Engagement rings are not an average gift but a symbol of the connection between two people. It is a tangible way to promise to love someone for life. So it stands to reason that this important purchase may take time and research to ensure that the buyer finds the perfect ring with the very best quality diamond their money can buy. But where does one start to understand how to judge quality?
In 1953, the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) developed its International Diamond Grading System and the "four Cs" (cut, clarity, color, and carat weight) as a standard to compare and evaluate the quality of diamonds. This scale is now used worldwide by all reputable jewelers. This grading scale holds retailers accountable to a pricing standard, ensuring that consumers can count on some level of price stability when comparing a diamond at one retailer to another, given that all they are the same grade. Understanding the “4 Cs” of diamonds will make it easier to feel confident that one is paying a fair price for the quality diamond they want. The 4 Cs of diamond buying include Carat, Color, Clarity, and Cut.
Carat Weight
Carat refers to the physical weight of the diamond. Many goods are sold by weight—by the kilogram, ounce, pound, or ton. Even people who have never bought a diamond are used to the idea that weight and price are related. They understand that a larger diamond is probably more valuable than a smaller one. The metric carat is divided into 100 points. A point is one hundredth of a carat. Over a carat, diamond weights are usually expressed in carats and decimals. A 1.03-carat stone, for example, would be described as “one point oh three carats,” or “one oh three.” Weights for diamonds that weigh under a carat are usually stated in points. A diamond that weighs 0.83 carat is said to weigh “eighty-three points,” or called an “eighty-three pointer.”
The relationship between rarity, weight, and value can be surprising. People know that a pound of sugar costs twice as much as a half-pound of sugar. But diamonds aren’t a commodity like sugar. Their price depends on a number of variables—weight is just one of them. So it’s not always easy to understand, or explain, why a 1-carat diamond is worth, say, $6,000, while a 2-carat diamond of similar quality might be worth $15,000.
It’s really a simple concept: Large diamonds are more rare than small diamonds. The more scarce something is, the more it is worth. So a larger stone doesn’t just cost more. It also costs more per carat. A 1-carat diamond weighs the same as four 0.25-carat diamonds. But even if all the other quality factors are equal, the larger diamond is worth much more than the sum of the four smaller diamonds.
Don’t confuse the term carat with karat. Karat is a unit of measure used to describe how much pure gold there is in an alloy.
Color of the Diamond
The color of diamond jewelry has an impact on its value and how it looks. Color sale begins at colorless (often considered the “whitest” color). White diamonds have the most value because they occur more rarely. White diamonds also appeal to more people because they look beautiful against any skin tone and in any setting. Diamonds in the near colorless range will have hints of “warmth” to them, but because they occur more commonly than colorless diamonds, their prices don’t fetch the same premium. Once you get to the Faint portion of the color scale, color will be observable in the diamond.
However diamonds with perceivable warmth may look beautiful in the right setting, and come with a considerably lower price tag. J/K diamonds look lovely in yellow gold settings, and even L-O diamonds look amazing in yellow and rose gold! 
Clarity of the Stone
Few things in nature are absolutely perfect. This is as true of diamonds as anything else. Diamonds have internal features, called inclusions, and surface irregularities, called blemishes. Together, they’re called clarity characteristics. Clarity is the relative absence of inclusions and blemishes. Like the rest of the 4Cs, clarity’s influence on value is directly related to the concept of rarity.
Clarity characteristics might have a negative influence on a diamond’s value, but they can have positive effects as well. For one thing, they help gemologists separate diamond from imitations. (This is easier with included diamonds than with flawless ones.) And because no two diamonds have exactly the same inclusions, they can help identify individual stones.
Flawless is the top grade in the GIA Clarity Grading System. Diamonds graded Flawless don’t have visible inclusions or blemishes when examined under 10-power (10X) magnification by a skilled and experienced grader. Flawless diamonds are very rare—so rare, in fact, that it’s possible to spend a lifetime in the jewelry industry without ever seeing one, and they command top prices. At the other end of the scale are diamonds with inclusions that can be easily seen by the unaided eye. Between the two extremes are diamonds with inclusions visible only under 10X magnification. Stones in the middle range make up the bulk of the retail market.
Cut of the Gem
Diamonds are renowned for their ability to transmit light and sparkle so intensely. We often think of a diamond's cut as shape (round, emerald, pear), but a diamond's cut grade is really about how well a diamond's facets interact with light. Diamond cutters have the distinction of being the only humans who have an impact on the value of a diamond. Every other method of grading relies on the natural development of the gem. Cutters often perform the process by hand and use many tools and techniques to achieve the finished product.
Precise artistry and workmanship are required to fashion a stone so its proportions, symmetry, and polish deliver the magnificent return of light only possible in a diamond. The quality of cut is crucial to the diamond's final beauty and value. And of all the 4Cs, it is the most complex and technically difficult to analyze.
Why do the 4 Cs Matter?
There are beautiful diamonds to be purchased at every carat weight, color, clarity, and cut grade. The most important factor comes down to deciding on a comfortable budget. From there, the sales associates at Toner Jewelers can help figure out how to prioritize which “C” is the most important to you so find the diamond. Only during the buying process will you be comparing diamonds side by side. Once you present the finished ring to your intended, all you’ll remember is the joy in their eyes and the love that the ring represents.
