Learning the 4C's

Here at Roth Jewelers, we want you to be educated and informed before you buy your diamond, whether you buy from us, or someone else, Milt has always said. "If Roth's can't give you the best value for your dollar, then you should go elsewhere."

CARAT:

Carat weight is simply the weight of a diamond and doesn't necessarily relate to size. Diamond weight can also be expressed in points or percentages. Each carat is divided into 100 points. If you see a diamond that is 53 points, you can determine that this diamond is equal to 53% of a carat. Knowing the weight of your diamond is important because the impact it can have of the price of your diamond.

CUT:

Cut is different than the other 4C's in that it is the only one that nature had nothing to do with, or at least very little. The cut encompasses a diamond's style (shape and type of facet arrangement) and make (proportions and finish). The shape of the diamond is the most obvious attribute to most people. Diamonds can be cut into many different shapes. Some are more detailed and complicated, which make the price increase. It is the cut that enables a diamond to make the best use of light.

		A.	When a diamond is cut with the proper angles and proportions, light is reflected from on facet to another and then dispersed through the top of the stone
		B.	If the cut of the diamond is too deep, some light escapes through the sides.
		C.	If the cut is too shallow, light escapes out the bottom before it can be reflected.

COLOR:

Diamonds are found in a range of colors, from faint yellow or brown to the very rare "fancy" colors, such as pink, blue, green, etc. Even though diamonds are available in several different colors, the most common color for diamonds to show is yellow, some degree of yellow. The rarity of color is where we see the price difference. A general rule of thumb when looking at diamonds is, "less color means more price." The diamond chart below is considered the industry standard, with D representing the best color grade available, or colorless. The difference between each step can be difficult to determine to an untrained eye. The most popular color range is "Near Colorless". That's because diamonds in this range are more affordable, and when mounted on a ring, can appear just as colorless as diamonds in the Colorless range.

CLARITY:

To determine a diamond's clarity, it is viewed under a 30-power (30x) magnification. Most diamonds contain very tiny natural birthmarks known as inclusions. However, the fewer and smaller the inclusions are, the less likely it is that they will interfere with the passage of light through the diamond. A diamond gets its beauty from how it reacts to light so, the clearer the diamond, the more brilliance it will have, and the more expensive it will be. Diamond clarity is broken out into eleven grades.