The 4 Cs of Diamonds

The 4Cs of Diamonds CLARITY COLOR > Clarity is based on how flaw- less a diamond is internally. > Diamond color is determined on an alphabetical scale from D to Z >It is difficult for the average person to differentiate between two color grades. As with color grading, GIA has the most widely accepted clarity grading scale in the industry. > It is very rare for a diamond to be (accurately) graded as Flawless. > The good news for diamond buyers is this: to the naked eye, most diamonds with a GIA color grade of I or above appear nearly colorless. CARAT WEIGHT CUT > The bigger a diamond is, the more rare it is. So carat weight is a big determining factor in your diamond price. > The cut of a diamond deter- mines how well it sparkles >If a diamond is cut poorly, its value goes way down. > Diamonds are measured in metric carats. > Most diamonds in the world weigh less than one carat. This is why larger diamonds • Most diamonds sold by chain stores are poorly cut. In fact, very few diamond cutters actually have the skill to cut and facet a diamond to GIA YATES & CO. JEWELERS cost so much more per carat. "Excellent" standards. www.yatesjewelers.com