Most people disregard at least half of
the 4C's. They disregard
Cut and
Color and pretty much everything to do with
Carat Weight. The one and only topic that most people concentrate on is
Clarity!
This is because people use their eyes to judge a Diamond. Clarity is the one thing that people can see and so they use that to determine if the stone is a Good Diamond or a Bad.
Clarity is the make it or break it factor. But this is what the real dividing line is: Whether the Flaws are visible or not!
This is true. Compare an I Clarity Diamond to anything higher in Clarity and you'll see what I'm talking about...
If a customer looks at a Diamond and sees Black Carbon Spots in the stone, then that stone is BAD and chances are they won't buy it. Pretty cut and dry eh?
The Clarity of the Diamond settles the Diamond Buying Decision.
Can you see Inclusions or Not? It's that simple.
No Flaws mean that the Diamond is Good
Doesn't it?
Sadly, this is how most people think. I can't blame them either...
Color is judgmental and the changes in body tone are very slight and almost non-detectable. The common Colors on the market are D-J, all of which are Pure White, Off White or Near Colorless in tone. To a customer, they ALL pretty much look the same. White is White...
Cut is even harder for a customer to detect. Cut is Percentages and Proportions and you almost need to be a rocket scientist to understand it all.
That's why most people look at the Shape of the stone and that's all they learn about Cut.
If they like Princess Cut Diamonds and the stone is Princess Cut, then that CUT is Good!
So you see, Clarity is the one and only factor that is more visible and easier to understand. People can see Flaws and Lines and Fractures, Clouds and Inclusions in a Diamond. This is easy to grasp and comprehend. A Crack at the 5:00 o'clock position just makes sense.
Clarity is the Least Important 4C
I'm here to tell you that Clarity IS the least important C of the 4C's. Cut is Vital to the beauty of the Stone. Cut is #1 on the list, but Clarity isn't. Clarity doesn't make a Diamond Sparkle or Shine more... That's Cut!
Cut allows light to enter the stone, bounce across and come back out in a thousand Sparkles of White Light (Brilliance) and Colored Light (Fire). That's the LIFE of a Diamond!
Sparkles are wonderful, but they still don't stand out like a Big Black Spot does. Only when you compare Diamonds side by side will you see how one Diamond can sparkle more than another. It's all in the Cut!
I'm not saying don't worry about Clarity, I'm saying look at the big picture. Check out Pure White Diamonds (D-F), check out Ideal Cut Diamonds... It really does make a huge difference.
You'll soon find that Clarity is the last C on the list. Cut is #1. Then Color, then Carat Weight, and then finally Clarity. That's the order of importance to what makes a Diamond Beautiful, Sparkle and Shine.
So tell me, are you concentrating on the wrong C?
Do you look at Clarity and nothing else?
Push Clarity to the side. After all, any Diamond graded SI1 or higher is going to look the same with the naked eye. You'll need a microscope to see the differences.
Focus on Cut instead. Get a Certified Diamond with a Laser Inscription. Get a Diamond with an Excellent Cut Grade and an E Color, and you'll have yourself a stone that out shines all the rest.
That's what I would recommend. A Diamond like that you'll be happy with and be happier with how the Diamond looks and reacts with light.
Now if you also get a Diamond that's VS Clarity, well, then I'd say that is the perfect combination and the perfect Diamond to buy.
Just keep an eye out for Fluorescence. Fluorescence can be a bad thing if it makes a Diamond look milky, foggy or white. Any Diamond of any Clarity or Color can have Fluorescence. This is something you should check out on a Diamond Certificate. You want a Diamond that has none.
See why you should not be so quick to judge?
Clarity IS over rated...
Clarity is over rated, but Cut, well Cut is a Cut above the rest!
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