| Buying an engagement diamond can be confusing | | | | present when the diamond is formed, it will have |
| and stressful if you don't know what to look for | | | | a yellow tint to it. The ideal stone will be colorless |
| and how to ask the right questions you may end | | | | and have no yellowish tint when looked at under a |
| up getting a stone that's less than ideal. It doesn't | | | | 10x magnifying glass. |
| have to be that difficult, though, and having even | | | | Clarity |
| a little bit of knowledge going in can make things | | | | Clarity measures the fragments of carbon |
| go much smoother. This article will explain the | | | | present when the engagement diamond is |
| Four C's of diamond buying, so you'll know a bit | | | | formed. They show as tiny black specks and also |
| about how they are graded. | | | | affect how the light bounces off the diamond. |
| What are The Four C's? | | | | Too many specks of carbon will reduce the |
| The four C's are grading scales that each diamond | | | | brilliance of the stone, and reduce the value as |
| is measured by in order to value and differentiate | | | | well. |
| diamonds. They each play a role in the price you | | | | Carat |
| will pay for the stone and will let you compare | | | | Carat is the weight of the diamond. One carat is |
| one to another. In no particular order, they are: | | | | the same as 200 milligrams. Although carat is not |
| cut, color, clarity, and carat. Each category is | | | | a measurement of how big the diamond is, the |
| explained further below. | | | | two usually go hand in hand. For instance a higher |
| Cut | | | | carat means the stone is heavier, and in most |
| Cut is the shape that the bottom of the | | | | cases larger in appearance than a stone with a |
| engagement diamond is carved. If the angle is too | | | | lower carat measurement. |
| deep or too shallow light will be lost in the stone | | | | This is just a quick explanation as to what each |
| and won't reflect as brilliantly. This should not be | | | | of the four C's looks for when grading an |
| confused with the shape of the top of the stone | | | | engagement diamond. There is more to how each |
| which can be round, oval, emerald, or princess, | | | | 'C' places a diamond in a category, but the general |
| among others. | | | | idea is explained above. If you're in the market |
| Color | | | | for an engagement ring, these will be the scales |
| Color is the amount of transparency that the | | | | that all stones are measured by. |
| diamond contains. If there is too much nitrogen | | | | |