Diamond Cut Clarity And Color Chart

The ftc provides no guidelines for the use of the term fancy color in the us but there is general agreement in the international trade about what diamond color range is customary for fancy color diamonds.

Diamond cut clarity and color chart.

If you re buying a diamond for the first time you ve probably done at least some research. If you ve really done your homework you probably also know that gemologists grade diamonds based on the 4 c s clarity color cut and carat. You might have your heart set on a certain diamond shape or know which settings will complement it well. With a high quality cut you can get away with a diamond lower in color and clarity.

A stone much larger than one carat should usually have a clarity of vs2 or higher and preferably a color grade around g or h. Never skimp on cut. Diamonds are measured in terms of weight not size. The larger the carat the more obvious the other qualities become.

Cut is the most important. So the larger the diamond you buy the higher the color and clarity grades you should look for. A lower color diamond with a higher cut grade will have more sparkle and visual appeal than a higher color diamond with a lower cut grade. Knowing what diamond clarity truly means helps you understand the factors that contribute to diamond quality and price.

The importance of diamond clarity is affected by the other diamond qualities such as shape and size. An fl diamond has no imperfections even when magnified 10x by a professional. In step cut shapes such as emerald cut and asscher cut diamonds the shallow pavilion and open table accentuate the clarity of the stone and can make characteristics more easily visible. Each of the four c s carat weight cut color clarity is accompanied by a diamond chart illustrating the differences between grades.

These are either yellow or brown diamonds that have more color than a z master stone or they exhibit a color other than yellow or brown. Finally here are some last rules of thumb to go by when purchasing a diamond. G h as opposed to a specific grade the diamond is not certified by gia. This is why expert and accurate assessment of diamond clarity is extremely important.

For color d or completely colorless diamond is the highest grade. Every diamond certified by the gia undergoes a thorough independent evaluation. Two diamonds of equal weight can have very different values because the quality is still determined by the color clarity and cut. To the naked eye a vs 1 and an si 2 diamond may look exactly the same but these diamonds are quite different in terms of overall quality.

Carat color cut and clarity working together. Clarity is the absence of imperfections. While flawless and colorless diamonds are extremely rare cut determines a diamond s true value. If while shopping for a diamond you are ever given a color range e g.

A perfectly cut diamond will exhibit a lot of brilliance to the point that it masks inclusions.