Start with the 4Cs

Cut, clarity, colour and carat: these are the qualities that most influence the price of your stone. Understanding them will give you a sliding scale to compare different stones, work out your budget and get the best value for your money.

  1. Cut
The most important of the 4Cs, cut gives your stone its ‘wow’ factor: its sparkle. Cut determines your diamond’s ability to handle light.
       
      TOP BUYING TIPS
  • A properly cut diamond has ‘fire’ – it brilliantly absorbs and reflects light via the top of the stone.
  • Combine beauty and value by choosing a lower carat stone in a superior cut.
  • Get the most value for your budget by focusing on cut over colour and clarity.
  • GS Diamonds cut grade snapshot: Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair.
     2. Colour
The second most important is colour, or a lack thereof. The less colour in your stone, or the ‘whiter’ it appears, the rarer considered to be.

      TOP BUYING TIPS
  • After sparkle, colour is usually the second thing you’ll notice about a diamond.
  • Grade D is considered the most colourless, but you can consider an H or I – if you are price conscious.
  • GS Diamonds colour grade snapshot: D, E-F, G-H, I-J, K-M.
     
     3. Carat
The third most important quality is carat. Not to be confused with size, carat refers to the diamond’s total weight.

      TOP BUYING TIPS
  • Diamond prices jump significantly at full- and half-carat weight points (e.g. 1.0ct, 1.5ct, 2.0ct).
  • Small variations in carat weight aren’t obvious to the eye but can greatly affect the cost.
  • GS Diamonds carat range can be anywhere from 0.2 up to 10.0
    4. Clarity
Finally, consider the clarity, or flawlessness, of your stone. Bear in mind that most imperfections aren’t visible to the untrained eye.

      
TOP BUYING TIPS
  • Clarity is considered the least important of the 4Cs as it doesn’t affect the diamond’s visual impact. Like most things in nature, diamonds are rarely perfect.
  • Remember: the cut of a diamond can go a long way in disguising any natural flaws.
  • Combine beauty and value: if you look at a diamond and can’t see any flaws without magnification, you can probably choose a lower clarity grade. While an SI clarity grade isn’t necessarily 100% eye clean, some flaws are hardly noticeable.
  • GS Diamonds will only sell diamonds that are above SI2 grade. This ensures you get a diamonds that is an clean to the eye.