The 4Cs are the global standard.
The 4Cs transformed the way diamond quality is determined and communicated, forever changing how diamonds are evaluated, bought and sold. This framework is both a way to better understand your diamond, and to ensure accuracy in the evaluation of your diamond’s unique characteristics. It is the best way to ensure a clear and transparent evaluation in the global diamond industry. With accurate adherance to these standards, we deliver objective, consistent diamond grading results at all our laboratories. While the language has been adopted worldwide, the only way to ensure you are receiving the accurate application of these standards is through the equipment and tried and tested procedures of an official laboratory.
COLOR
Diamonds occur in almost every colour but the normal range used in jewellery varies from colourless to light yellow or light brown. Colour grading involves judging the body colour of the diamond and deciding whether it falls within the normal range. Diamonds not falling under this normal range, are probably fancy coloured diamonds. Diamonds of body colour blue, pink, red, and sometimes even intense yellow and intense brown come under the fancy colour range.
EGL colour grades diamonds by judging its body colour in comparison with master stones and then assigns the colour grade ranging from colourless to light yellow or light brown.
CLARITY
Unlike the other value factors, clarity is the most talked and heard about. Grading clarity simply means looking for the clarity characteristics, which are classified as Inclusions (Internal) and Blemishes (External). Judging the impact of these characteristics would decide a stone’s relative position on a Flawless-To-Imperfect scale; where Flawless meaning the absence of any internal & external characteristics and Imperfect diamonds being those which contain inclusions & blemishes which are obvious to the unaided eye.
To judge this impact five factors are taken into consideration – The size, nature, position, relief or colour and number of the clarity characteristics. EGL uses the gemological microscope to locate inclusions & blemishes. However, the clarity grade is called on the basis of the impact of the impurities under a 10X loupe, since the diamond industry goes by the 10x loupe for clarity grade.
CUT
Like most things in life it is the form of that particular thing which would make it visually appealing. So too in diamonds.This spectacular gemstone in its rough form would look much like stone or glass. But it is only after the expert hand of a cutters touch; the stone would give way to such a beautiful gem. Much like the story of King Midas where in everything he touched turned to gold.
The amazing sparkle and shine in a diamond is attributed to its hardness and willingness to catch on good polish. Of the 4C’s of Diamonds, Cut is the only C, which is determined by man. The simple theory where Diamonds is concerned is that all the light that enters the stone should exit the stone from the same area and return to viewer’s eye.
In Diamonds a good balance between Brilliance and Dispersion is what makes this gemstone beautiful Brilliance. A singular flash of Light from the biggest facet of a Diamond i.e. Table Dispersion. Multiple flashes of Light from the other smallest facets. Much like the twinkling of stars on a dark clear side.
CARAT
Of the four grading factors – Clarity, Colour, Cut and Carat weight, the three factors – Clarity, Colour and Cut are graded. The fourth – Carat weight is not graded but simply measured. The unit of weight used for diamonds is the metric carat. A metric carat equals 0.200 grams. A carat is divided into 100 equal units called points or cents. Thus a 10 pointer or a 10 cents diamond would weigh 0.10 carats.
Sometimes diamonds are also weighed in terms of grains where 4 grains equals 1 metric carat.A diamond is weighed on an electronic device called the diamond balance. Some of these balances have the option of weighing in carats and grams. We at EGL use a diamond balance that can weigh gems from 0.001 carat up to 500 carats.
