The 4 C's

 

 

Ever heard of the 4 C's?
They are quite important, because they determine the price of your diamond! 

Read on, and immerse yourself from 
World of the Diamond.

 

 

The 4 C's stand for:

  • the cut (Cut)
  • the color (Colour)
  • the purity (Clarity)
  • the carat weight (Caratweight)

 

The cut:

    • Brilliant (round)
    • Princess (square)
    • Baguette (rectangular)
    • Emerald (rectangular with more facets)
    • Oval (ovaal)
    • pear (drop)
    • Marquise (ellipse with pointed ends)
    These are generally the cuts that we use in our jewelry. It is of course only a small selection of the different cuts that exist, but they are the most common forms. Anyway, they all have one thing in common. By cutting different facets into the diamond, your diamond can reflect the light, and that is the brilliance that we have fallen in love with for centuries.

    The color:
     
    •      D River Finest white +
    •      E River Finest white
    •      F          Top Wesselton           Fine white+
    •      G         Top Wesselton            Fine white
    •      H Wesselton White
    •       I          Top Crystal                 Light tinted white+
    •      J          Crystal                        Light tinted white
    •      K Top Cape Tinted white +
    •      L Top Cape Tinted white
    •     M Cape Tinted color
    •     Low Cape Tinted color
    •     O Very Light Yellow Tinted color
    •     P-Z Light Yellow Tinted color

    The 'whiter' the color, the rarer your diamond is, and therefore more valuable. Is the intention to buy the highest color? We say no. Unless you want to go for a serious investment, a Top Wesselton, for example, shines beautifully white. And only an expert will see the difference between a color higher or lower. Would you rather see the difference for yourself? Then visit our store Koh-I-Noor Diamonds & Jewels in Amsterdam.

    The purity:

    All our diamonds are natural, let's put that first! But what is meant by the purity of a diamond, and what do all those specifications stand for? During crystallization, each diamond acquires its own natural characteristics. Residues of carbon have not completely crystallized out, so that black dots can become visible. Small particles of nitrogen can be trapped, which show up as tiny bubbles. Or there may be tiny cracks inside the stone. The classification of a diamond is determined using a magnifying glass at least 10x magnified. In other words, the inclusions are often invisible to the naked eye. Yet they are there, and the price of your diamond is partly determined on the basis of these inclusions. Again, the more pure, the rarer, the more precious. So remember: the explanation in the diagram below applies with the use of a loupe.

    • LC        Loupe Clean               Nothing to see
    • VVS1   Very Very Small incl.   Hard to see
    • VVS2   Very Very Small incl.   Hard to see
    • VS1     Very Small inclusion    On display
    • VS2     Very Small inclusion    On display
    • SI1      Small Inclusion            Easy to see
    • SI2      Small Inclusion            Easy to see
    • P1       Pique                           Can be seen without magnifying glass
    • P2       Pique                           Can be seen without magnifying glass
    • P3       Pique                           Can be seen without magnifying glass

    The carat weight:

      The number of carat, indicates the weight of the diamond, 1 carat is 0.2 grams, and 0.10ct for example, stands for 0.02 grams. In ancient times there were other measurements. For weighing diamonds, the seed of the carob tree used. This seed had almost always the same weight, so it was reliable enough to use for weighing the precious diamonds. The Latin name of the tree is Ceratonia siliqua, and the fruit was called Keration, hence probably the name carat. So you see, diamonds are from the beginning of time, and will last forever!