The 4Cs are the key characteristics of diamonds: carat, cut, colour and clarity . Taking a few minutes to learn about them now will make your purchasing experience easier, more enjoyable, and far more rewarding. Not only will you know the exact quality of the diamond you're considering, you'll also be confident you're paying a fair market price for it. The 4Cs give you the information you need to compare the characteristics of diamonds and so make the best choice and wisest investment.

Diamond characteristic number one – Carat

A diamond's size is measured in carat weight. (A large stone equals many carats). Each diamond carat is also equal to 100 points. For example, a diamond that is a 1/2 carat can also be referred to as a 50-point diamond. But please keep this in mind : bigger isn't necessarily better. A two-carat diamond that is cut poorly is not nearly so beautiful as a smaller diamond, cut by a skilled diamond artisan. Alternatively, a stone may be cut well, but have poor colour and clarity. The point is, to posess exceptional beautiful, a diamond must be of high quality in all 4Cs.

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Nearly 250 tons of ore must be mined and processed in order to create a single, one-carat diamond – just one of the reasons diamonds are so precious! At Leo Schachter, we begin with rough stones as large as 150 carats, evaluating them to determine the optimal number of smaller-carat finished diamonds that can be crafted. And often, more than half of the rough diamond will simply not survive the artisans' polishing process. It becomes diamond dust.

Diamond characteristic number two – Cut

People commonly refer to the shape of a diamond as the cut (round diamonds, princess cut diamonds, marquise cut diamonds, oval diamonds, pear-shaped diamonds, emerald cut diamonds, radiant cut diamonds, heart-shaped and Asscher cut diamonds). But cut is really the craftsmanship applied in cutting the facets of the stone. The artisan attempts to cut a diamond to make the best use of light.

When a diamond is cut to good proportions, light is refracted from one facet to another, then dispersed through the top of the diamond. When a diamond is cut too deep, some light escapes through the opposite side of the diamond. If the diamond is cut too shallow, light escapes through the bottom of the stone before it can be reflected. In addition, the facets must be placed with precise symmetry for maximum brilliance.

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Cut is perhaps the most important of the 4Cs to consider. An expertly cut diamond – regardless of its shape, sparkles, has more fire and offers the greatest brilliance . If a stone is cut poorly, its value is less because it will lack fire, scintillation, brilliance and, therefore, beauty.

The art of diamond cutting has evolved thanks to state-of-the-art technology and innovation. A modern diamond cut, such as the patented Leo Diamond®, delivers measurably more brilliance than other diamonds of similar quality and grading. An estate diamond cut may have value because of its age and vintage design, but may not capture and reflect light as beautifully as a modern cut diamond.

Learn more about diamond shapes or diamond brilliance.

Diamond characteristic number three – colour

colour is the natural body colour visible in a diamond and is the one C determined completely by nature. As a rule, the closer a diamond is to colourless, the more valuable and beautiful it is. Diamond colours appear in a range with colour grades D, E and F considered colourless, and therefore rare.

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However, even more rare than the colourless are the fancy coloured diamonds. These diamonds are beyond the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) colour scale. There are well defined colours that include pink, canary yellow, blue and green…all highly priced, extremely rare, and major showpieces!

Diamond characteristic number four – Clarity

Clarity is an indication of a diamond's purity. When a rough stone is extracted from carbon, deep beneath the earth, tiny traces of natural elements are almost always trapped inside. These elements are called inclusions, though sometimes referred to as birthmarks, because they are formed naturally and are unique to each stone.

Because most inclusions are not visible to the naked eye, a jeweler will use a magnifier know as a loupe to reveal a diamond's inclusions.

Leo Schachter's highly skilled artisans painstakingly examine each rough stone to determine how it might be cut in order to eliminate or reduce inclusions. Their objective: to bring you a diamond of the highest possible clarity.

Which of the characteristics of diamonds is most important?

Ideally, all 4Cs should be taken into account when making your purchase, but perhaps your budget dictates a compromise? If so, and your preference is for a larger diamond , you may prefer a diamond of higher carat weight but lower on the colour scale. Then again, if beauty is more important , you may want a smaller, colourless stone for the same price.

Whether large or small, cut is critical since releasing a diamond's maximum potential for beauty and brilliance is an art accomplished only by superior diamond artisans. So which of the characteristics of diamonds is most important? The choice is yours.

Other factors to consider when choosing a diamond are:

• Certification

• Shape

• Beauty and brilliance

• Branded vs unbranded

• How much you want to spend

• Which setting you should choose

• The best place to buy a diamond

By selecting a branded diamond, such as The Leo Diamond, you are guaranteed a specific quality standard that must be met or exceeded by each stone that bears The Leo name. Anything less, could not be called a Leo Diamond.

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