Diamond Reference Guide - 4 C's

Cut | Color | Clarity | Carat

Cut

^ top ^

Color

^ top ^

Clarity

F = Flawless. The diamond shows no inclusions or blemishes of any sort under 10X magnification when observed by an experienced grader. Note: Truly flawless or internally flawless (F or IF on the GIA’s grading scale) diamonds are extremely rare.

IF = Internally Flawless. Diamond has no inclusions when examined by an experienced grader using 10X magnification, but will have some minor blemishes.

VVS1, VVS2 = Very, Very slightly included. Diamond contains minute inclusions that are difficult even for experienced graders to see under 10X magnification.

VS1, VS2 = Very slightly included. Diamond contains minute inclusions such as small crystals, clouds or feathers when observed with effort under 10X magnification.

SI1, SI2 = Slightly included. Diamond contains inclusions (clouds, included crystals, knots, cavities, and feathers) that are noticeable to an experienced grader under 10X magnification.

I1, I2, I3 = Included. Diamond contains inclusions (possibly large feathers or large included crystals) that are obvious under 10X magnification and may affect transparency and brilliance.

^ top ^

Carat

The term carat (ct) is a measurement of weight, not size. There are five carats to a gram. A 1 ct sapphire is smaller in size than a 1 ct diamond because it is heavier. There are 100 points to a carat, so a 50 point diamond weighs 1/2 of a carat or 0.50 ct.

The term spread refers to the size a diamond appears to be, based on its diameter. So a 0.90 ct stone with less depth might look the same size as a perfectly cut 1.00 CT diamond, but has less brilliance because it is cut shallow.

^ top ^

Back to Jewelry