The 4Cs

CUT

Of all the 4Cs, the cut has the greatest effect on a diamond's beauty and the only one not determined by nature. The diamond cutter's skill in fashioning the diamond will determine the grade of the cut. The cut is graded just like the colour and clarity, and is done by a machine and a mathematical formula.  The GIA grade system is recognized worldwide with the top grade of Excellent or Ideal, Very Good, Good, Fair and Poor ratings. 

Diamonds with Excellent or Ideal cuts will have maximum fire and dispersion, giving the benefit of maximum brilliance and sparkle in your diamond. 

If a diamond is cut too deep the light is lost out the side of the diamond. If the diamond is cut too shallow the light is lost out the bottom. But if the diamond is cut to "Ideal"  proportions and angles, the diamond will have total internal reflection which gives you the maximum sparkle, brilliance and fire.  

Sorella Diamond Jewellers are diamond specialists, and choose diamonds of the highest cut grades of ‘Excellent' and ‘Very Good'. A Sorella diamond is one of fire and brilliance and almost of their diamonds over 0.30ct come with either a GIA diamond certificate or a Quasar diamond certificate. 

Diamonds come in a variety of colors, some of them highly prized (pinks, blues, even yellow). However in a white diamond, the presence of a yellow tint will lower the price of a diamond. The less body color in a white diamond, the more true color it will reflect, and thus the greater its value.

At Sorella Diamond Jeweller we use the GIA colour grading system. Many of these colour distinctions are so subtle as to be invisible to the untrained eye. But these slight differences make a big difference in diamond quality and ultimately the price. D is the top quality colourless diamond. D,E and F colour diamonds are regarded as colourless, G,H,I are near colourless and from J,K,L colour diamonds you can start to visually see a tint of colour in the diamonds. The most common colour diamonds occur in naturally are yellow and brown. 

No two diamonds are alike. Natural diamonds are the result of carbon exposed to tremendous heat and pressure deep in the earth. This process can result in a variety of internal characteristics called 'inclusions' and external characteristics called 'blemishes.'Under 10x magnification we look for any inclusions, mineral traces or fractures. The very best, and rarest clarity is flawless (FL) on GIA's scale, where I3 is the lowest.

Evaluating diamond clarity involves determining the number, size, relief, nature, and position of these characteristics, as well as how these affect the overall appearance of the stone. While no diamond is perfectly pure, the closer it comes, the higher its value.

CARAT

Diamond weight is measured in carats. Diamonds and other gemstones are weighed in metric carats: one carat is equal to 0.2 grams, about the same weight as a paperclip. (Don't confuse carat weighed with Karat, as in 18K gold, which refers to the gold purity.)

Just as a dollar is divided into 100 cents, a carats is divided into 100 points. For example a 50-point diamond weighs 0.50 carats. But two diamonds of equal weight can have very different values depending on the other factors of the Four C's:       

Because even a fraction of a carat can make a considerable difference in cost, precision is crucial. In the diamond industry, weight is often measured to the hundred thousandths of a carat and rounded to a hundredth of a carat. Diamond weights greater than one carat are expressed in carats and decimals (for instance a 1.08ct stone would be described as "one point zero eight carat".

 SHAPE

The round cut diamond is the most popular diamond shape, representing approximately 75% of all diamonds sold. Due to the mechanics of its shape, the round diamond is generally superior to fancy shapes at the proper reflection of light, maximizing potential brilliance. However, diamonds can be cut in various shapes from the popular princess shape, to oval, pear, emerald, rectangular radiant, often referred to as the Fancy cuts.

Sorella Diamond Jeweller is able to show you most of these Fancy cuts in store and we are able to source a great selection of these cuts at competitive prices. Please ask our friendly sales team.

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