Diamond Grading

The Four C’s

Color:  Diamond color is graded alphabetically from D to Y, measuring color saturation.  “D” indicates a pure Diamond with absolutely no color, while “Y” indicates a deep yellow or brown Diamond. “Z” is reserved for Fancy colored Diamonds.

Cut :  The cut of a Diamond indicates its shape or faceting. Cut is extremely important to the value of the stone, because one false facet can limit the full effect of the Diamond. The most preferred cut is brilliant which best highlights the wonderful fire of the gem. Other cuts may be less valuable.

Clarity :  The clarity grade is based on the size and noticeability of flaws and inclusions in the Diamond.

FI	Flawless	No flaws or inclusions at all
IF	Internally Flawless	No flaws or inclusions at a magnification of 10x
VVS1	Very, very small inclusions	Very tiny flaws or inclusions visible at 10x
VVS2	Very, very small inclusions	Tiny flaws or inclusions visible at 10x
VS1	Very small inclusions	Small flaws or inclusions visible at 10x
VS2	Very small inclusions	Flaws or inclusions visible at 10x
SI1	Small inclusions	Larger flaws or inclusions visible at 10x
SI2	Small inclusions	Larger flaws or inclusions easily visible at 10x
I1	Inclusions	Inclusions visible to the naked eye
I2	Inclusions	Large inclusions visible to the naked eye
I3	Inclusions	Very large inclusions visible to the naked eye

Carat Weight :  This is the size of the Diamond. Usually, a larger weight is more valuable, but this also depends on the other “Cs.” A carat is .2 grams, or .007 ounces. The larger the Diamond the more each carat is worth. For example, a single five carat Diamond would be worth more per carat than five separate one carat Diamonds.