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Four C's diamond grading chart

Four C's of diamond grading. *Carat Weight Cut * Color * Clarity**
Carat Weight Diamond size is determined by its carat weight. One carat is divided into 100 points. A 50 point diamond is 1/2 carat or .50 carats. Carat was derived from (believe it or not) the use of the carob plant seed. See our charts in the drop down info menu's above to get an idea of the physical size of a diamond.
Cut This term is used to describe the quality of the cut (not the shape) of the diamond. A well cut diamond is better suited to handle light internally creating more scintillation and sparkle (fire). Proportions and symmetry as well as polish are taken into consideration.	Cut Grades
	Very Good			Exceptional brilliance with few and only minor outer marks.
	Good			Good brilliance. Some outer marks.
	Medium			Slightly less brilliance. Some larger outer marks.
	Poor			Less brilliance. Large or many outer marks.
Color A diamonds color is at its best by not showing any color at all. Diamonds are mined in a range of color, white to faint yellow or brown, to the very rare fancies such as pink, blue and green.		Color Grades
		Color	Trade Term		Color
		D	Blue White		Colorless
		E	Fine White
		F
		G	White		Near Colorless
		H	Commercial White
		I	Top Silver Cape
		J	Silver Cape
		K			Faint Yellow
		L	Cape
		M
		N			Very Light Yellow
		O	Light Cape
		P
		Q
		R	Dark Cape
		S-Z			Light Yellow
Clarity A Diamond's clarity is determined when viewed by a trained eye under 10 power magnification. Most diamonds contain internally tiny natural birth marks known as inclusions. Fewer and smaller inclusions result in increased passage of light. This is the essence of a diamond's brilliance and fire.		Clarity Grades
		Symbol	Trade Term		Description
		IF	Internally flawless		Free of inclusions under 10 power magnification
		VVS	Very very small inclusions		Very few, very small inclusions under 10x magnification, difficult to find
		VS	Very small inclusions		Some small inclusions recognizable by an expert under 10x magnification
		SI	Small inclusions		Several small inclusions, recognized under 10x magnification
		I1 or PI	1st pique		Inclusion recognizable under 10x magnification. Not diminishing the brilliance
		I2 or P2	2nd pique		Larger and or many inclusions, slightly diminishing the brilliance recognizable with naked eye
		I3 or P3	3rd pique		Large and or many inclusions diminishing the brilliance

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Four C's diamond grading chart

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