How is the value of a diamond determined?
The stones are judged by a standard that jewelers all over the world refer to as the four C’s: carat (weight), color, clarity, and cut. Carat: The unit of weight used for diamonds. There are 100 points to a carat, so a 99-point diamond weights virtually 1 carat, and 45-point diamond weights a little less than half a carat. Color: Grading a cut stone for color means deciding the amount by which it derives from the whitest possible. Completely white (truly colorless) diamonds are rare, and therefore most valuable. Although most diamonds are a shade of white, diamonds come in all colors, including blue (Hope Diamond), apple yellow, canary yellow, pink, red, green, and even brown. Colored diamonds (called “fancies”) are prized for their depth of color, just as white diamonds are valued for their lack of color. Clarity: Nature makes each stone unique. Some contain more imperfections (called “inclusions”) than others. The fewer inclusions, the more valuable the diamond. A diamond’s clarity i
