly well cut diamond will catch the light in brilliance and radiance. There are mathmatical equations that determine the "perfect" cut, but that is all tedious and complicated. When judging the cut on your own, look for the fire, the sparkle.

Color

A technically "perfect" diamond would be absolutely colorless. A trained eye can determine the grade of color in a diamond along a range from D (Colorless) to Z (Deeply Colored). Beyond Z, there are Fancy Colored stones. When looking at the color of a diamond, the lighter the color, the more expensive the diamond.

Clarity

Clarity refers to the number, position, color, nature and size of internal inclusions and surface blemishes that may occur in a stone. The scale ranges from Flawless (no inclusions) to Heavily Included. A diamond that is less included would be more expensive than one that is heavily included.

Final Note

Understanding how diamonds are graded and priced can be a great help when selecting a diamond. The 4C's represent the technical aspects of the beauty of a diamond. However, you should look at a wide variety of diamonds when deciding to buy. Compare them, study them; the individual characteristics of each stone vary so widely. Take the time to look at the varying measurment spectrums for each of the 4C's and learn what you like and dislike. Your personal preference should be the deciding factor when purchasing a diamond.