4C – What makes a diamond valuable

• CARAT

A diamond of 1 carat weighs 0.2 grams. The more a diamond weighs the bigger it is. A bigger diamond is rarer and therefore more expensive.

• COLOR

The most expensive color for a diamond is no color at all. Diamonds exhibit almost all colors, but most frequently shades of yellow and brown

• CLARITY

Diamond formation rarely happens under ideal conditions. During their growth sometimes, preexisting minerals such as garnet, olivine or even small diamonds are included in a diamond. Inclusions are diagnostic for a diamond; they are like fingerprints and make it possible to find a particular diamond out of hundreds of diamonds. The less inclusions a diamond has the rarer it is and therefore expensive.

• CUT

Fashioning of a diamond, today the vast majority of diamonds are finished in round brilliant cut. Other cuts include baguette, carré or emerald cut. Of the 4 C’s, cut is the only quality characteristic that can be influenced by man.