The 4Cs Through the Víya Filter: Understanding Diamond Quality
Before we get into it, I just want to highlight what we believe at Víya: transparency and education.
There’s a wealth of information about diamonds and their characteristics on GIA’s website (see attached link). For those unfamiliar, GIA (Gemological Institute of America) is a third-party gemstone grading institution regarded as a leading authority in classifying gemstones, including diamonds. They essentially certify gemstones and grade them based on their characteristics. Fun fact: we did our coursework and certification through them!
When it comes to diamonds—whether natural or lab-grown—their characteristics boil down to something called the “4Cs.”
This stands for Color, Carat, Clarity, and Cut.
We’ll break down what these mean in a moment, but first, let’s talk about why the 4Cs are important.
The 4Cs are widely used in the industry to not only describe a diamond’s qualities but also determine its value and compare it to other similar stones. Generally, the higher the Color, Clarity, Cut, and Carat weight, the rarer and more valuable the diamond, which directly affects its cost.
Carat is likely the most familiar term our clients encounter when searching for their perfect diamond. Simply put, carat is a unit of measurement used to weigh gemstones and diamonds. When diamonds are crafted from rough to polished stones, cutters use templates with specific parameters to create consistent shapes and sizes. In theory, this should result in consistent carat weights, but in reality, discrepancies occur. At Víya, we don’t overemphasize carat weight. Heavier diamonds with poor cuts can appear smaller than lighter diamonds with excellent cuts. That’s why we meticulously inspect each stone to ensure we choose the best options for our clients.
Color refers to the grading of a diamond’s whiteness, or lack of color. The scale starts at “D” (completely colorless) and continues to “Z” (noticeably tinted). Diamonds in the “D-E-F” range are considered colorless, while those graded “G-H-I” are near colorless. The closer a diamond is to the “D” end of the scale, the rarer and more valuable it is. For engagement rings, we generally recommend diamonds graded “I” or higher to ensure their brilliance and timeless appeal.
Clarity measures the size and number of inclusions (natural imperfections) within a diamond. Fewer inclusions result in a higher clarity grade. The clarity scale ranges from Flawless (the highest) to I3 (the lowest). At Víya, we prioritize diamonds with a clarity grade of VS2 or higher, as inclusions at this level are minimal and nearly impossible to detect with the naked eye.
