When talking about diamonds, there are four words that experts often use to describe them. Cut, Colour, Clarity, and Carat.

This article will look at what each of these four C’s means and what you should look out for when deciding what kind of diamond you want.

#1 Cut
When people take diamonds out of the ground, mother nature rarely provides diamonds that look like the ones on wedding rings. Rather than going straight from the mine to the jeweler, they are first delivered to a jeweler who cuts them into the right shape.

When many of us hear the term “diamond shape,” we automatically think of a shape that looks like two pyramids. But, if you go into a jewelry store, you’ll notice they come in various shapes.
Although you can cut a diamond into (more or less) any shape you want, here are some of the most popular.

• Cushion
• Princess
• Oval
• Baguette
• Emerald
• Pear

Which shape is best is dependent on your personal preferences.

#2 Colour
When we see diamonds in films, they are always colourless. However, in the real world, while some diamonds are crystal clear, many are slightly yellow. This is because a clear diamond is extremely rare and, therefore, extremely expensive.

Some people want a diamond but don’t want to spend the maximum amount possible. So, diamonds vary in colour. At the most expensive end, you have D-F, which is completely clear, known as “Colourless.”

And the cheapest diamonds you can get are called “Light,” these S-Z, and look very yellow.

The reason diamonds are yellow is because of nitrogen. Although all diamonds are made from carbon, when nitrogen gets trapped in the structure, it can turn the diamond yellow. The less nitrogen, the rarer the diamond.

#3 Clarity
Clarity refers to a diamond not having any inclusions or blemishes. Generally, most people need a microscope to spot them. However, diamonds are so precious that the slightest scratch can cause them to lose value.

Imperfections on the diamond’s surface are blemishes. And imperfections inside the diamond are known as inclusions.

Some of the most common forms of inclusions and blemishes are, polish lines, scratches, nicks, abrasions, and natural imperfections.

If a diamond is completely free of any inclusions or blemishes, it’s called “Flawless.” But, if, when you put the diamond under 10x magnification, they become obvious, the diamond is called “Included.”

#4 Carat
When we hear the term “Carat,” we often think of gold. This leads some to believe that diamonds work the same way. But that’s incorrect.
When talking about diamonds, “Carat” refers to the weight.

When it comes to gold, the highest possible is 24, which is 100% pure gold. However, diamonds have no upper limit. The diamond with the largest Carat is the Cullinan Diamond, which was 3106 carats!

For every 200 milligrams a diamond weighs, it has 1 Carat. So, a diamond that weighs a gram is 5 carats.

Conclusion
Of course, the 4 C’s shouldn’t be your only consideration when picking a diamond. However, if you know your budget, knowing about them can give you a good idea of what sort of diamond you should expect.

But, just because a diamond is of low quality, according to the 4 C’s, that shouldn’t take away from its specialness to you.