The GIA 4Cs of diamond quality will help you learn how to buy a diamond. This basic knowledge will not only unlock the mystery of a diamond’s quality, it will also help you understand a diamond’s value and price.
The GIA Cut Scale is used for round brilliant-cut diamonds and consists of 5 grades, ranging from excellent to poor. You may think cut is the shape of a diamond, like square cut or round. However, there is much more to cut than the basic shape.
Inclusions are a byproduct of its formation, and actually help gemologists separate natural diamonds from synthetics and lookalikes. The GIA Clarity Scale includes 11 clarity grades, ranging from flawless to I3.
When it comes to Diamonds the less color, the higher the grade. The GIA Color Scale classifies Diamonds from D (color-less) to C (light-yellow or brown). Each letter grade represents a range of colour and it is a measure of how noticeable a colour is. Truly colour-less Diamonds are very rare.
The key to understanding a Diamond and its value, it is to understand the 4 attributes that all Diamond Shares Color, Clarity, Cut and Carat Weight (known as 4Cs).
