Carat weight might be the most obvious and straight-forward feature of diamond grading. The metric carat is simply the special unit of weight for diamonds and gemstones, and 1 carat equates to 0.200 gram or 0.007 ounce. Diamond grades are as precise as possible when it comes to carat weight, so let’s take a look at what this process entails and how to understand specific weights. Carats & Points Diamonds are often so tiny and light-weight that even the metric carat has to be subdivided to produce a precise measurement. That’s why you’ll usually see carat weight expressed as a decimal, like 0.25ct or 1.55ct, but you may also come…
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The 4C’s: Clarity
Today, we’re going to dive into another part of the 4C’s: clarity. In this context, clarity is defined as “a diamond’s freedom from blemishes and inclusions.” The more free the stone is, the higher the final value will be. Let’s take a look at what these clarity characteristics are and how they’re judged. Blemishes Put simply, blemishes are irregularities on a diamond’s surface. Sometimes, blemishes are a perfectly natural part of a diamond’s formation within the earth. For example, irregularities in the diamond’s crystal structure can cause a grainy texture to occur. Most blemishes, however, are the result of human contact with the stone. Nicks and pits can be formed…
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The 4C’s: Color
When you hear the word “diamond,” what’s the first image that comes to mind? If you’re like most people, you might imagine a dazzling colorless gemstone—but did you know that truly colorless diamonds are extremely rare? Not only do most diamonds have a tint, but they can be vividly colored too! Today we’ll take at the look at how a diamond’s color is graded as part of the 4C’s. The Normal Range While diamonds can be any color of the rainbow and more, most fall within a certain spectrum. The vast majority of diamonds available today range from colorless to light yellow, brown or gray. You can think of this…
