Adelstein & Co.

TECHNICAL INFORMATION: THE 4 C’S

Diamonds are priced according to 4 major factors.

Carat Weight - Carat weight represents the size of the diamond. Obviously, the larger the diamond (quality for quality) the more expensive it will be. The weight of a diamond is measured in carats. One carat is divided into 100 parts called "points". 1 ct. = 1.00 ½ ct. = 0.50 The value of two diamonds the same weight can vary greatly depending on the color, clarity, and cut.

Color – The best color for a diamond is no color or colorless. The colors that take away value are slight tints of yellow or brown. Diamonds come in all the colors of the rainbow. Intense natural diamond colors are very rare and very valuable. For most jewelry the best diamonds are in the near colorless range.

Clarity – Practically all diamonds contain naturally occurring internal characteristics called inclusions. These inclusions, except for in imperfect stones, are typically invisible to the naked eye. They are, however, determined and graded under 10x-power magnification. The size, nature, location and amount of inclusions determine a diamonds clarity grade and affect its cost.

Cut – In 1919 a famed Belgian diamond cutter named Marcel Tolkowsky designed, what he considered to be, the "ideal" diamond cut. He considered his cut "ideal" because of the way it captured the diamond features of brilliance and dispersion. The cut was later named the American Ideal Cut because American cutters were the first to use it. Tolkowsky’s cut makes a beautiful round diamond; however, there are many variations that make equally beautiful diamonds. One of the most popular variations is a larger table, which returns greater brilliance to the eye. The goal of all good diamond cutters is to create a beautiful diamond that reacts with light in a harmonious balance between the diamonds proportions and the display of brilliance and dispersion. Tolkowsky’s American Cut relates only to round diamonds. Marquise, pears, ovals, emerald cuts, princess, heart, etc. obviously have completely different proportions.

Tolkowsky American Ideal Cut Diamond.