Purchasing a quality diamond means understanding how jewelers appraise and price the stones. Each diamond has a personality as unique as the person who wears it, but there are four main criteria established by the GIA (Gemological Institute of America) that determine a diamond's quality and value. The criteria are typically called the 4Cs: carat, cut, clarity and color. The sum of these individual ratings quantifies a diamond's value. To ensure you buy the diamond that suits you the best, it is important to understand each of the 4Cs and how they interplay to determine the worth of this rare gem.

Carat
Large diamonds are rarely found or mined, so the bigger the diamond the bigger the price tag. Carat actually refers to the weight of the diamond, not its size. Each carat is made up of 100 points, so a half-carat diamond is also referred to as .5 carat or 50-point carat. As important as weight and size are, keep in mind that a diamond's brilliance and (thus its price) is affected by its cut, clarity and color. A smaller-weight diamond may cost significantly more than a larger one. Visit us or call (817) 336-4051 to learn more.

Cut
Diamonds are supposed to sparkle. This brilliance comes from the cuts, or facets, which reflect the light up through the top of the stone. A well-cut diamond will reflect light across and through each of the facets, causing it to sparkle and shine more than one cut too shallow or deeply. The more brilliance or fire of the diamond, the higher the cost. A Haltom's staff member will be able to show you the differences in cut and brilliance. Visit us or call (817) 336-4051 to learn more.

Clarity



Every diamond has a distinct internal structure that was set as the diamond formed. These features are known as inclusions and are used as to identify one diamond from another. For the most part, inclusions are not visible to the naked eye. This is why jewelers use loupes that magnify the internal surfaces ten times. The location of an inclusion can affect a diamond's brilliance and value. Inclusions are ranked from flawless (IF) to Included (I). Jewelers and appraisers look at the number, size, type and color of the inclusions when setting a diamond's value. The clarity scale:

IF - VVS-1 - VVS-2 - VS-1 - VS-2 - SI-1 - SI-2 - SI-3 - I-1 - I-2

Color



The most popular shade of diamond is clear or white. A stone that's colorless, classified as D, is more rare, and thus higher in value. Diamonds get more yellow and brown as they move down the scale to Z. There are also "fancy" diamonds that can include blue, green, pink, red and canary yellow. These are quite unusual and therefore the most expensive.