What are the 4 C`s of your Engagement Ring? LONG DEFINITION
CARAT: the measure of size of diamond
CLARITY: the measure of how flawless the diamond is..how clear it is of defects, ie. cracks, scratches, spots, etc. You have FL (flawless), VVSI (very very small inclusion), VVSII, VSI, VSII, SI, SII....
COLOR: refers to how close the diamond is to being 'white' (which is what is valued). 'D' is the most valued color, and it goes D, E, F, G, H, all the way to 'Z'.
CUT: refers to the manner by which the actual facets are cut by a human. Cut is commonly mistaken for SHAPE. There are several SHAPES (like round, pear, princess, etc.). CUT is critically important in producing the 'sparkle'. CUT enables light to be reflected in the stone, which is what makes the diamond sparkle. A poor cut will make the stone look lifeless. CUT does not have a standard scale, and it is where one needs to do most of their research before buying a ring. It is reflected in measurements (ie. depth percentage and table percentage).
Overall, each of the four 'C's makes up about 1/4 of the stone's worth. Unfortunately, many people only think of the Carat or weight of the stone.
I know this is a really long explanation, but my fi did A LOT of research on these before purchasing my ring, so now I know the info too! There is a lot of info on the web on the 4 'C's.
Hope this helps!
