Diamonds 101

For anyone who needs a crash course on the four C’s of diamonds or need a little advice picking out the perfect engagement ring or wedding band, this post is for you!

When picking out the perfect engagement ring, it is important to keep the soon-to-be bride’s style in mind. This process can be somewhat overwhelming due to the endless possibilities of band style and settings. Think of the type of jewelry that she already wears, does she tend to wear larger pieces? Gold versus silver? What are her other rings like? Now if you cannot come up with an answer to any of those perhaps her Pinterest board will help you out! Either way when you go to purchase “the ring” it is important that you know all about the four C’s! 

Color

The color of the diamond is based on a letter scale ranging from D to Z. A color rating of D means that the diamond is colorless, the best of the best! A color rating of Z means that the diamond has a hint of light color. Although the difference of color cannot be seen by the naked eye, the color of the diamond can seriously affect the price and quality of the diamond.

Clarity

As you know, no diamond is absolutely perfect…often times there are slight blemishes that can be seen under 10x magnification. To test the clarity, experts place the diamond under magnification to evaluate how flawless (FL) to included (I₃) the diamond is. The more blemishes and inclusions the diamond has, the less it is worth and sometimes these things can affect the diamond’s brilliance. So go for the flawless or internally flawless diamonds! 

Cut

Now the cut of the diamond is probably the most important of the four C’s. Often times people mistake the cut of the diamond for the shape. Round, emerald, and pear are all shapes, the cut rating scale measures how well the diamond’s facets interact with the light. The cut scale ranges from excellent to poor. In order to insure excellence, it is important for the diamond to have been cut by an expert who has calculated exactly what the proportions are and where the cuts should be made!

Carat

Last but certainly not least, the diamond's carat weight is the easiest to understand!

 A diamond’s carat weight is based of a scale where one carat is equal to 200mg. The larger carats are more expensive because they are more difficult to find. According to the Wedding Report, the average diamond size is 1.18 carats. For more information about the four C’s of diamonds, check out the Gemological Institute of America. They really know their stuff! 

For those of you who have already purchased the engagement ring and are shopping around for the wedding band, be sure to keep the engagement ring’s size and shape in mind. You want your bride to be happy when she looks down at her hand and the two fit perfectly together! And on your wedding day, be sure hand over the rings to your photographer for some fabulous shots. Remember, don’t forget the ring when you go to walk down the isle! 

Photography by Rick Dean Photography LLC