The Four Cs of Lab Diamonds & The Fifth C of Brian Gavin Lab
Buying a diamond can be stressful. But when you’re aware of the four Cs of diamonds plus the additional C we include at Brian Gavin, this can make your path forward a lot clearer.
Whether you’re buying for yourself or a loved one, you want to make sure you’re making the right decision. After all, this is a big investment. Often, it’s the biggest one you’ll ever make.
It’s no secret that diamonds are expensive and this is true whether they’re lab grown or earth grown. When you’re spending this money, you want to ensure you get a quality stone that will dazzle for years to come.
If you’ve ever been diamond shopping, chances are you’ve heard about the four Cs, which refer to a diamond’s cut, clarity, carat weight, and color. Each of these are taken into account when valuing the worth of a diamond.
But what do these terms mean? And how can you use them to choose the perfect stone?
At Brian Gavin Diamonds, we are passionate about educating and teaching others how to choose a top-quality gem. In fact, we’re so passionate about this that we use a fifth C when examining your lab diamond.
Read on to learn about the four Cs of diamonds, how they apply to lab diamonds, how they’re graded, and what our fifth C is all about.
What Are the 4 Cs of Diamonds?
When being examined, graded, or valued, experts evaluate a diamond's cut, clarity, carat weight, and color. Let’s explore these four Cs that have become so famous in more detail.
It’s important to know exactly what these terms mean, as they will help you choose a top-performing diamond worth its price tag.
1. Cut
When people refer to the cut of a diamond, they often refer to the shape of the stone. As you might know, diamonds are formed in rough, shapeless rocks—hardly the picture-perfect stone you’ll end up buying. Then, jewelers and diamond connoisseurs must cut the diamond into a specific shape that will fit into a jewelry setting. Within our Brian Gavin Premium Lab collection, we provide round brilliant cut, cushion cut, emerald cut, pear cut, and oval cut lab diamonds.
Understandably, some confusion arises from the use of "cut" in shape names, but labs do not grade shape, they only reference it on reports.
However, what many people aren’t aware of is that when it comes to grading a diamond, the cut is not the same as the shape of the diamond. Instead, the "cut" in diamond grading refers to the cut quality, which considers polish, symmetry, and proportions.
2. Clarity
When looking at an earth-grown diamond, inclusions can be visible to the naked eye. You can notice imperfections, blemishes, or impurities.
There is a widely accepted clarity chart that ranks diamonds based on their imperfections. After putting the diamond under 10x magnification, the diamond is ranked on the chart based on the presence of imperfections.
There are six categories on the diamond clarity chart:
- Flawless, or FL, means there are no inclusions or blemishes under 10x magnification.
- Internally Flawless (IF) means there are no inclusions under 10x magnification.
- Very, Very Slightly Included (VVS1 and VVS2) means that the inclusions are extremely difficult to see under 10x magnification.
- Very Slightly Included (VS1 and VS2) means that inclusions can be seen under 10x magnification with effort. They are also considered minor inclusions.
- Slightly Included (SI1 and SI2) means that inclusions are noticed under 10x magnification.
- Included (I1, I2, I3) means that inclusions are obvious under 10x magnification.
The fewer visible imperfections, the higher-quality of the diamond.
3. Carat Weight
Carat weight is used to determine the weight of a diamond, which also determines its size. The heavier a diamond, the more carats it weighs and the larger its size.
Diamond prices increase with size, as larger diamonds are rarer.
4. Color
The color of a diamond also affects its value. Ideally, you want a diamond to be colorless or white.
Diamonds can have hues of different colors, such as brown or yellow. Diamond colors are graded on a letter scale from D to Z. The Z grade is given to diamonds with the most tint, while the D grade is for perfectly clear diamonds.
Interestingly, there are also colored diamonds (such as yellow, green, or pink) that are excluded from this rule. It all depends on what you’re looking for!
Do Lab Grown Diamonds Have 4 Cs?
If you’re wondering, yes, lab grown diamonds have four Cs! The four Cs of lab grown diamonds are the same as earth grown diamonds.
Lab grown diamonds are still evaluated for color, clarity, cut, and carat. These key factors help determine each lab-grown diamond's price and value.
Who Can Grade Diamonds and Lab Grown Diamonds?
The Gemological Institute of America (or the GIA) is the top governing body for diamond reporting. Recently, they merged with AGS. Now, the GIA owns AGS’s cut grade system.
As a result of the partnership, GIA has unveiled the AGS Ideal Report by GIA, a digital addendum to specific GIA diamond reports. This supplementary report incorporates the AGS Light Performance system to evaluate a diamond's visual appeal. It accounts for factors such as brightness, fire, contrast, and overall appearance.
Diamonds for sale will come with a report, often from the GIA, to confirm the value of the diamond. They’ll rank qualities like the color and clarity according to the chart, validate the shape, and list the carat weight of the diamond.
Every Brian Gavin® Lab Diamond undergoes meticulous examination by GIA, adhering to their rigorous standards for color, clarity, and cut grade, including polish, symmetry, and light performance assessments.
All so you know you’re getting a top-quality stone.
Lab Grown Diamonds: 4 Cs Plus 1
Here at Brian Gavin Diamonds, we think there’s a fifth C for diamonds.
Sure, the cut is important for the shape of the diamond.
However, have you ever thought about how the cut impacts the performance of the diamond?
The way a diamond is cut will affect its sparkle and radiance. That’s why we say the fifth C is cut/performance instead of just cut/shape.
The proper cutting of a diamond leads to maximum light performance, which includes brightness, sparkle, and scintillation. That’s why we have proprietary cuts on diamonds to maximize light performance. And with the GIA, we have the technology to grade a diamond on its light performance.
Using the 5 Cs to Choose the Right Lab Grown Diamond
When choosing any diamond, you want to be certain you’re getting top-quality at a great price. And to do so, you can use the five Cs to aid your decision.
Use the five Cs to make sure your diamond is a great cut/shape, of optimal color and clarity, has an excellent cut/performance, and is of the carat weight or size you’d like.
If you’re shopping for a lab grown diamond, you want to balance the graded characteristics of the Cs to get the largest possible diamond within your budget that also looks amazing.
Time to Shine
Now that you know everything about the five Cs of diamond shopping, it’s your time to shine!
At Brian Gavin Lab, we pride ourselves on brilliant lab grown diamonds that make your dreams come true, and your hunt for the perfect stone comes to an end.
Whether you’re shopping for an engagement ring, diamond jewelry, or a solitaire stone, Brian Gavin has you covered. We have multiple patents and proprietary cuts on diamonds to maximize light performance and create a brilliant sparkle with every diamond.
