Determining a Diamond's Value

Diamond Value

The Four C's of Diamonds

Have you ever wondered how a jeweller determines the value of a diamond? It is determined by the four different aspects of a diamond.

• Carat
• Cut
• Color
• Clarity

These are more commonly called the 4 c's. When you take a diamond or a piece of diamond jewelry to be appraised, these four things should be taken into account to decide the value of the diamond or piece of jewelry. What exactly are these 4 c's? Let's take a look.

Carat

The carat is a unit of mass equal to 200 milligrams. It is the scale used to determine the value of a diamond by weight.

Cut

A diamond cut is a style or design guide that is used when shaping a diamond for polishing. Several factors are considered when choosing the cut of a diamond. Two popular cuts for a diamond are the brilliant cut and the fancy cut.

Color

A diamond with no hue or color is a chemically pure and structurally perfect diamond. However, almost no gem-sized diamonds are absolutely perfect. Chemical impurities or structural defects in the crystal lattice, the symmetrical three-dimensional arrangement of atoms inside a crystal, can affect the color. A diamond's color can either enhance or detract from a diamond's value. A yellow hue in a white diamond can detract from its value while a blue diamond can be very valuable.

Clarity

Diamond clarity is determined by internal flaws called inclusions or surface defects called blemishes. Inclusions can be caused by tiny cracks that can appear cloudy or whitish as well as a foreign material or another diamond crystal inside the diamond itself. The clarity of a diamond can be affected a number of ways including the size, relative location, orientation, color or visibility of inclusions. A clarity grade is assigned by checking the stone under ten times magnification.

Joseph's Jewelry buys and sells diamond jewelry. We also do custom diamond jewelry and jewelry repairs. If you need a diamond reset, Joseph's Jewelry does it in the store. Your jewelry will not be shipped to a third party moving your precious jewels from hand to hand. If you find a piece of jewelry that does not have the stone that you want, no problem. Joseph's Jewelry can replace it with the diamond that fits your needs with our expert staff. Learn more by contacting us or stopping by the showroom. We have been Stuart, Florida's trusted jewelry shop for over 20 years. We can't wait to talk to you!

Joseph's Jewelry

5250 Southeast Federal Highway

Stuart, FL 34997

772-221-1779

Diamond Jewelry