CARAT

The term carat weight and size are often confused and used interchangeably. The carat number that accompanies a diamond refers to the weight, not its size. So when comparing diamonds with different carat weights, the cut can have a large impact. A high carat weight diamond with a Poor cut may look smaller than a diamond with a lesser carat weight and a Very Good cut.

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CUT

The GIA grades diamond cut on a scale of Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair, and Poor. It is the most complex of the 4Cs to analyze because it is a subjective quality by nature and takes into account many other features of the diamond to conclude an overall grading. Note that only round diamonds get a Cut rating, because the theories behind light refraction cannot reliably predict light return of fancy shape diamonds (ie. oval, pear, marquise, emerald, radiant, etc) since every stone has a different length and width proportion.

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Color

Hearing the term color can be a bit confusing when concerning diamonds, because the color grade is actually measuring the absence of color in a diamond. The GIA grades diamond color in terms of how white or colorless a diamond is on a scale from D to Z. The color grading of D is the highest grade and considered completely colorless. Finding natural diamonds with this grade is extremely rare. The color grading of Z indicates a diamond with noticeable yellow or brown tint.

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CLARITY

Clarity is the assessment of the imperfections on the surface and inside the diamond. Many people get wrapped up in this grading not realizing how minute each grading level is. Most diamonds have some technical imperfection when studied at 10x magnification, and less than 0.5% of all investment grade diamonds graded by the GIA receive a Flawless grade. The most important consideration is whether the diamond is eye-clean. Consider this, you can’t see the difference between Flawless and lower-grade diamonds like VS2 with the naked eye, but the price difference in natural diamonds between these two grades is significant.

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FL

Flawless

No inclusions and no blemishes visible to a skilled grader using 10x magnification.

IF

Internally Flawless

No inclusions and only blemishes are visible to a skilled grader using 10x magnification.

VVS1

Very, Very Slightly Included

Minute inclusions that range from extremely difficult to very difficult to see are visible to a skilled grader using 10x magnification.

VVS2

Very, Very Slightly Included

Minute inclusions that range from extremely difficult to very difficult to see are visible to a skilled grader using 10x magnification.

VS1

Very Slightly Included

Minor inclusions that range from difficult to somewhat easy to see are visible to a skilled grader using 10x magnification.

VS2

Very, Very Slightly Included

Minor inclusions that range from difficult to somewhat easy to see are visible to a skilled grader using 10x magnification.

S1

Slightly Included

Noticeable inclusions that range from easy to very easy to see are visible to a skilled grader using 10x magnification.

S2

Slightly Included

Noticeable inclusions that range from easy to very easy to see are visible to a skilled grader using 10x magnification.

I1

Included

Obvious inclusions are visible to a skilled grader using 10x magnification and may affect transparency and brilliance.

FL Flawless
IF Internally Flawless
VVS1 Very, Very Slightly Included
VVS2 Very, Very Slightly Included
VS1 Very Slightly Included
VS2 Very, Very Slightly Included
S1 Slightly Included
S2 Slightly Included
I1 Included