The 4Cs: Essential elements for diamond price evaluation

You've probably heard about the 4Cs of diamonds: carat, cut, color, and clarity. This is a good starting point to initiate your education on diamonds.

The 4Cs combine to determine the overall beauty and price of a diamond. But this does not mean that each C carries the same weight.

Don't waste your money. Some Cs are not as important as others, but they can skyrocket prices. If you don't understand the basics, you risk spending a lot on features that you can't even appreciate at first glance.

Among the most common mistakes are:

• Buying a diamond of too high color and clarity thinking it will make the diamond more "brilliant".
• Assuming that all diamonds are cut the same way and thus getting better color and clarity.
• Placing too much importance on carat weight and then having to make sacrifices on other criteria to stay within budget, resulting in a dull and poor quality diamond.

Don't make these mistakes. This guide will help you know what to look for in a diamond, what to prioritize and what you can afford to "save".

CARAT - What influence on the price of the stone?

Most people prioritize the carat. That's why it's first on this list. However, in our opinion, it's not necessarily the most important.

The carat is generally the most visible of the 4C. Most admirers say "what a big diamond!" instead of "what a colorless and flawless diamond!"

Unfortunately, this is probably the area where you have the least control. You probably already have a goal or a "requirement" and you can't deviate too much from it.

So, what exactly is a carat? The carat refers to the weight of the diamond. One carat is equal to about 0.2 grams, which is roughly the weight of a paperclip. The higher the carat weight, the larger the diamond.

The price of a diamond increases exponentially as the carat increases. A 0.5 carat diamond is almost twice as expensive as a 0.4 carat diamond. It doubles again when you go up to 0.75, then to 1 carat. This is because it is increasingly rare to find raw materials good enough to make larger diamonds.

Tip:

The biggest price increases are at the most demanded points: half-carat and a whole carat. To get better value, look for a diamond just a little below the whole number if your budget does not allow for the expected size.

For example, here are some comparisons of 0.9 carat stones and 1 carat stones:

You can see that a 0.92 carat diamond costs up to 1,000 euros less than a 1.0 carat diamond, simply because it is not a full 1 carat. But would anyone be able to tell the difference? It's very unlikely.

As the price of diamonds can make a considerable jump at a whole carat, diamond cutters are under a lot of pressure to cut stones that reach a nice whole carat weight. Unfortunately, this means that many diamonds are cut to reach this desirable round number instead of being cut for maximum brilliance.

That's why we recommend not getting too attached to a certain carat target and instead prioritizing the next "C".

Why should we pay attention to the Diamond Size?

(Cut in English)

We say it now and we probably repeat it often enough throughout this article. The size of diamonds is the most important factor, and you should NEVER skimp on this point.

In fact, put into the size all the money you can save on other areas.

It's the size that makes the diamond bright and sparkling. And elle can literally make the diamond so sparkling even if it hides inclusions and masks slight colors.

Size refers to proportion, symmetry and polishing, not shape. A rough diamond has no shine. A diamond only shines by the way it is cut and how light bounces off each angle and facet. A poorly cut diamond will lose its brightness and therefore appear dull.

A well-cut diamond will have ideal proportions and excellent symmetry and polishing. The proportions and facets are precisely cut to reflect as much light as possible. This means that the diamond will emit the most brilliance, fire and sparkle.