There are a lot of decisions to make when shopping for your perfect lab-grown diamond ring. One of the most important is determining which diamond characteristics to prioritize. The four Cs—cut, color, clarity, and carat weight—describe the quality of a diamond and determine its price.
Having the right balance of the Diamond Jewelry Guide: 4Cs Explained is key to finding a stunning ring that will truly reflect your personality and love story. But it can be easy to fall prey to myths about the most important Cs—for example, many first-time shoppers assume that a diamond must be flawless in both its clarity and color ratings for it to be beautiful. This leads to overpaying for certain diamond attributes and missing out on a more affordable option that still offers great value.
Mastering the Brilliance: Your Diamond Jewelry Guide to the 4Cs
While the diamond 4Cs are a good starting point, it’s crucial to remember that each diamond is unique. Each diamond has a different set of characteristics, so it’s important to see the sparkler in person before making a purchase. For example, fancy-shaped diamonds can behave a bit differently when it comes to the 4Cs. A larger table in these stones can help to maximize lower carat weight, and inclusions that are a concern for round diamonds may be disguised in other shapes.
As a result, there isn’t one specific diamond attribute that should be prioritized above the others. However, we do recommend focusing on the cut grade when selecting your diamond. The GIA’s cut scale ranges from Ideal to Poor, and diamonds with an excellent or very good cut grade are exceptionally sparkly. This is because these diamonds are designed with proportions and symmetry that work best for refracting light.