The 4 C's
To make sure you get your money’s worth it’s important to understand the principles of the four C’s: carat, cut, colour and clarity. The combination creates a unique, one of a kind diamond.
Carat
The diamond’s weight and overall size determine the carat. Often the price of diamonds increases parallel to the carat weight. A grand diamond might highlight it’s other three C’s, but also potential flaws. Don’t let the size of a diamond be your only criteria: small diamonds can be just as precious, especially as an expression of genuine love or because of the memory related to it.
Colour
White diamonds come in different shades from perfectly colourless to warm white.
The value of a white diamond is determined by the lack of colour, while with fancy coloured diamonds it’s the opposite. The most common colour is yellow and the most rare – and therefore most expensive – are blue and pink.
Clarity
Nearly every diamond has microscopic natural imperfections. They blend into the diamonds colour and – in theory – have a relatively low impact on the diamond’s value and appearance.
However, A Diamond Trading attaches great importance to offering diamonds as perfect as possible.
Cut
Of the four C’s, the cut contributes the most to a diamond’s beauty and brilliance. A diamond’s cut is pure craftsmanship and requires thorough training and patience; it’s not an essential characteristic of the stone itself. The cut has three effects on the appearance of a diamond: brilliance, fire and scintillation.